Location
London Borough of Brent with remote working 2 days a week and 3 days office attendance required. Other locations may be required from time to time.

Hours
36 hours per week

Salary
SO1 - £37,692 - £39,276 per annum inclusive of London weighting

About the Role
Join Brent Council's Financial Litigation team as a Legal Assistant on a permanent basis. This role offers a valuable opportunity to gain experience and enhance your career prospects within the legal profession. You will manage a caseload of debt recovery matters, working closely with various client departments across the council. The role involves instigating county court proceedings against debtors, so a good knowledge of civil procedure rules is ideal. Some understanding of debt recovery is required; experience with Adult Social Care (ASC) debt recovery is advantageous but not essential as training will be provided.

Key responsibilities include considering and investigating matters referred to the legal team, requesting and obtaining information from client departments, taking prompt action in the debt recovery process, engaging in dispute resolution including mediation, instructing Counsel and costs draftsmen when necessary, managing a caseload covering Adult Social Care, council tax arrears, housing benefit overpayments, and general sundry debts using the Council’s case management system, and representing the council in interim court applications.

Brent is a vibrant and diverse London borough undergoing significant transformation to better serve its community, making this an exciting time to join the Legal Service.

Experience
Some knowledge of debt recovery processes is required. Experience with Adult Social Care debt recovery is desirable but not essential as full training will be provided. Familiarity with civil procedure rules and county court proceedings is advantageous.

About you
You should be organised, flexible, proactive, and conscientious with the ability to quickly learn and manage a wide range of debt recovery cases. Strong communication and case management skills are essential. You will report to Senior Lawyers within the team.

Qualifications
Not explicitly stated, but a willingness to learn and develop within the legal profession is essential. Successful completion of probationary period is required before applying.