Advicenow

Southwark Law Centre

Senior Housing Solicitor

Salary range NJC scale SP 37-41 £50,646-£54,684

35 hours per week

The housing team at Southwark Law Centre delivers specialist legal advice and assistance including outreach, telephone and email advice to frontline advice agencies as well as the full range of housing casework.  The need for our services has never been greater.

We are seeking an experienced housing solicitor to lead our housing team in Lewisham and to work closely with our housing team in Southwark.

The successful applicant will have:

• At least 3 years’ recent experience of providing LAA Contract housing advice and representation under the legal help and legal aid schemes in particular in the areas of disrepair, possession and homelessness
• Ability to meet the Legal Aid Agency supervisor requirements for Housing law
• Experience of working to legal deadlines/time limits and managing a sizable and complex caseload

Southwark Law Centre is committed to promoting Equality Diversity and Inclusion. We welcome applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex (gender) and sexual orientation.

SLC has adopted an agile working policy and all staff are set up to be able to work partly from home although we for this role we will require that you work from our Lewisham office for a minimum of three days per week initially.

If you would like an informal discussion about the role please contact:Stacey.edgar@southwarklawcentre.org.uk

Terms and conditions include:

• Excellent Pension Scheme
• Flexible working policy
• 30 days’ holiday plus bank holidays

For an application pack please visit: www.southwarklawcentre.org.uk

Closing date for applications: 5pm on Friday 2 May 2025

Interviews will take place on: Wednesday 14 May 2025

Please note that we review applications on a rolling basis and may invite strong candidates to interview before the closing date. We therefore encourage you to apply early, as the recruitment process may close once sufficient suitable applications are received.

Our policy re starting salary in the range- NJC scale SP 37-41 £50,646 – £54,684

• Relevant casework experience 3-4 years SP37 -38
• Relevant casework experience 4-5 years SP39-40
• Relevant casework of 5 years + SP41

Shelter

Managing Solicitor

Location: Bristol and one other location TBC

Salary: Grade 7 – £48,757 per annum

Full time – 37.5 hours per week

Contract- Permanent 

Closing date: Thursday 1 May 2025 at 11.30 pm 

About the role 

You will ensure we deliver high quality legal services and manage our Legal Aid Contract, with your main focus being to manage and supervise the legal teams who are advocating for clients with housing issues, as well as bringing about systemic change. You will be dealing with personnel issues, providing professional support and supervision to your team as well as carrying your own caseload of housing litigation. Contributing to the strategic direction of Shelter legal services nationally will be an important aspect of the role too, as will taking the lead on delivering strategic change aligned to Shelter’s strategy and ensuring Legal aid contract requirements and performance targets are met.

You will be able to identify test case opportunities to address systemic bad practice and so achieve change for a greater number of people and will work closely with the Head of Legal Services, the Hub Management Team and teams within Communications, Policy and Campaigns and Business Development. As a key member of the management team, you will also get to play your part in the management of our offices, including attending management team meetings and collaborating with other teams.

About you

You will be experienced in working under a housing legal aid contract, court advocacy, carrying your own caseload as well as managing and supervising others. You will have a minimum of 4 years post qualification legal practice experience, have supervisor status and have substantial knowledge of housing and homelessness law. Independent File Reviews, time recording and good case management will also be part of the role. You are able to carry out research and policy analysis in the areas of housing, homeless and welfare law, produce reports and presentations.

Benefits

We offer a wide range of benefits, including 30 days of annual leave, enhanced family friendly policies, pension and interest free travel loans. Our employees also have access to a tenancy deposit loan, payroll giving, cycle to work scheme and an employee assistance programme.

About the team

The Legal Service is made up of four teams – Community Legal, National Legal, Strategic Litigation and Legal Support. The Community Legal Team are based throughout the England hubs. You will be based in our Bristol hub which specialises in providing housing advice and homelessness work, with a particular focus on families. The hub works in partnership with a range of organisations to improve the underlying systems that prevent people from living securely in suitable, safe, affordable accommodation.

About Shelter

Home is a human right. It’s our foundation and where we thrive. Yet every day millions of people are being devastated by the housing emergency.

We exist to defend the right to a safe home. Because home is everything.

We need ambitious, passionate people to join us. This is your chance to play a part in the fundamental change we are striving to achieve.

Our enemy is the social injustice at the core of the escalating housing emergency. To win this fight, we must be representative of the people we are here to help and those who support our movement. In all our people decisions, we take pride in being inclusive, equitable and transparent. We are committed to combating racism both within and outside Shelter. We welcome you on our journey to becoming truly anti-racist.

