Legal Assistant

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 an inspired and proactive person to join our Family, Safeguarding and Education Team.

An exciting opportunity has arisen within the Legal department for an enthusiastic and committed individual to work as a permanent Child Protection Legal assistant to support our team of Child Protection Lawyers and other Legal Assistants who work within a busy yet friendly team environment.

On a day-to-day basis you will be supporting Lawyers who are advising and representing Childrens Services on matters of Child Protection including adoption. Your workload will be varied but will include offering support in pre-proceedings matters and assisting Lawyers conducting Court work.

You will regularly need to liaise with the wider team, social workers, Lawyers and Court staff.

You will need to be proficient in using IT software, and have good organisational, motivational, and interpersonal skills in order to ensure the continued delivery of an efficient and effective service by the legal department.

The Job and Person Specification contains full details of the skills and experience you need to have for the role.

In return for your commitment, we offer you:

• Grade 9 Salary £33,414 -£35,449 depending on experience.
• 25 days of annual leave plus 8 bank holidays
• Good work/life balance including Flexi time, allowing up to an additional 2 days of leave per month
• Training and development opportunities
• Mentoring
• A supportive team environment.
• 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 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're looking for, then we'd like to hear from you.

After reading the documentation supplied you would like to have an informal chat about this role, get in touch with;

Linzi Olney ([email removed]),

Jeanette Bloor ([email removed])

or Angela Baldwin ([email removed])

Provisional Interview Date: 1st December 2026

Apply now and take the first step towards a fulfilling career with us! By joining Derbyshire County Council you will have access to a range of amazing rewards and employee benefits, including our generous annual leave scheme, excellent local government pension and fantastic employee discounts. To discover more detail about the rewards and benefits available to you, click here

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This role currently offers hybrid working options which will be subject to service needs, there'll be an opportunity to discuss working arrangements for this position at interview.

Important: Derbyshire County Council holds a sponsorship licence, but this role does not offer visa sponsorship. Please apply only if you already have the right to work in the UK without sponsorship, as applications that do not meet this requirement will be rejected.

We welcome applications from individuals who share our values — being Collaborative, Innovative, Empowered and Accountable. These values describe who we are and what we stand for as a council. They help shape our culture, encourage consistent behaviour and guide how we work together to make a positive difference for both our employees and the residents we serve.