Lawyer - Family Child Care

Overview

£45,750 – £55,323 plus a Golden Hello Payment – £3,000. Full of energy and culture, Waltham Forest is a progressive and innovative borough with a Legal Service to match. We provide our diverse client departments with the best possible service through our highly skilled professionals. As a Lawyer in the Child Care sub team, you\’ll bring your expertise to our Families Team. If you\’re looking for an exciting new role in a fantastic corner of London, this could be your ideal opportunity.

Responsibilities

Join us, and you will be initiating and conducting care proceedings under the Children\’s Act 1989. You\’ll have a varied and challenging caseload, including all aspects of care and adoption proceedings and advice work, as well as matters in pre-proceedings. You\’ll give timely and accurate legal advice, deal with a complex caseload and stay up to date with relevant legislation.

You\’ll be expected to work flexibly and to meet deadlines, including outside normal office hours if necessary.

In this role you will be a qualified solicitor or barrister or Chartered Legal Executive with considerable experience and PQE. With experience in another local authority or large organisation, you\’ll have accurate knowledge of practice and procedure in relation to child care law including, care and adoption proceedings, and private law proceedings. Advocacy experience in a wide variety of care proceedings in the Family Court is desirable or at least a willingness to develop this skill.

Requirements

We are looking for professionals with excellent communication skills, both orally and in writing, and dedication to the job. You will be part of a friendly, welcoming and supportive team where your professional development will be nurtured and appreciated day to day.

Behaviour and Working Arrangements

With the determination to meet deadlines, you\’ll work flexibly, including outside normal office hours if necessary. And with your commitment, this role is subject to a Basic Disclosure Application to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Equality and Diversity

Equal Opportunities: Waltham Forest is a diverse borough where diversity is valued and integral to service delivery and employment. The Council is proud of its rich mix of communities and, as the largest employer in the area, it works to respond to the changing needs of its population. We operate statutory duties on race, gender and disability equality and best practice with respect to age, faith and sexual orientation to ensure equality of opportunity in the workplace. The Council is committed to meeting its four equality objectives:

• Promoting equality of opportunity
• Opposing all forms of discrimination, intolerance and disadvantage
• Ensuring our workforce reflects the diverse communities of Waltham Forest at all levels
• Providing fair, appropriate, accessible and excellent services to all. Respecting Diversity is a core Council value.

To support the above and reduce the risk of bias in its recruitment activities, the council operates an anonymous shortlisting process, which hides personal information that can identify individuals until their application has been considered for shortlisting. The council also operates a scheme whereby, for jobs graded up to and including scale SO2, internal candidates are considered first. This includes those candidates who self-identify as having a disability for the purposes of the Disability Confident scheme.

For a confidential conversation about this role, please contact Brian Gallagher via or call 07716 098175.

Closing date: 19 September 2025

Interview date: 30 September, 1, 2 & 3 October 2025

For further information or to apply, please click on the \’Enquire/Apply\’ button below.

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