★ Are your skills and legal mind being rewarded? We’re the local council for one of the UK’s most vibrant and diverse cities. Working for Manchester isn’t just a job – it’s an opportunity to contribute to a city that leads change and transforms lives. Whether it’s strengthening communities or driving innovation in public services, you’ll play a vital role in creating opportunities and shaping a brighter future for everyone. Our Manchester is our vision for a fairer, greener, and healthier city – a vision shaped by the people of Manchester. It guides everything we do at the Council and is brought to life through the Our Manchester behaviours: Benefits we offer Creating an Inclusive Team at Manchester City Council At Manchester City Council, we’re dedicated to creating a workplace that truly reflects the diversity of the communities we serve. We actively welcome applications from people of all ages and backgrounds, particularly from Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic communities, Disabled people and young people. Support During the Process Guaranteed Assessment Scheme We guarantee assessments for applicants who meet the recruiting panels minimum shortlisting requirements for the role and identify with at least one of the criteria below: When You Join Us We’re a Disability Confident Employer, offering: For more information about the role or any adjustments, email jobs@manchester.gov.uk. What we will need from you if you're successful In accordance with Home Office guidance, successful candidates must evidence their right to work in the UK before commencement of employment. This is not a role we consider to be eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route based on Manchester City Council policy. Candidates are therefore encouraged to consider their own right to work options without the requirement for Manchester City Council sponsorship. Pre-Employment Checks If you are successful in securing a position with us, the pre-employment checks required will depend on the role you’ve applied for, see the top of the advert for details. These checks are an important part of our commitment to ensuring the safety and security of our workforce and the community we serve. Other relevant information We want everyone to be able to be themselves at work and give their best. If you need additional support to undertake the duties of the role, we’ll make every effort to source any necessary aids, adaptations or equipment. If, however, any task proves to be unachievable, we will look at redesigning parts of the role.
Contract Type: Full Time, Permanent
Closing Date: 11.59pm, 26 April 2026
Interview method: in person
This role is subject to -
Put your legal experience to work for Manchester
Having invested into our structure we are growing our already effective team of lawyers, legal officer and business support team who produce incredible, outstanding results with an enhanced vision for the future. Aligning ourselves with Children’s Services to deliver safe, efficient, and effective services to families, the enhanced vision is supported by new team structures, an enriched training, mentoring and coaching tool and a new Case Management System. Highly valued by our clients, our excellent relationships and continual looking for better ways of doing things and achieving greater heights produces an innovative, responsive, inclusive and transparent legal service.
At the heart of everything we do is:
● the safety and needs of children
● high-quality representation of Children’s Services.
Be part of our effective team of lawyers who produce incredible, outstanding results. We have enhanced vision for the future, excellent team structures, enriched training, mentoring and coaching and are highly valued by our clients.
You will play an integral part in supporting Manchester and Salford’s Children’s Services. You will provide legal advice to children's services supporting them in all aspects of their statutory functions.
This is a great opportunity for someone looking to develop their legal skills whilst working for one of the largest childcare teams in the country. Legal work for public services in Manchester, and Salford Councils and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority puts you among the few practitioners in England’s first, and biggest, devolved region, where major decisions are now taken in-house rather than in Whitehall and by NHS administrations.
We offer our team members flexible start and finish times with an effective hybrid working-practice model. There’s opportunity for development in the role thanks to the way our teams practise in our Lexcel accredited and supported legal service.
★ Do you work together as part of a supportive team?
★ Is your work wide-ranging and varied?
★ Are you achieving your goals?
★ Are you able to conduct your own advocacy?
You will be someone who works well as part of a team but you will be able to complete your own work with minimal supervision. You will have your own busy caseload of complex matters so the ability to manage your time effectively is essential. You will be someone who has excellent communications skills, both written and verbal, as you will need draft legal documentation and provide advice to our clients. You will also represent the local authority at court on a regular basis. The role will suit someone who enjoys advocacy which is a substantial part of the role as a childcare senior lawyer. As a senior lawyer in the team you will mentor less experienced members of the team and will lead by example in the ways you work.
As part your application, please submit your Curriculum Vitae (with your name removed) and detailed Expression of Interest setting out how your skills and experience meet the requirements on the attached role profile
To arrange an informal discussion on this role please contact Jennifer Heason, Head of Children & Families Legal Services by email at jennifer.heason@manchester.gov.uk
Ready to apply?
Location
, , Manchester, , United Kingdom
Job ID
7914
