Legal Services Team Leader - Adults, Education and Employment

We seek a dedicated and passionate senior lawyer and manager to become part of the Joint Legal Team. Collaborating with colleagues, you will contribute to making a positive impact on the lives of vulnerable adults, children, and young people in Berkshire

The Joint Legal Team is a forward thinking shared legal service and recognised centre of excellence for adults, education and childcare law for Berkshire councils. We are hosted by Reading Borough Council, working from our modern offices in Reading town centre close to the train station and courts.

Our ambition is to be the best place to practice law in local government; being close to our clients, recruiting the best talent, successfully deploying legal technology and ensuring the continued growth of the business to new customers. We provide the Council and its partners with the highest quality professional legal advice and representation which allows them to run their organisations well, and to serve our community.

We seek the best talent from the widest pool of people as diversity and inclusion is the key to our success. Reading Borough Council is a Disability Confident Employer and is committed to the recruitment and continued employment of people with disabilities.

We are open to flexible working patterns and can provide a hybrid working environment which utilises the best of both worlds with a mix of office working in central Reading and homeworking according to the needs of the Service.

About the role

We are seeking a senior solicitor, barrister or FILEX to lead our Adults, Education and Employment Team in the Joint Legal Team. This position is an ideal next step in your career and leadership development and would suit someone who is passionate about delivering a great legal service and growing the team. Our clients continue to ask us to deal with new work types and even greater caseloads, so this is a thriving and growing team working for all the councils in Berkshire.

You will work in a small team of lawyers, paralegals, legal assistants, and trainees. You will provide the leadership for the Team supporting the senior lawyers directly. You are also part of the JLT Leadership Team which comprises the Team Leader for Childcare and the Team Leader for Advocacy. This role includes contributing to timely delivery of effective legal services with maximum efficiency and economy across the whole of Legal Services and you will be a part of the Legal Services Management Team.

Our Legal Operations Team will assist you in delivering your work as we invest further in our systems and work towards Lexcel accreditation.

Whatever your specialism or previous experience, you will thrive on the challenge of working in a client focussed environment and in a team which has an ambitious agenda for the future. You will have opportunities to join in the wider work of the team outside your specialist field in helping us to reach our team objectives.

You'll be part of a team that relies on each individual to play their part to the best of their ability. As well as the colleagues that you work closely with every day, you'll also be part of Team Reading, playing your personal part in making Reading a successful and vibrant place.

A valid practising certificate and authorisation to practice in England as a Solicitor, Barrister, or Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives.
Substantial post-qualification experience.
Demonstrable management expertise.
The capability to work effectively within tight deadlines while maintaining composure under pressure.
Outstanding communication, teamwork, and relationship-building skills.
A flexible work approach and the ability to take initiative.
Eagerness to enhance leadership skills and actively contribute to the aspirations of the Joint Legal Team and Reading Legal Services.
Our offer, Disability Confident
About Disability Confident
A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to Disability Confident.

We offer a supportive environment to grow and develop your career with the opportunity to put your ideas across. Innovation and ambition is strongly encouraged, and you'll get a great feel for that working in our friendly and collaborative environment.

A competitive salary alongside a range of benefits including:

Generous holiday entitlement - 25 days holiday each year plus bank holidays - rising to 33 days after 10 years' service, with the option to buy additional leave
A wide range of flexible working opportunities
Modern working environment at the Civic Offices in the heart of Reading
Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
On-site day nursery (Kennet Day nursery) rated outstanding by Ofsted
Season Ticket Loan - to help with the cost of your rail/ bus journey, to & from work
Lease car salary sacrifice scheme allowing you to lease a brand new, greener car for three years. The monthly fee includes insurance, servicing and road tax