Legal Assistant (Adult Social Care)

About the job

Salary: £30,024 - £32,597 a year

Hours per week: 37

Contract type: Fixed Term for 6 months

The Legal Assistant will support the delivery of a full range of legal work within the Adults Legal Team, including adult community care matters, Court of Protection applications, safeguarding, and mental health cases.

Working under appropriate supervision, the post holder will assist solicitors in the effective management of cases, ensuring all tasks are completed to a high standard and within agreed timescales. This will include supporting the preparation and progression of court applications, arranging court directed and other meetings, preparing agendas and taking minutes, and assisting with the drafting of social work statements, legal briefs to counsel, applications, and other legal documents.

The role will involve liaising with courts, clients, social workers, counsel, and other professionals, handling disclosure requests, reviewing and preparing documentation for filing and service, and redacting third party information in line with data protection requirements and GDPR.

The post holder will assist in maintaining accurate case management systems, tracking key court dates and supporting diary management systems for Adults Social Services legal work. This will include supporting solicitors to ensure compliance with court directions through effective coordination and liaison with relevant parties.

Additional responsibilities include dealing with telephone calls and general enquiries from clients, courts, and other stakeholders; drafting correspondence and legal documentation; and ensuring timely filing and service of documents.

The role may also require attendance at court hearings to assist counsel by taking notes of proceedings when required.

Please note this role does not attract sponsorship.

About you

Applicants should have demonstrable experience of working within an Adults legal environment or a similar legal setting, along with experience of working in Local Government.

The role requires the ability to carry out routine legal and administrative tasks in a busy office environment, working both independently and under supervision where required. Strong organisational skills are essential, including the ability to plan and prioritise a workload effectively in order to meet deadlines and performance targets.

Excellent communication skills are required, with the ability to liaise confidently and professionally with client departments, external legal advisers, court staff, and other professionals both verbally and in writing.

The post holder will be expected to work effectively as part of a team within a fast paced legal environment and will have a good working knowledge of Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel, Outlook, and email systems.

A sound understanding of equality issues and relevant legislation is required, along with awareness of the importance of equality, diversity, and inclusion in service delivery.

Knowledge of key adult social care legislation is essential, particularly the Care Act 2014, Mental Capacity Act 2005, and relevant data protection legislation. An understanding of core litigation processes is also required, including issuing proceedings, service of documents, filing and serving evidence, and compliance with court directions. A basic understanding of English law is also expected.

Candidates should hold a legal qualification such as CILEX (certificate or diploma), Legal Practice Course (LPC), or equivalent legal education or training, with additional post 16 qualifications in English being desirable.

The role requires a high level of integrity, with the ability to handle sensitive and confidential information appropriately at all times. A strong commitment to client care and delivering a high quality service is essential.

Benefits

We offer a range of excellent staff benefits which include:

• From 25 to 32 days' annual leave: linked to length of service and grade
• Buying annual leave scheme: buy up to 20 days additional annual leave
• Career Pathways: step up in your career or move into a specialist area
• Pension scheme: with generous employer contributions of up to 19.2 per cent (at April 2026) and 3x salary death in service grant
• Generous relocation package: up to £8,000 (subject to eligibility)
• Employee Assistance Programme: a free, 24/7 confidential counselling and wellbeing support service available to all employees, their partner or spouse and dependent children over 16 still living at home
• Work/life balance: flexible working options including working from home where possible. We welcome requests for flexible working arrangements including part time hours and alternative working patterns
• Training and support: unlimited access to development courses, mentoring and support and clear career pathways
• Staff offers: includes discounts on your MOT, gym and fitness, restaurants and salons
• Arriva Travel Club: great value savings on local bus travel