In House Advocate (Social Care)

We serve Children and Adult Services and we represent the Bradford Children and Families Trust. We are seeking to appoint two in-house advocates to join our busy and highly professional social care legal team. This new role will allow the right applicant the opportunity to establish a presence before our local courts representing our clients in respect of a diverse range of matters. We are confident that this role will provide the opportunity to make a positive difference working alongside a friendly and supportive team.

You will be based in the Bradford City Centre in the Grade One Listed City Hall and have all the benefits of the cultural, retail and leisure facilities that Bradford has to offer as the 4th largest Metropolitan District and City of Culture in 2025. The establishment of the Children and Families Trust has provided a fantastic opportunity to consider a revised approach towards ways of working in order to improve the delivery of our legal service.

There are also opportunities to provide advice to council members, senior officers, scrutiny committees and managers in our client departments on policy and high-profile public issues.

The right candidate will:

• Be an experienced advocate with more than five years court experience undertaking advocacy on behalf of Bradford Children and Families Trust in respect of all aspects of care and adoption proceedings, private law children proceedings, deprivation of liberty applications, human rights and on occasions matters concerning transition to adulthood and the overlapping intervention of the Court of Protection.
• Provide representation before the full range of family courts including the Family Division of the High Court and Court of Appeal (Civil Division), where appropriate, and when required will liaise with the courts to address wider issues relating to changes in the law and practice, both locally and on a national level.
• Produce good quality written documentation including case summaries, draft orders, position statements, skeleton arguments and threshold documents, and provide advice in respect of the written evidence being provided by the client.
• Provide advice on law and practice in respect of aspects of the law relating to vulnerable children and their families.
• Exercise professional judgment and make operational decisions on allocated matters in the context of legal advice and assistance.
• Provide supervision, guidance and support to colleagues across the team.
• Deliver training in house to social care clients and the legal team and provide briefings to senior officers of the council and managers, where required on complex points of law and developments in law and practice.
• Be a solicitor, barrister or Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives and have or be willing to work towards Higher Rights of Audience.

Benefits include:

• 15% Market Supplement for 12 Months
• Generous leave entitlement
• Opportunities for flexible working, hybrid working and flexi time
• Access to the West Yorkshire Pension Fund
• Excellent learning and development opportunities

Equal Opportunities: We do not discriminate against any applicant or employee directly or indirectly on the grounds of gender, marital status, gender re-assignment, pregnancy, sexual orientation, disability, race, colour, ethnic background, religion or belief nationality or age. And, as an equal opportunities employer, the Council strives to employ the best qualified people from a diverse range of applicants. The RESPECT Allyship Programme is available to all staff, which offers the opportunity to learn more about the diverse communities & groups and provides added benefits and resources to its members.