Closing date: 19 July 2026
Working in local government is a highly satisfying and rewarding experience in so many ways, and you will enjoy an excellent range of benefits at Derbyshire County Council. We recognise that our workforce is our greatest asset, and we are currently looking for inspired and proactive people to join our Family, Safeguarding and Education Team.
An exciting opportunity has arisen in our Legal department for an enthusiastic and committed individual to work as a part time Child Protection Senior Solicitor within our busy yet friendly team of Lawyers and Legal Assistants.
On a day-to-day basis you will be advising and representing Children’s Services on matters of child protection including adoption. Your workload will be varied but advocacy will be integral to this role as you will be primarily undertaking Court work. You will also be required to line‑manage other members of the team as part of the role.
You will need to be proficient in using IT software, and have good organisational, motivational and interpersonal skills to ensure the continued delivery of an efficient and effective service by the legal department.
The Job and Person Specification contain full details of the skills and experience you need to have for the role including the need to be a qualified Solicitor, Barrister or, be CILEX trained with the necessary bolt‑ons to conduct litigation and advocacy.
Benefits
- 27 days of annual leave plus another 5 once you reach 5 years of continuous service, plus 8 bank holidays. (This is based on a full‑time position, it will be pro rata for any part‑time post).
- Good work/life balance including Flexi time, allowing up to an additional 2 days of leave per month (pro rata for part‑time positions).
- Training and development opportunities
- Mentoring
- A supportive team environment including an allocated legal assistant and a supportive administrative team
- Generous local government pension scheme
- Guaranteed incremental annual pay increases
- Access to a comprehensive wellbeing package
- Cycle to work scheme
- Discounts at selected county leisure centres
- and much more!
Legal Services are contractually based in Matlock, Derbyshire, but as part of our Modern Ways of Working programme we are currently working on a hybrid basis. As flexible workers, you will be able to work from home. It is a requirement that you will be able to work in the office once per week, attend face‑to‑face Court hearings predominantly in Derby and Chesterfield, and meetings, where necessary.
We’re always pleased to hear from talented people, so if you’re looking to join a dynamic team and have the skills and experience we are looking for, we’d like to hear from you.
Additional vacancies: For information about other vacancies in our Legal Team, click here.
If after reading the documentation supplied you would like to have an informal chat about this role, get in touch with Linzi Olney (Linzi.olney2@derbyshire.gov.uk), or Jeanette Bloor (jeanette.bloor@derbyshire.gov.uk).
Provisional Interview Dates: 28th July 2026
#J-18808-Ljbffr…