Job info	Job info details
Job title	Barrister
Strategic team/Directorate	Operational Support
Service	Adult and Childrens Team
Business unit	Legal Services
Responsible to (day to day issues)	Senior Solicitor (Adult and Childrens Team)
Accountable to (line manager)	Senior Solicitor (Adult and Childrens Team)
Salary grade	44 - 47
JE ref	LEG33

1. Key purpose of job

• To provide the highest calibre specialist advocacy, in the Magistrates Court, County Court, High Court and Court of Appeal.
• To provide the highest calibre legal advice and opinion in the most serious and complex
• To provide a programme of training to Social Workers and junior legal

2. Anticipated outcomes of post

• To deal effectively and persuasively with a wide range of people in order to ensure effective determination of cases before the Court.
• Demonstrating tact and diplomacy, to develop and maintain good working relationships with all parties in the Family Justice System.
• To provide expert advice to Children's Services and legal colleagues on all complex cases, in order to maximise evidential opportunities and build strong cases from the outset.
• To demonstrate the highest level of oral and written communication skills in all matters relating to the presentation of cases, in particular the ability to distil and explain legal complexities to a variety of audiences.
• To interpret and apply legislation and precedent; to evaluate and assess evidence; and to exercise the highest level of judgment with regards to the appropriateness of action proposed by Children's Services.

3. List key duties and accountabilities of the post

• To consider, prepare and conduct (including advocacy) matters in the Magistrates' Court, County Court and High Court and in all other tribunals or hearings of whatever description, on behalf of the Council.
• To provide detailed verbal and written advice to the Council.
• To provide training as required to client departments.
• To have knowledge of the highest calibre and be up to date on the law, practice and current issues within the specialist areas of law upon which the post holder advises on.
• To be knowledgeable and up to date on the general law relating to local government, including freedom of information and data protection.
• The post holder will bring their experience and knowledge of legal principles to bear in finding solutions to novel problems within their area of practice. They will routinely exercise creativity and innovation in applying legal solutions to factual problems, of a highly complex nature in high profile, multi-disciplinary settings, which may include national issues. The post holder will have the support and supervision of senior colleagues where required, but more often will make autonomous decisions.
• The post holder will provide advice and advocacy of the highest calibre in the Court arena, including High Court and Court of Appeal litigation, with potential national media coverage.

4. Budgetary/Financial Responsibilities of the post

• None. 

5. Supervision/Line Management Responsibilities of the post

• The post holder is required to provide informal support to legal colleagues.

6. Working environment and conditions of the post

• The post holder operates in an environment governed by the need to meet deadlines   (including those externally imposed) in a context of continually changing priorities and where the work is usually of a complex and/or sensitive nature.
• The post holder is required to be able to travel to site visits, Court hearings and meetings.
• The post holder is likely to handle cases of a sensitive and emotive nature concerning matters which may have caused persons distress and upset.
• The post-holder may occasionally experience verbal abuse and aggression during the course of their duties. Policies are in place to mitigate the frequency and extent to which these will affect the post-holder.

7. Physical demands of the post

• The post holder may occasionally be required to handle heavy documentation e.g., deed parcels, court bundles and public inquiry files, offsite with appropriate manual handling equipment provided to enable safe working.

8. Specific resources used by the post

• The post holder may have access to laptop computers and mobile phones.
• The post holder is required to ensure the security of confidential and sensitive information when transporting and using files and laptops when travelling and working away from the office.

9. Key contacts and relationships

• External
  • Contact with service users, other local authorities, partners and external bodies, Government Departments, other professionals (legal and others), courts and tribunals.
  • Contact with members of the public.

• Internal
  • Contact with Officers at all levels within the Council. Frequent contacts with Senior Officers.
  • Contact with Members on specific case matters, including giving advice on courses of action and their legal risks and ramifications.

10. Other duties

• To undertake additional duties as required, commensurate with the level of the job.

