Description
We are committed to the development of our workforce. This position is only available to applicants who already work for Surrey County Council. We thank you for your interest in our roles and would encourage you to review our vacancies which are open to all.
This role has a starting salary of £35,730 per annum, based on a 36-hour working week. This is a full-time permanent position.
We are excited to be seeking a new Senior Legal Support Officer to join our fantastic Legal Support team. The team is based in Dakota, Weybridge and deals with a variety of challenging and important statutory services for the Council. The role itself is a senior position, with exposure to Senior Management meetings, financial oversight, and day-to-day operational leadership of our Legal Support team. This is a hybrid role, and you will be expected to attend the office 2 days per week.
Rewards and Benefits
* 26 days' holiday (prorated for part-time staff), rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 30 days after 5 years' service not including bank holidays
* Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave
* An extensive Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
* Up to 5 days of carer's leave per year
* Paternity, adoption, and dependents leave
* A generous local government salary related pension
* Lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, shopping, and many more
* 2 paid volunteering days per year
* Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources
* Flexible working policy, along with a generous TOIL (time off in lieu) overtime package worth up to 1.5 days per month (only justified hours worked above contractual hours applies to this)
About the Role
The Legal Support team is the backbone of Legal Services within Surrey County Council. The team assists with all administration functions for lawyers, senior managers, and paralegals alike. The team consists of 12 personnel, spread across varying roles from childcare legal support to records management and financial processing. Reporting to the Practice Manager, this role provides supervision and guidance to both Legal Childcare Support Officers (approx. 4) and Practice Support Officers (approx. 5) by way of initial line management and overall allocation of work within both teams.
Working across all the legal support team functions for Legal Services, the role holder is responsible for ensuring that all legal systems, processes, and procedures are adhered to and kept up to date as per best practice. The role holder will keep an overview of allocated work as well as future planned work and deadlines. This role will predominantly mentor the Legal Support teams, in terms of upskilling them in operational processes, being the go-to for advice and initial problem solving, as well as overseeing all Legal Support inboxes and workflows.
The role holder must be confident to provide support and guidance to team colleagues in respect of team processes as well as Lexcel objectives. The role holder must have a high level of customer service and represent the team in a positive and proactive way, contributing continuously to the improvement of legal services for the County Council. The role will require you to model the Council's values and behaviours across the service.
Legal Services is a fast-paced environment so the role holder must have ability and experience in meeting tight deadlines, being able to plan and prioritise work as it is requested, as well as in-depth knowledge of Childcare administrative support, financial processes and procedures, and Practice Support administration.
Shortlisting Criteria
To be considered for shortlisting for this position, your application will clearly evidence the following:
* Demonstrate a clear understanding of Lexcel requirements
* A Level or Degree qualified or have substantive alternative work experience within a Legal environment
* Have extensive experience of managing a small team
* Be confident in delivering training and mentoring to staff at all levels
* Have financial knowledge and experience in managing budgets, Unit4 financial transactions and processes as well as reconciliation
* Being proficient in all Microsoft products
Contact Us
Please contact us for any questions relating to the role. This could be to discuss flexible working requests, transferable skills, or any barriers to employment.
For an informal discussion please contact Henry East via email.
The closing date for applications is 23:59 on 16/02/2025 with interviews to follow.
If you are looking for a role which is both varied and interesting with an opportunity to develop your existing skills and employment experience by working in local government, please click the apply button below to submit your application.
Our Values
Our values are as important as our abilities and shape who we are as an organisation.
Our Commitment
Surrey County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. A guaranteed interview will be offered to all disabled applicants where:
* The candidate has evidenced the minimum criteria for the role through their application
* The candidate has chosen to share that they have a disability on the application form
Our application form and onboarding process will provide an opportunity to request any reasonable adjustments for the interview and/or the role. We want to be an inclusive and diverse employer reflecting the community we serve and particularly welcome applications from all underrepresented groups.
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