The Bi-Borough Legal Services Department at Westminster City Council is a world of extraordinary stories. Where people like Aruna work on projects that are helping to regenerate our borough and transform residents’ lives.

The Church Street Estate is an exciting, vibrant area and home to a diverse range of people, but it has a number of issues that have led to social and economic exclusion for many. So a few years ago, we decided to create a master plan with the aim of improving the lives of everyone who lives and works here, while building on the unique qualities of the neighbourhood.

Our ambition is to improve the quality of life for everyone in the area, and we aim to do this by building 1,750 high-quality homes, creating new green spaces and playgrounds, and providing services that will support the community’s health and well-being.

But such massive changes bring worry and conflict. Flats and houses will have to be demolished to make way for the new, and as many people have lived in their homes for decades, they don’t want to say goodbye to cherished memories and familiar surroundings. Which is where Aruna and her team came into their own.

In the summer of 2024, a public inquiry was held into the compulsory purchase order made for Site A of Church Street, and it was her role to support the development team as they put forward the case for regeneration. Many of the people who objected were understandably afraid of the prospect of losing their homes, but Aruna was passionate in her defence of the project and stressed the fact that everyone in the area deserves better. And she was reassuring too, as she explained that compulsory powers would only be used as a last resort and anyone who is moved out of their current home has a range of options to remain in the area should they wish to, and the regenerated Church Street will offer unique opportunities, new jobs and an exciting feeling of optimism. 

Aruna’s commitment to a positive world of renewal for our residents is Westminster City Council’s commitment too, and the Church Street of the future will hopefully be a blueprint for progressive regeneration throughout our city.

The Role:

As a Paralegal within the Development and Property Legal Team, you can make your own powerful contribution. This is an opportunity to join a committed and collaborative Bi-Borough Legal Service, supporting the City of Westminster and the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea. Working within a team that is passionate about delivering effective legal services, you will support lawyers in providing high-quality legal advice across a broad range of development and property matters. You will work alongside colleagues with diverse skills and experiences, learning directly from lawyers at all levels to develop your own legal knowledge and style.

You will take ownership of a routine caseload within development and property law, managing tasks such as legal conveyancing transactions, issuing and responding to notices, legal research, writing reports, and proofreading documents. Supporting your team’s compliance and governance requirements will be critical, and you will act as a key bridge with the Legal Services Business Support team to ensure all agreed actions are completed on time and to a high standard.

This is a fast-paced, deadline-oriented environment that will require strong time management, excellent organisational skills, and the ability to deal with multiple matters simultaneously. Working proactively, you will help the team achieve its objectives by identifying issues, proposing solutions, and ensuring the professional, clear, and consistent delivery of legal services to clients and stakeholders.

You will also develop efficient administrative systems for your team, ensuring compliance with service and corporate processes and focusing on continuous improvement. Liaising regularly with courts, third parties, suppliers, and colleagues within both councils, your interpersonal and communication skills will be essential to maintain productive working relationships.

About You:

To excel in this role, you will bring at least one year’s experience in a professional office environment, demonstrating your ability to work independently, prioritise your workload effectively, and manage competing demands under pressure. Experience dealing with queries in person and over the telephone, as well as handling confidential and sensitive correspondence, issues, and documents, will be essential.

You will be highly organised and IT literate, with experience implementing office systems, procedures, and equipment, and working confidently with computer packages such as Word, Excel, and case management systems. Your flexible, logical, and proactive attitude to problem-solving will enable you to maintain accuracy and attention to detail while working with multiple matters simultaneously and meeting strict deadlines.

A command of written and spoken English appropriate for effective performance is required, alongside strong negotiation and persuasion skills to achieve efficient and timely delivery of legal services. You will also be able to undertake legal research and prepare clear reports or briefing notes based on your findings. Demonstrating the ability to keep files in perfect order in compliance with office procedures and standards, alongside excellent time management, interpersonal, and organisational skills, is also important in this fast-paced, deadline-oriented environment.

Experience working in a local government legal practice or within a property legal practice in England and/or Wales would be highly advantageous. And of course, you will hold a legal degree or equivalent alternative qualification.

Westminster City Council is committed to supporting Care Leavers into the workplace. Care Leavers seeking their first job and who wish to be considered under our scheme, will automatically be invited to interview should they meet the essential criteria for the role. 

What We Offer:

Westminster is an amazing place. We are home to more than 200,000 residents from all backgrounds, over 50,000 vibrant and vital businesses and three-quarters-of-a-million people work in Westminster. Westminster City Council’s strategy is to work towards a Fairer Westminster. A Fairer Westminster is one in which our communities are at the heart of our decision-making and help to determine the city’s future. By working directly with our communities and other partners, we can build a more inclusive city that celebrates our diverse communities, and where residents, workers and visitors from all backgrounds will feel welcome and safe.   
 
At Westminster City Council, we pride ourselves on being an inclusive workplace and employer of choice. We encourage and welcome applications from people from all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that, at all levels, represents the communities we serve. We champion equality, diversity, inclusion and wellbeing and aim to create a workplace where everyone feels valued, has a sense of belonging and is empowered to be their best, that is the Westminster Way.
 
As a forward-thinking Council we appreciate that people work in different ways, therefore our staff benefit from working a range of flexible working patterns as well as Agile working.  
 
The Council is a Disability Confident Employer. If you have declared a disability in your application, we guarantee an interview if you meet the essential criteria of the job. If you are invited for interview, you will be asked if you need any reasonable adjustments in order to attend, and we will make these wherever possible. 

Closing date: 27 July 2025
Interview date: W/c 4 August 2025

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