Job info |
Job info details |
Job title |
Lawyer |
Strategic team/Directorate |
Corporate Services |
Service |
Legal Services |
Business unit |
Legal Services (Planning, Property and Environment Team) |
Responsible to (day to day issues) |
Head of Legal Services |
Accountable to (line manager) |
Senior Lawyer/Team Leader (Planning, Property and Environment Team) |
Salary grade |
I |
JE ref |
LEG31d |
1. Key purpose of job
- To assist the Senior Lawyers (Planning, Property and Environment Team) in the provision of high quality, efficient and effective legal advice and services to the Council in order to ensure client departments can conduct their business in the most efficient and effective manner.
2. Anticipated outcomes of post
- The delivery of high quality efficient and effective legal advice and services to the highest standards of professional conduct and ethics, in a way that furthers and promotes excellent client service.
- To undertake all legal services work as required, with minimal supervision and professional support.
3. List key duties and accountabilities of the post
- As an Employee of Torbay Council all roles are expected to work in a way that ensures vulnerable children and adults are safeguarded and report any safeguarding concerns in accordance with established policies and procedures. The Designated Senior Lead for Safeguarding is the Chief Executive and Director of Children’s Services.
- To undertake case work and deal with matters, and provide advice within the specialist areas of law (commercial property with elements of some other areas of local government law, such as highways (where applicable)
- To provide legal advice and services in relation to other areas of local government law as required by the Senior Solicitor or Head of Legal Services.
- To attend quasi judicial bodies as legal advisor, including Council Committee meetings.
- To provide training as required to client departments regarding current legislation and best practice and informing colleagues within Legal Services, as appropriate.
- To be knowledgeable and up to date on the law, practice and current issues within the specialist areas of law upon which the post holder advises on.
- Assist the Senior Lawyer/Team Leader in the day to day running of the Planning, Property and Environment Team and to provide cover as and when necessary for colleagues.
- To consider, prepare and conduct (including advocacy) matters in the Magistrates’ Court, Crown Court, County Court and High Court and in all other tribunals or hearings of whatever description, on behalf of the Council.
- To be knowledgeable and up to date on the general law relating to local government, including freedom of information and data protection.
4. Budgetary/Financial Responsibilities of the post
5. Supervision/Line Management Responsibilities of the post
- The post holder is required to provide informal support and supervision to junior members of the team, including the allocation of work to Legal Officers and assist the Senior Lawyer/Team Leader in assuring the work of these officers.
6. Working environment and conditions of the post
- The post-holder operates in an environment governed by the need to meet deadlines, (including those externally imposed) in a context of changing priorities.
7. Physical demands of the post
- The post holder may occasionally be required to handle heavy documentation e.g. deed parcels/boxes of files/court bundles which can be large and difficult to move safely. Appropriate manual handling equipment will be provided to enable safe working.
8. Specific resources used by the post
- The post holder will have access a to laptop computers and other agile working equipment.
- The post holder is required to ensure the security of confidential and sensitive information when transporting and using files and laptops when home working and working away from the office.
9. Key contacts and relationships
- The post holder will represent the Council and be responsible for influencing and negotiating with others on contentious matters in circumstances where the relationships between contacts and the matters in question will usually be of moderate complexity. The post-holder will be responsible on behalf of the Council in routine matters.
External:
- Contact with service users, other Local Authorities, partners and external bodies, Government Departments, other professionals (legal and others), courts and tribunals. Contact with members of the public.
Internal:
- Senior Lawyer/Team Leader, Planning, Property and Environment Team members, other colleagues in Legal Services and officers in client directorates.
10. Other duties
- To undertake additional duties as required, commensurate with the level of the job
Other Information
- All staff must commit to Equal Opportunities and Anti-Discriminatory Practice.
- Torbay Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and applicants must be willing to undergo the checks appropriate to the post applied for.
- The post holder is expected to work in a way that ensures vulnerable children and adults are safeguarded and report any safeguarding concerns in accordance with established policies and procedures. And are aware that the Chief Executive and the Director for Childrens Services are the Safeguarding Leads for the Council.
- The post is eligible for both hybrid and permanent home working.
- You will be asked to complete a Criminal Records Self Declaration Form. Criminal convictions will only be taken into account when they are relevant to the post. You will only be asked to disclose ‘unspent’ convictions.
- As this post meets the requirements in respect of exempted questions under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, all applicants who are offered employment will be subject to a criminal record check (Disclosure) from the Disclosure & Barring Service before the appointment is confirmed. This will include details of ALL cautions, reprimands or final warnings as well as convictions, whether “spent” or “unspent”. Criminal convictions will only be taken into account when they are relevant to the post.
