Legal Assistant

This could be the job for you.

The county of West Sussex is predominantly rural in nature and is one of the most heavily wooded counties in the country. The quality of the countryside is such that over half the County is designated as either National Park or Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. There are approximately 4,000km of public rights of way across the County which enable everyone to experience and enjoy the countryside and provide an alternative to pavement in more urban areas.

Legal Services aims to give the best possible legal and insurance service to the Council. As an organisation we have a simple goal - to deliver the best possible services to the people of West Sussex. We do this through the people who work for us, so its paramount to us to ensure that our employees are supported and valued.

The Opportunity

Salary: £28,624 to £30,060 per annum (£14,312 to £15,030 per annum, pro rata'd)

Working Pattern: Part-time, 18.5 hours per week

Location: County Hall, Chichester

Interview date: Tuesday 14 January 2025

Here at West Sussex County Council, what we do changes lives.

We are looking for an aspiring Legal Assistant with a passion and desire to work with the environment.

You will have a strong administration and communication skills to be able to provide legal advice on a variety of matters in connection with the delivery of the County Council's legal rights of way and common land/town or village green service.

You will have relevant or organisational knowledge of systems, procedures and policies associated with a large organisation, and excellent knowledge of IT software and related systems/procedures. You will be a strong team player and have the ability to organise your own workload, prioritising work as required. You will also be able to handle difficult situations, for example, responding to a landowner who is unhappy with matters that relate to his/her land.

The job will involve the consideration of applications from members of the public to the County Council to make changes to public rights of way/village greens. You will be required to undertake archival research, evaluate evidence, produce plans and reports and balance available evidence. You will be expected to present at committee meetings and to engage with parish councils, district councils, elected members, lawyers and the public.

What experience and skills are we looking for?

Key Skills:

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills in order to effectively exchange complicated or sensitive information both orally and in writing
• Confident presentational skills
• Competence in drafting/report writing
• Excellent organisational skills with the ability to work to deadlines
• Ability to work as part of a team and to have a flexible and adaptable approach to work
• Evidence of environment awareness and understanding of Local Government Law

For more information on the Key Skills as well as the Qualifications and/or experience required, please refer to the Job Description attached.

As well as adding real value to our service users and our communities, as an employer we recognise our employees are central in being able to achieve this. To recognise this we want to help support your development and provide an great place to work ensuring you can fulfil your full potential, have access to a range of benefits including:

• an excellent local government pension scheme
• generous holiday entitlement of 25 days (Full-time equivalent) (plus opportunity to buy additional leave)
• a range of flexible working options, depending on your job role
• maternity, paternity, dependency and adoption leave
• volunteering opportunities
• training and development opportunities, including coaching and mentoring
• a range of discounts giving our staff access to hundreds of offers; groceries, travel, cinema tickets, days out, leisure activities, high street retailers and the opportunity to save over £1,000 a year through our West Sussex Choices benefits platform (see our Staff discounts page if you are a business looking to offer a discount)
• health and wellbeing benefits including access to our Employee Assistance Programme, Mental Health First Aiders and Voluntary Health Cash Plans

For a full list this can be found at our Rewards and Benefits page.

Further information

The reference number for this role is CRS00889.

For an informal conversation or for further information regarding the role, Becky Moutrey (Senior Lawyer) at . For issues or queries regarding your application please contact .

To apply, please follow the links below to upload your CV and Cover Letter. In your cover letter please outline your motivations for applying and explaining the skills and experience you can bring to the role (please refer to the key skills) ensuring that any gaps in employment are covered in your CV. Please ensure you have saved the job description attached to the main advert on our website as, once the job has closed, you may not have the opportunity to download again.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. This post is subject to 3 years referencing and a health check.