Social Housing Solicitor - Manchester

Leading law firm looking to recruit dedicated and experienced Social Housing Solicitor for a highly sought permanent position. Gemini Recruitment are currently partnering with a large and established law firm. Our client serves corporate entities and private individuals in over 25 practice areas from offices throughout London and across England and Wales. Our client’s accomplishments are acknowledged and recommended in The Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners, as a top tier firm. Our client holds the Investors in People Gold Accreditation Quality Standard Mark and is LEXCEL, Cyber Essentials Plus and ISO 27001-2013 accredited and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

Housing Department Background: Our client’s Housing team, ranked by The Legal 500 directory for its services across England and Wales, provides assistance to both landlords and tenants on all housing issues. Their practitioners are highly experienced in finding solutions to housing disputes and aim to address the issues quickly and effectively. Our client offers lawyer supported dispute resolution or alternative dispute resolution (ADR) as a means to resolve housing disrepair matters. Their department also regularly represents clients in the courts for unlawful eviction, possession proceedings and prepare applications for judicial review in cases of homelessness.

Main Duties and Responsibilities:

• Report directly to Department Director
• Professional pro-active approach, strong client care skills and a sensitive and sympathetic understanding of clients’ needs
• Responsible for all aspects of Housing work and on occasions, where appropriate providing technical expertise and guidance to other team members
• Ability to manage appropriate caseload types and complexities
• Assisting with casework including dealing with a range of public and private housing cases including Homelessness; Disrepair; Eviction; Possession; Property Ownership Disputes; Succession for Tenants; Neighbourhood Problems matters as well as undertaking your own advocacy
• Ability to manage and supervise caseworkers and trainees
• Attending clients, taking instructions and preparing cases
• Dealing with correspondence
• Maintaining accurate time costing procedures
• Implementing any recommendations made by your supervisor following monthly file reviews ensuring that these are dealt with promptly
• Ensuring compliance with file management
• Willingness to attend Housing Court Duty Scheme

Key Skills Required:

• Must have a clean, valid Practicing Certificate at the time of applying
• Committed team player and adapt well to new challenges
• Previous proven supervisory experience and working to key performance indicators helpful but not necessary
• Professional with a pro-active approach; excellent client care skills and ability to deal with vulnerabilities client matters in a sensitive manner and resolve complicated practicalities
• Excellent networking and communication skills with the ability to successfully market the Company and generate new business
• Excellent analytical and organizational skills
• Ability to use own initiative and sound judgment
• Working knowledge of the publicly funded Housing work and have the ability to service privately funded cases
• Have extensive experience in dealing with Housing related work
• Experience in own advocacy is an advantage
• Excellent IT Skills - familiar with Microsoft Office applications and document management skills

This list is not exhaustive and there may be other duties as reasonably required. On offer is an attractive salary package, a supportive team environment and real prospects for promotion. The Company will allow hybrid-working in accordance with the company policy.

About Gemini Recruitment and Equal opportunities: Gemini Recruitment is a leading recruitment agency specialising in legal recruitment. We provide a highly focused service specialising in placements for Solicitors, Legal Executives, Trainee Solicitors, Paralegals and Legal Support Staff. We have intimate knowledge of specific opportunities in the legal market across the UK. The company is committed to Equal Opportunities and embraces diversity and inclusivity of its staff and strives to ensure that their workforce reflects the diversity of the communities they serve.