- The Council operates a Smoke-Free Policy and the post-holder is prohibited from smoking in any of the Council's buildings (including Council owned and Council leased buildings, but excluding designated areas in residential schemes), enclosed spaces within the curtilage of buildings, and Council vehicles. The Council does not permit smoking breaks within work time, however, in services where the flexi-scheme is in operation, employees may take reasonable break times outside of core hours, in accordance with flexi-time arrangements. Employees should follow the flexi-scheme procedure for agreeing time away from their duties in the normal manner with their immediate colleagues and line manager, with break start and finish times being recorded, as with any other break-time arrangement.
- The post-holder is expected to familiarise themselves with and adhere to all relevant Council Policies and Procedures.
- The post-holder must comply with the Council’s Health and Safety requirements as outlined in the H&S policy appropriate to the role.
- The post-holder must be committed to the Council’s Core Values for employees – “Torbay Council employees are committed to being forward thinking, people orientated and adaptable - always with integrity”. Evidence will be sought during the probation and appraisal processes.
- If this post is a customer facing role and meets the requirements of the Immigration Act 2017 (part 7) the ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post.
- If you are required to access a government system such as HMRC, DWP or The Public services network (PSN) as part of your role with the Council you will be required to complete a basic disclose with your line manager before you can access these systems. Your manager will be required to complete a verification form that confirms your identity, nationality and immigration status, employment history and unspent convictions (third party).If you are required to use your own vehicle on Council business or drive a council vehicle you will be asked to provide information on any driving endorsements by accessing gov.uk/view-driving-licence and providing a code to your Line Manager in order to share your driving licence information with the Council.
Person Specification
Note for Candidate
All Candidates
The supporting statement on your application form will be used to assess ability to meet the essential requirements of the role, so you should explain how you meet each of the numbered essential requirements within your supporting statement.
In a competitive situation, the desirable criteria may be taken into consideration, so you are encouraged to show how you also meet each of the desirable criteria.
Candidates who consider that they have a disability
Reasonable adjustments will be made to the job, job requirements or recruitment process for candidates with a disability.
If you consider yourself to have a disability you should indicate this on your application form, providing any information you would like us to take into account with regard to your disability in order to offer a fair selection interview.
Where ever possible and reasonable we will make adjustments and offer alternatives to help you through the application and selection process.
If you have indicated that you have a disability on your application form you will be guaranteed an interview if you clearly demonstrate in your supporting evidence how you broadly meet the essential requirements of the role.
Job info |
Job info details |
Job Title |
Lawyer |
Strategic team/Directorate |
Corporate Services |
Service |
Legal Services |
Business unit |
Legal Services (Planning, Property and Environment Team) |
Skills and effectiveness
Essential skills and effectiveness
- Effective communication and interpersonal skills
- Ability to give clear and accurate legal advice.
- Commercial awareness and pragmatism.
- Effective presentation skills
- Ability to build and maintain positive working relationships especially within a team environment.
- Able to influence, support, advise and persuade others at a moderate level both inside and outside of the Council.
- Effective negotiating skills
- Ability to manage a full and substantial workload.
- Ability to work effectively and efficiently and prioritising workload with conflicting deadlines
- Able to work as an integrated part of the wider Legal Services team, and be
supportive of colleagues and management
- As this post meets the requirements of the Immigration Act 2016 (part 7), the ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post
Desirable skills and effectiveness
- Ability to adapt to new areas of work.
- Ability to command respect and authority with those persons the post holder is required to influence, support and advise.
Knowledge
Essential knowledge
- Knowledge of the law and procedure within the specialist discipline.
- A general awareness of the policies, aims and objectives of the Council.
Desirable knowledge
- Understanding of the nature of a Local Government in-house legal service.
- Knowledge of the law applicable to Local Government.
- A general awareness of the policies, aims and objectives of the Council.
Experience and achievements
Essential experience and achievements
- Suitable training as a legal advisor and advocate
- Experience of working within a legal environment.
- Able to devise, prepare and deliver training
Desirable experience and achievements
- Experience of working in an in-house local government Legal Service.
- Experience of working in accordance with the LEXCEL standards.
- Able to devise, prepare and deliver training.
Qualifications/professional memberships
Essential qualifications/professional memberships
- Educated to GCSE O Level standard or equivalent.
- Qualified Solicitor, Barrister or Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives.
Desirable qualifications/professional memberships
N/A
Other requirements
Other requirements of the job role
- Demonstrates a commitment to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people.
- Ability to travel efficiently around the Bay/South West/UK in order to carry out duties.
- Ability to carry out the physical requirements of the role (i.e. manual handling).
- Ability to accommodate on-call working.