Associate - Social Care

Browne Jacobson are currently in the market for an Associate to join our Social Care team in Nottingham. The role is as part of a team of high performing public sector social care lawyers dealing with the wide ranging legal needs of our primarily Local Authority clients. The role will be supported through our existing practice area, central resources and external partners to deliver successful growth of the practice area.

You may on occasion be seconded into local authority client legal teams to assist with resource and workload challenges. This is an excellent opportunity to become part of a successful unit, supporting the development of an expanding social care team with the opportunity to be involved in marketing and growing the practice.

You will be expected to take on responsibility from the outset but will form part of the team with the necessary supervision, training and support to maximise your potential.

All candidates should be able to demonstrate experience of at least some of the following:

• Experience of working with Local Authority clients, advising on statutory and administrative law obligations, vires, and/or with experience of conducting or defending judicial reviews in relation to social care.
• Advising on regulatory matters in the local authority social care sector, which may include matters such as technology enabled care and data.
• Advising on compliance with statutory and non-statutory guidance and standards in relation to care services and the delivery of care.
• Work with clients on the development of policies, guidance and training in relation to care services
• Advising and/or acting for clients in relation to portfolios of social care work, such as in relation to age assessments, Ordinary Residence decisions, inherent jurisdiction, capacity, pre-action protocol JR advice, DOLS ( including Re X) , safeguarding, assessments and charging.
• Supporting local authority clients in relation to social care related procurement, contracting, projects and commercial disputes (in this role such work may often be work undertaken alongside colleagues specialising in these fields)

We know every candidate is unique and work with all our people to continually develop their skills.

For this role we expect candidates to demonstrate experience of at least some of the following:

• Experienced in the preparation of relevant documentation
• Experience in Court of Protection work
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to work with clients at all levels
• Ability to work under pressure and work to and comply with litigation and advice deadlines
• Excellent time management/task prioritisation skills, supported by appropriate use of technological resources such as case management systems
• Ability to think laterally and to consolidate and build on a wide range of disciplines
• The ability to supervise more junior fee earners
• The ability to collaborate with colleagues across teams and specialisms to deliver the best outcomes for our clients
• Commitment to building lasting relationships with clients and target clients and to work with colleagues to develop new business.
• As an AI enabled firm, we are interested in experience of legal AI tools.

You would be expected to have the following skills and experience:

• Fast learner whilst contributing fully in support of more experienced members of the team
• Be flexible, focused, ambitious and outcomes oriented with good organisational skills; keen to take responsibility and develop the business
• An effective communicator able to establish and maintain harmonious and professional relationships with clients and colleagues
• Attention to detail vital coupled with a commercial approach
• Enthusiasm to maintain personal development and take advantage of training opportunities keeping up to date with legal issues and regularly accessing law reports and journals
• Willing to spend time at the firm’s other offices, on client site and at events and conferences