£55,041 per annum inclusive of MFS

At West Northants Council, it’s about our people and the difference they make. This is an exciting time to join our growing Legal Services team as a Senior Lawyer (Child Care Advocate), supporting the delivery of high-quality legal services to Northamptonshire Children’s Trust and helping to achieve the best possible outcomes for children and families.

As part of our dedicated in-house legal team, you’ll work closely with colleagues across Children’s Services, providing expert legal support on matters that have a direct impact on the lives of children and young people. You’ll be joining one of England’s newest and largest unitary authorities, with the opportunity to contribute to the continued development of a modern, ambitious and forward-thinking legal service.

Working within our Law and Governance service, you’ll provide expert legal advice and advocacy across a broad range of child care matters, representing the Council in Family Court proceedings and supporting services to make informed, legally sound decisions. This is a rewarding opportunity for an experienced child care lawyer looking to further develop their career within a supportive and collaborative environment. Whether you are already working in local government, looking to move across from private practice, or returning to the profession after a career break, we would love to hear from you.
 

What will you be doing?
You’ll manage a varied and complex child care caseload, providing legal advice and representation across the full range of care proceedings and related matters. A significant part of your role will involve undertaking advocacy in the Family Court, representing the Council at hearings, advising on urgent and emergency applications, and working closely with social work teams and other partners to support the protection and welfare of children and young people.

You’ll also contribute to the ongoing development of the legal service by sharing knowledge, supporting colleagues, delivering training to client departments and helping to embed best practice across the team. Working collaboratively with fellow legal professionals, you’ll stay up to date with legislative and case law developments, ensuring advice remains accurate, practical and responsive to service needs.
 

About you
You are an admitted Solicitor, Barrister or Advocate with strong experience in child care law and proven advocacy skills. You have a sound understanding of the legislation and legal processes relating to the care and protection of children and are confident managing complex cases and representing clients in court.

You’ll be an excellent communicator with the ability to build effective relationships, provide clear and practical advice, and work successfully in a fast-paced environment. Local government experience is welcome but not essential; what matters most is your passion for delivering an outstanding legal service and your commitment to making a positive difference for children and families.

West Northants is a great place to build your career. We are committed to helping our people thrive through mentoring, coaching, training and development opportunities, providing the support you need to succeed in your role and continue progressing your career. Above all, you’ll share our THRIVE values and our ambition to deliver high-quality services that make a real difference to our communities.
 

About us
At West Northants Council, it’s about our people. People who thrive with ambition, bubble with new ideas, demand better ways of working, caring about every detail, and who never shy away from a challenge. Our culture is a gateway for new experiences. A place to forge new opportunities. To empower you in your career and unite you with like-minded people.

Our vision is ‘to make West Northants a great place to live, work, visit and thrive’. We truly stand by this and work hard every day to make this a reality. Our corporate values, THRIVE, stand for: Trust, High Performance, Respect, Innovate and Empower, they underpin everything we do and how we deliver services. 

We are committed to ensuring diversity, equality, equity, and inclusion is woven into the fabric of WNC and everything we do, to enable all colleagues to develop and maximize their full potential.  We are a disability confident employer, a member of the Armed Forces Covenant, and a Care Leaver Covenant partner

The following film was created by us to communicate our intentions - watch WNC colleagues explain what DEI means to us. 



If you need additional support or reasonable adjustments during the application process, including needing the job description in another format or language, please email careers@westnorthants.gov.uk for support.

Please note we reserve the right to close the advert early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications, so we recommend applying as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

Closing date: 2 August 2026

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