Child Protection Lawyer

Surrey County Council
📍 Hybrid Working | Woking / Guildford / Surrey Locations
💷 £55 per hour
📅 Contract Opportunity

Make a Real Difference to Children's Lives

Surrey County Council is seeking an experienced and passionate Child Protection Lawyer to join our highly regarded, Lexcel accredited in-house legal team.

This is an excellent opportunity for a skilled childcare solicitor to work on complex and rewarding cases that directly impact the lives of vulnerable children and young people across Surrey. You will become part of a supportive, collaborative, and successful legal team that is committed to delivering outstanding legal services while fostering a positive working culture.

At Surrey, we recognise the importance of teamwork and wellbeing. Our regular team away days and collaborative approach help create an environment where colleagues feel connected, supported, motivated and empowered to do their best work.

The Role

As a Child Protection Lawyer, you will manage a varied and interesting caseload and provide high-quality legal support to Children's Services.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Managing a complex childcare caseload, including both pre-proceedings and care proceedings
• Conducting advocacy on behalf of Surrey County Council
• Advising Children's Services on all aspects of child protection law
• Providing expert legal guidance regarding the Council's statutory duties and responsibilities towards children and young people
• Advising on adoption matters and related proceedings
• Working closely with social workers, senior managers and other stakeholders to achieve the best outcomes for children and families

About You

We are keen to hear from experienced Childcare Solicitors who can demonstrate:

• Significant experience handling child protection and public law childcare matters
• Strong advocacy skills and confidence representing clients in court
• Thorough knowledge of childcare legislation, public law proceedings and adoption matters
• The ability to manage a busy and varied caseload independently
• Excellent communication, drafting and stakeholder management skills
• A commitment to achieving positive outcomes for children and young people

Working Arrangements

This role offers a flexible hybrid working arrangement.

• Candidates will be required to collect their laptop from Woking on their first day.
• Hybrid working is preferred due to occasional requirements to attend Court in Guildford and attend the office at Victoria Gate, Woking.
• There may also be occasional attendance at Public Law Outline (PLO) meetings across Surrey, including Guildford, Weybridge, Woking or Reigate, by agreement.
• Fully remote working may be considered for exceptional candidates, although hybrid working is the preferred model.

Why Join Surrey?

✅ Competitive rate of £55 per hour
✅ Opportunity to work within a respected Lexcel-accredited legal team
✅ Varied, challenging and meaningful caseload
✅ Supportive and collaborative team culture
✅ Flexible working arrangements
✅ Opportunity to make a genuine impact on the lives of children and families

If you are an experienced Child Protection Lawyer looking for your next rewarding assignment with a forward-thinking local authority, we'd love to hear from you.

Apply today to help make a lasting difference to children and young people across Surrey.