Paralegal - Childcare Team

We have an interesting opportunity to join Dorset Council's Legal Services as a paralegal in the Child Care Legal Team.  The team provides advice to Children’s Services on a wide range of matters from initial enquiries to the institution of care proceedings and adoption. 

The role would provide an opportunity to build a legal career in a modern and inclusive organisation in which there is an enhanced approach to flexible employment and hybrid working. Whilst the role is demanding and will require considerable commitment, the work is interesting and fulfilling.  It will also provide you with an excellent grounding and will open opportunities for career progression. 

You will be working in a settled and supportive team of 7 lawyers with a wide range of combined experience, committed to providing support and development opportunities. 

What you can expect to be doing:

The role involves providing support to the lawyers in the team by carrying out research, drafting documents, taking notes at court hearings and attending legal  meetings.  You will be a key member of the team, liaising with the client department, the Court, private practice solicitors and the 2 administrative officers.

About you:

To be considered, you must have a Law degree, or alternatively, another degree plus a recognised law conversion qualification (e.g., Graduate Diploma in Law). Please ensure you meet this essential requirement before applying, as detailed in our person specification.

The successful applicant will need to have excellent communication, organisational and IT skills.  You will need the ability to work at pace under pressure whilst managing conflicting priorities.  Most importantly, you will need to be able to work as part of a team.  If you are a hardworking team player who thrives on challenge, we would like to hear from you.

The essential criteria are set out in the person specification.

For further information please contact Marcia Tilt on 01305 225034 or email on [email protected].

This is a full time role at 37 hours per week.

We’re passionate about making Dorset a great place to live, work and visit. Working for us should be no exception.

At Dorset Council we:

• provide more than 450 services to over 300,000 residents
• have ambitious aspirations
• are excited about our future
• care about Dorset and all the people who live here
• know that all roles make a difference and that our employees are key to our success

You will:

• have access to a range of employee benefits 
• be part of an organisation that supports each other to grow and succeed
• have access to range of training opportunities which will help with your personal development and career progression

We are challenging ourselves to become a more diverse and inclusive organisation. We recognise that recruitment and inclusion of individuals with diverse skills, perspectives and backgrounds will bring real strength to the council and our communities. We have a commitment to equality and welcome applications from everyone.

We are proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. We offer an interview to everyone who declares a disability and meets the essential criteria for the role. We are keen to make our interviews accessible. Let us know on your job application if you have a disability and need any reasonable adjustments.

This role is UK based and we will need to establish your Right to Work as part of the appointment process.

We use generic job descriptions and person specifications. This means the job title on any attachments may differ from the job title in the advert. We may provide specific information in a context statement if relevant.

Find out more about how to apply.