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Are you looking to be part of a forward-thinking and innovative legal team with a reputation for excellent service delivery?

Now is the perfect time to become a part of Peterborough City Council's Legal Service - let's make a difference together!

All about the Role 

We are seeking a confident, skilled, experienced, and motivated lawyer to join our Child Protection team in Legal Services. Our team currently includes one Principal lawyer, four Senior lawyers and four Legal Officers. 

 In this role, you will provide advice on all areas of child protection, draft and prepare applications for various orders, and demonstrate excellent advocacy skills.

You will manage a caseload of cases in Court proceedings, as well as pre-proceedings and advice files. A minimum of 5 years' experience in child protection or extensive experience in family law is required, and experience working in a local authority is advantageous.

 You must be a qualified solicitor or barrister with a current practising certificate or a Fellow of the Institute of Legal Executives. You will join a friendly and supportive team that excels in delivering services to all teams within Children's Services and to an external client authority.  

 All About Our Team 

The Legal Department at Peterborough City Council is a robust team of around 50 officers, divided into four sections: Planning & Property, Commercial, Contracts & Procurement, Child Protection, and Litigation (which also includes Adult Social Care and Employment).

Our team comprises lawyers, legal officers, and our newly appointed Head of Legal, supported by administrative staff to ensure efficient service delivery. We not only serve our internal PCC client departments with a range of support across various service areas but also provide external legal support to other Local Authorities.

Our Benefits

We value our colleagues and have developed a number of benefits in addition to our generous annual leave starting at 25 days + bank holidays, sick pay and local government pension scheme…

• Access to a range of benefits via our Employee Benefits Platform, including in-store and online discounts as well as our Cycle to Work and Home & Electronics schemes
• Buy up to 10 days additional annual leave (pro-rata)
• Access to car lease scheme
• Take your bank holidays flexibly to better suit your personal circumstances
• Make Additional Voluntary Contributions (Shared Cost AVCs) to your pension with tax and National Insurance savings
• Access to development opportunities including apprenticeships to support your personal and professional growth
• Paid volunteering hours each year so you can make a positive impact on our community during your normal working day
• Access to our equality, diversity and inclusion network
• Opportunities to receive Employee Recognition Awards

Our Commitments

We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer, dedicated to fostering diversity, advancing equity, and building an inclusive workplace for everyone. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds and particularly encourage those from underrepresented groups, including disabled people, care leavers, and individuals from minority ethnic communities. Your unique perspectives and experiences are encouraged and valued and will play a vital role in our success.

We are committed to making our recruitment process as accessible as possible. If you are a person who has or considers yourself to have a disability and you require reasonable adjustments to the application or interview process, please contact pccrecruitment@peterborough.gov.uk.

Appointment to this post will be subject to the outcome of an Enhanced Disclosure obtained through the Disclosure and Barring Service. The Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

If you've already applied and completed the recruitment process for this position within the last three months, there's no need to reapply. We really appreciate your interest and thank you for considering us.

Documents

• Terms and Conditions NJC March 2025.pdf (177.74 KB)
• Senior Lawyer - Child Protection.pdf (229.21 KB)