How to apply

Please click the link to apply through the Shelter website-  Job Specification

Please submit your CV with a supporting statement with responses to the ‘About You’ points 1-5 outlined in the job description of no more than 1000 words total. Please provide specific examples following the STAR format and ensure you demonstrate how you address the behaviour below throughout your responses:

• We prioritise diversity and have an inclusive and open mindset

CVs without an accompanying supporting statement will not be considered.

Safeguarding Statement

Safeguarding is everyone’s business. Shelter is committed to protecting the health, wellbeing and human rights of those we support, and enabling them to live free from harm, abuse and neglect. All our staff will be expected to observe professional standards of behaviour and conduct their work in line with our Safeguarding Policies.

Recruitment Agencies

Shelter does not accept unsolicited CVs from external recruitment agencies nor accept the fees associated with them.

Solicitor- Sheffield

Location: Sheffield

Salary: Grade 6 – £42,697 per annum

Full time: 37.5 per week

Permanent Contract

Closing date: Thursday 8 May 2025 at 11.30 pm 

Are you a Solicitor with experience of housing and homelessness law and Legal Aid? If so then consider a move to Shelter you could soon be making a real difference to people affected by the housing emergency.

About the role

Using your legal expertise, you will play a key role in tackling housing in justice and unfair housing practices. You will be working under our Legal Aid contract, delivering legal advice and representing tenants at court where needed. Delivering systemic change through legal challenge to prevent homeless will also be a considerable part of the role. You will also work with the team in the Hub to help make sure people in the community are aware of their housing rights and how to enforce them, as well as providing support to Trainee Solicitors and Legal Advisers, ensuring good practice and compliance.

About You

Qualified as a Solicitor with at least three years post qualifying experience, you will have a strong knowledge of housing law and substantial experience of managing a wide range of housing cases. You have strong skills in court advocacy, litigation, report writing, file reviews and are able to meet financial targets. You will be able to meet the 2018 SQM supervisor standard in housing and be able to demonstrate experience of working under a legal aid contract.

Benefits

We offer a wide range of benefits, including 30 days of annual leave, enhanced family friendly policies, pension and interest free travel loans. Our employees also have access to a tenancy deposit loan, payroll giving, cycle to work scheme and an employee assistance programme.

About Shelter

Home is a human right. It’s our foundation and where we thrive. Yet everyday millions of people are being devastated by the housing emergency.

We exist to defend the right to a safe home. Because home is everything.

We need ambitious, passionate people to join us. This is your chance to play a part in the fundamental change we are striving to achieve.

Our enemy is the social injustice at the core of the escalating housing emergency. To win this fight, we must be representative of the people we are here to help and those who support our movement. In all our people decisions, we take pride in being inclusive, equitable and transparent. We are committed to combating racism both within and outside Shelter. We welcome you on our journey to becoming truly anti-racist.

About The Team

Our Legal Service provides specialist legal knowledge across Shelter through four teams covering Community Legal advice, Strategic Litigation, the National Legal Team and Legal Support Team. You will be part of our Community Legal Team, who are based across our 11 hub locations and work alongside hub colleagues every day to fight housing injustice and deliver systemic change relating to housing practice in our local communities.

Shelter Sheffield has a housing legal contract as well as a contract to deliver the County Court Housing Loss Prevention Advice Service at Sheffield and Doncaster. You will be based in the Sheffield community hub which has the overall aim of preventing homelessness and improving homelessness services for the people of South Yorkshire.

The advice and support team in Sheffield has been established for over 20 years, taking a holistic approach and focuses on emergency homelessness, support for children, families and people experiencing domestic abuse, as well as those with multiple and complex needs.

How to Apply

Please click the link to apply through the Shelter website- Job Specification

Please submit your CV with a supporting statement with responses to the ‘About You’ points 1-7 outlined in the job description of no more than 1000 words. Please provide specific examples following the STAR format and ensure you demonstrate how you address the behaviour below throughout your responses:

• We prioritise diversity and have an inclusive and open mindset

Safeguarding Statement

Safeguarding is everyone’s business. Shelter is committed to protecting the health, wellbeing and human rights of those we support, and enabling them to live free from harm, abuse and neglect. All our staff will be expected to observe professional standards of behaviour and conduct their work in line with our Safeguarding Policies.

Recruitment Agencies

Shelter does not accept unsolicited CVs from external recruitment agencies nor accept the fees associated with them.