Lawyer - Adult Social Care

At Connect2Hackney, we are seeking an experienced and dedicated Adult Social Care Lawyer to join the progressive, agile Legal & Governance team at the London Borough of Hackney.

In this role, you will manage a varied caseload of routine, non-routine, and complex adult social care legal matters with minimal supervision. Serving as a trusted legal advisor, you will work closely with social work teams, healthcare partners, and Council leadership to safeguard vulnerable adults and navigate complex statutory duties across a diverse inner-city borough.

• Caseload Management: Oversee a demanding caseload of adult social care legal matters, including Mental Capacity Act/COP (Court of Protection) proceedings, Care Act duties, ordinary residence disputes, safeguarding, and judicial reviews.
• Court Representation & Advocacy: Prepare applications and represent the Council in Court of Protection proceedings and tribunals as required.
• Legal Advice & Strategy: Provide clear, consistent, and practical legal advice to social workers, heads of service, and elected Members on statutory obligations and public law matters.
• Drafting & Documentation: Draft complex legal reports, court statements, instructions to counsel, and formal legal notices.
• Compliance & Standards: Maintain files in accordance with Lexcel requirements, professional regulatory rules (SRA/Bar/CILEX), and meet time-recording targets (minimum 1,200 chargeable hours per annum) via the case management system.
• Collaborative Working: Partner with health trusts, legal representatives, and internal client teams to ensure a holistic, person-centred approach.

To succeed in this post, you will be a empathetic yet robust lawyer with strong knowledge of adult social care legislation and public law.

Qualifications & Experience:

• Qualified Legal Professional: Solicitor or Barrister qualified in England and Wales, or a Fellow of the Institute of Legal Executives (CILEX).
• Adult Social Care Expertise: Proven experience handling legal issues in adult social services, including the Care Act 2014, Mental Capacity Act 2005, Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS), and Court of Protection litigation.
• Advocacy & Litigation Skills: Experience conducting or preparing court proceedings and researching/presenting complex legal arguments.
• Local Government Insight: An understanding of local authority statutory duties and the social care challenges facing a multicultural inner-London borough.
• Case Management: Proven ability to use legal management software and meet chargeable hours or outcome-focused metrics.

Skills & Attributes:

• Excellent oral and written communication skills, with the ability to explain complex legal frameworks to social care practice managers and non-legal partners.
• Strong negotiation, influencing, and problem-solving abilities.
• High degree of tact, discretion, and emotional resilience when dealing with sensitive and confidential adult safeguarding matters.
• Active commitment to promoting Hackney's Equality & Diversity policies in all aspects of service delivery.

The London Borough of Hackney offers a supportive environment where your legal work directly protects vulnerable residents and shapes high-quality social care delivery. You will benefit from flexible working options, continuous legal development, and the chance to be part of a forward-thinking legal team.

Ready to make a difference in adult social care law with Hackney?

Apply directly through Connect2Hackney today with your updated CV and a brief supporting statement outlining your experience in adult social care legal practice.

Commercial Services Trading Ltd is acting as an Employment Business in relation to this vacancy.