Grade: E
Starting salary: £25,183 up to £26,409 per annum
Vacancy Hours: 37 per week
Contract Type: Permanent
Weekend Working: No
Closing Date: Sunday 09 February 2025
Interview Dates: 13th & 14th February.
Venue for Interview: In person at County Hall, Northallerton
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Paralegal Officer to join Legal and Democratic Services supporting our fee earners on a wide range of legal matters on behalf of The North Yorkshire Council.
We work on a portfolio basis, supporting the whole of the legal team as well as areas of specialism which include People Services (Children, Adults & Education), Property, Planning, Environment, Contracts and commercial, Regulatory and Major Projects.
The successful candidate will be required to provide support in their designated area of the Paralegal team as well as provide support to the wider Paralegal team as and when required. Duties will include, but are not limited to:
· Preparation, production and updating of documents and other material for court or tribunal, including court bundles, previous proceedings if applicable, summons, video evidence, statements, viability assessments, social worker reports etc ensuring all up to date information is included to be filed at the court or tribunal in time for hearings.
· Drafting court applications, placement applications and subsequent applications once case is in proceedings.
· Reviewing information and draft orders from court following a hearing and taking appropriate actions such as renewing interim orders or complying with a disclosure requirement and preparing and submitting legal orders for sealing.
· Assisting with drafting contracts/agreements and other Legal documents. Dealing with compensation claims, determining ownership, obtaining deeds/schedules, corresponding with mortgage companies and other side solicitors and claimants where applicable.
· Liaising with various stakeholders in respect of documents.
· Using the case management system and workflows to ensure accurate reporting and compliance.
Whilst it is preferable for applicants to have some knowledge or experience working in a legal environment or equivalent professional setting, it is not essential to have a legal qualification, as this role is primarily supporting our team of lawyers. The ideal candidate will have experience in high level administration, prioritising and meeting deadlines, a good standard of organisational and people skills, excellent attention to detail and have a flexible, ‘can do’ attitude.
Legal Services is part of Legal and Democratic Services (‘LDS’) within the Central Services Directorate of North Yorkshire Council who provide a range of services to the County of North Yorkshire. The role of the Legal Service team is to support the provision by providing a comprehensive and efficient legal service to the Directorates, the Council’s Executive, full Council, Committees and Members, and external clients.
The postholder will be based at County Hall, Northallerton. There is also scope to work remotely from home some of the time in line with our Corporate Hybrid Working Policy.
If you enjoy working in a busy but rewarding environment, where you will be trained and gain experience to support the whole range of legal work carried out by The North Yorkshire Council, we would love to hear from you. The starting salary for this role is £25,183 up to £26,409 per annum. You will benefit from a supportive management system and on-going personal development and performance management.
As an organisation we strongly believe in promoting a work life balance, with flexible working opportunities and modern technology you will be able to deliver your role to suit both your personal and our business needs. In return for your hard work and dedication to our service, we can offer you the chance to be part of a strong and supportive team. You will benefit from a variety of competitive employee rewards such as generous leave entitlement and local government pension scheme. We also offer exceptional company benefits such as salary sacrifice schemes in technology, professional qualifications, and green car schemes as well as discounted retail offers, health schemes to name but a few. More information can be found in our Total Rewards Brochure.
If you believe you are what we are looking for, we would like to hear from you. For an informal discussion and more information, please contact Gemma Eddon, Practice Manager at gemma.eddon@northyorks.gov.uk or Laura Wood, Paralegal Team Leader at laura.wood2@northyorks.gov.uk
Key Documents:
Key Dates:
Closing Date: Sunday 09 February 2025
Interview Dates: 13th & 14th February
Venue for Interview: In person at County Hall, Northallerton
NYC are committed to directly recruiting staff and will not accept applications nor services from agency suppliers in respect of our vacancies.
We are committed to meeting the needs of our diverse community and aim to have a workforce reflecting this diversity. We are also committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults. We expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
North Yorkshire Council (NYC) advertise vacancies on behalf of schools and external organisations (third parties) in North Yorkshire. NYC are not responsible for the recruitment/employment practices of third parties and accept no liability in relation to the vacancy and any subsequent recruitment/employment processes. Enquiries regarding the vacancy or practices should be made directly with the third party.
North Yorkshire Councils’ purpose is to deliver services and facilities to the diverse residents and visitors of North Yorkshire. To ensure we deliver inclusive services we strive to have a diverse workforce where everybody can be themselves by respecting differences and embedding equality of opportunity. We celebrate diversity and recognise each other’s contributions; we therefore welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds.
North Yorkshire Council are committed to the health and safety of our employees and of others including the general public. It has a responsibility to ensure employees who hold a position that is deemed to be safety critical as it requires the performance of duties which are directly related to the safe operation or security of a facility, piece of equipment or vehicle, handling of chemicals or work at height or in confined spaces and which, if not performed properly, could result in a serious safety risk or environmental hazard to employees, a facility or the general public , do not attend work whilst under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Individuals offered employment with North Yorkshire Council will be subject to the Workplace Substance Misuse policy. For safety critical roles as detailed above, random alcohol and drug testing may take place during the course of employment.