Team Leader (Lawyer) – Children’s Social Care

About the job

What will I be doing?

This is an exciting opportunity to join a supportive, forward‑thinking legal service where collaboration, professionalism and high‑quality public service sit at the heart of everything we do. You’ll work alongside skilled and passionate lawyers on complex, high‑impact work that supports decisions affecting children, young people, and families across our communities.

We value trust, innovation and continuous improvement, giving you the opportunity to develop your leadership skills while remaining closely involved in meaningful legal work. If you’re looking for a role that balances leadership, autonomy and public service, we’d love to hear from you.

Role Summary

As our Team Leader (Lawyer) – Children’s Social Care, you’ll provide legal leadership across Children’s Social Care and Education, combining hands‑on legal practice, including advocacy, with responsibility for supporting colleagues and working closely with senior legal staff and Council services, to ensure well‑informed, lawful decision‑making in complex and sensitive areas.

What you’ll do – Key Responsibilities

• Act as deputy for the Principal Lawyer – Social Care, leading and managing a team of Children’s Social Care lawyers on all aspects of Children’s Social Care and Education legal work, including undertaking their own cases and advocacy, ensuring through appropriate delegation and supervision that all work is of the correct quality and performed in a timely manner.
• Line-manage the legal officers within the Children’s Social Care legal team that are responsible for a mixed caseload of matters regarding Children’s Social Care and Education.
• Ensure, through robust performance management, the delivery of value-for- money services to high practice standards within a culture of continuous improvement, including clear succession planning to support staff development, progression and effective service continuity.
• Timely and effective liaison with support staff, building and maintaining synergy working.
• Responsible for their own case load of matters regarding Children’s Social Care and Education and as determined by the Principal Lawyer – Social Care.
• Develop and foster effective working relationships with the Principal Lawyer, other lawyers within the Social Care legal team, key stakeholders and client departments, maintaining a comprehensive understanding of the client’s business needs and objectives, and ensuring these are effectively communicated within the team.

What kind of experience or qualifications do I need?

Essential

• In‑depth knowledge of law and practice relating to Children’s Social Care and Education.
• Understanding of the political and organisational context of local authorities.
• Substantial post‑qualification experience as a solicitor, barrister or legal executive.
• Experience of handling complex and sensitive legal matters and providing advice at a senior level in Children’s Social Care and Education.
• Experience of supervising, mentoring or supporting the development of legal staff
• Excellent analytical skills, with the ability to interpret and apply complex legal information.
• Strong drafting and advocacy skills, including representation in proceedings where appropriate.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build effective working relationships with a range of stakeholders.
• Ability to manage competing priorities, work under pressure and meet deadlines.
• Eligibility to practise as a Solicitor, Barrister, or Fellow of the Institute of Legal Executives (or equivalent) with relevant experience.

Desirable

• Knowledge of a specialist area of law relevant to local authority functions.
• Experience of working within local government or the wider public sector.
• Experience of managing change, service improvement or transformation initiatives.
• Management or leadership qualification, or evidence of continuing professional development in leadership.

Supporting documents and information

• Permanent, Full-time role (37 hours per week)
• 33 days’ annual leave (additional to Bank Holidays)
• Flexible and Hybrid working opportunities.
• Relocation package up to £8,000 for those moving to Somerset.
• Grade 8 salary of £49,282, plus a time limited recruitment allowance of £8,718 per annum until 28/02/2029.
• Regretfully, we are unable to offer sponsorship for this role. We are only able to proceed with candidates who already have the right to work in the UK without the need for VISA sponsorship.

For an informal chat about the role, you can contact Kehinde Awojobi, Head of Legal, via email: kehinde.awojobi@somerset.gov.uk

A full job description will be provided to shortlisted candidates or on request.

Job Description

PDF,

Apply on the Somerset Council website