Other Information

• All staff must commit to Equal Opportunities and Anti-Discriminatory Practice.
• The Council operates a Smoke-Free Policy and the post-holder is prohibited from smoking in any of the Council's buildings (including Council owned and Council leased buildings, but excluding designated areas in residential schemes), enclosed spaces within the curtilage of buildings, and Council vehicles. The Council does not permit smoking breaks within work time, however, in services where the flexi-scheme is in operation, employees may take reasonable break times outside of core hours, in accordance with flexi-time arrangements. Employees should follow the flexi-scheme procedure for agreeing time away from their duties in the normal manner with their immediate colleagues and line manager, with break start and finish times being recorded, as with any other break-time arrangement. 
• The post-holder is expected to familiarise themselves with and adhere to all relevant Council Policies and Procedures.
• The post-holder must comply with the Council’s Health and Safety requirements as outlined in the H&S policy appropriate to the role.
• The post is eligible for hybrid home working. The post holder must be available to cover attended hearings in our local court centres, including at short notice and be available to attend the office where required.
• The post-holder must be committed to the Council’s Core Values for employees – “Torbay Council employees are committed to being forward thinking, people orientated and adaptable - always with integrity”. Evidence will be sought during the probation and appraisal processes.
• If you are required to use your own vehicle on Council business or drive a council vehicle you will be asked to provide information on any driving endorsements by accessing gov.uk/view-driving-licence and providing a code to your Line Manager in order to share your driving licence information with the Council.
• As this post meets the requirements in respect of exempted questions under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, all applicants who are offered employment will be subject to a criminal record check (Disclosure) from the Disclosure & Barring Service before the appointment is confirmed. This will include details of ALL cautions, reprimands or final warnings as well as convictions, whether “spent” or “unspent”. Criminal convictions will only be taken into account when they are relevant to the post.
• Torbay Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and applicants must be willing to undergo the checks appropriate to the post applied for.
• The post holder is expected to work in a way that ensures vulnerable children and adults are safeguarded and report any safeguarding concerns in accordance with established policies and procedures.

Person Specification

Note for Candidate

All Candidates

The supporting statement on your application form will be used to assess ability to meet the essential requirements of the role, so you should explain how you meet each of the numbered essential requirements within your supporting statement. In a competitive situation, the desirable criteria may be taken into consideration, so you are encouraged to show how you also meet each of the desirable criteria.

Candidates who consider that they have a disability

Reasonable adjustments will be made to the job, job requirements or recruitment process for candidates with a disability.

If you consider yourself to have a disability you should indicate this on your application form, providing any information you would like us to take into account with regard to your disability in order to offer a fair selection interview.

Where ever possible and reasonable we will make adjustments and offer alternatives to help you through the application and selection process.

If you have indicated that you have a disability on your application form you will be guaranteed an interview if you clearly demonstrate in your supporting evidence how you broadly meet the essential requirements of the role.

Job info	Job info details
Job Title	Barrister
Strategic team/Directorate	Operational Support
Service	Adult and Childrens Team
Business unit	Legal Services

Skills and effectiveness

Essential skills and effectiveness

• Advocacy skills of the highest calibre.
• Communication and interpersonal skills of the highest
• The ability to give clear and accurate legal advice of the highest calibre.
• The highest calibre analytical and problem solving
• The highest calibre presentation
• Outstanding ability to build and maintain positive working
• Outstanding ability to influence and persuade others at a high level both inside and outside of the Council.
• Highest calibre negotiating
• Ability to work as an integrated part of the wider Legal Services team and be supportive of colleagues and
• Ability to command respect and authority with those persons the post holder is required to influence, support and advise.

Desirable skills and effectiveness

• Ability to adapt to new areas of
• As this post meets the requirements of the Immigration Act 2016 (part 7), the ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post

Knowledge

Essential knowledge

• An advanced and high level of knowledge of the law and procedure within the discipline of safeguarding children and public law children proceedings.
• An advanced and high level of knowledge of the Court processes applicable within the discipline of safeguarding children and public law children proceedings.
• A general awareness of the policies, aims and objectives of the Council.

Desirable knowledge

• A level of knowledge of the law and procedure within the discipline of safeguarding adults.
• Understanding of the nature of a Local Government in-house legal service

Experience and achievements

Essential experience and achievements

• Suitable training as a legal advisor and advocate.
• Considerable advocacy experience in a variety of Courts within the area of safeguarding
• Considerable experience of negotiating and influencing within the area of safeguarding
• Experience of providing supervision to junior colleagues.
• Experience in devising, preparing and delivering training within the area of safeguarding

Desirable experience and achievements

• Experience of working with an in-house legal department.

Qualifications/professional memberships

Essential qualifications/professional memberships

• Admitted and practicing Barrister or Higher Court Solicitor Advocate with at least 7 years post qualification experience.

Desirable qualifications/professional memberships

• Membership of Family Law Association. 

Other requirements

Other requirements of the job role

• Ability to carry out the physical requirements of the role (i.e. manual handling).
• Ability to travel efficiently around the South West in order to carry out
• Ability to accommodate unsociable
• Ability to accommodate on-call
• Ability to accommodate home-
• Ability to accommodate some home-working.