Housing Litigation Solicitor
£37,030 pa + excellent benefits including flexible working and 30 days holiday
Sheffield

Closing date: Sunday 27th September 2020 at 11.30 pm.  Interview date: Monday 5th October 2020

If you're an experienced Solicitor or Barrister who is passionate about standing up for people's rights and committed to achieving positive outcomes for clients, Shelter's legal team is the ideal environment to put your skills to good use.

A home is a fundamental human need, as essential as education or healthcare. Yet millions of people across Britain struggle on a daily basis with homelessness, bad housing conditions, soaring rents, discrimination and the threat of eviction. So, we are striving for change — with individuals, in communities, across society – and leading the way to a safe home. We need ambitious, best-in-class individuals who are passionate about our cause to join us at this exciting time. This is your chance to play a part in the fundamental change we are striving to achieve.

With an enviable national reputation for excellence in the provision of housing law and over 100 fee earners and support staff, including over 40 solicitors nationally, Legal Services at Shelter is career enhancing to say the least. We operate a thriving client-focused Hub of services in Sheffield, where people can access a range of advice and support provision, all from a city centre location. This is a great chance to use your expertise to deliver a specialist legal casework service in housing law, including litigation and consultancy work, you'll also be part of the national legal services team at one of the UK's leading charities.

About the Role
Shelter operates a thriving Hub of services in Sheffield where people can access a range of advice and support provision, including legal advice and representation, housing related support services and an Information and Resource facility all from a city centre location. 

You will work closing with both the Hub and Shelter Legal Services.  You will work on a varied caseload that includes dealing with emergency cases and identifying and carrying out strategic litigation. We'll also rely on you to provide consultancy work, technical supervision and line management and delegate work to ensure it's carried out efficiently and to the highest standard. Carrying out court representation, including at Housing Duty Possession Schemes, will be important too, as will ensuring funding is maximised on each case. And, when it comes to training and developing others, promoting our legal services or identifying referrals from internal and external sources, again, we'll count on you to deliver.

About you
An experienced solicitor or barrister with proven experience of housing litigation, including court representation on behalf of homeless people or people in housing need, you will be used to working on public and private sector cases on issues including homelessness, security of tenure and possession proceedings. You also meet the 2013 SQM Supervisor standard in housing, or are willing to work towards this, and have sound knowledge of publicly funded Legal Aid work, including legal representation and legal help. We would also consider those who have had exposure to welfare rights and community care issues.

The ability to establish priorities and develop clear plans to achieve your goals is also required, as are excellent listening, communication and problem solving skills, sensitivity to the needs of others and a genuine interest in their views.

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

Shelter helps millions of people every year struggling with bad housing or homelessness through our advice, support and legal services. And we campaign to make sure that, one day, no one will have to turn to us for help. We're here so no one has to fight bad housing or homelessness on their own.

To find out more about the role and the benefits of working for Shelter please visit our website.  Apply to be part of our legal team and be the change you want to see in society.

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.

Shelter promotes equality, diversity and inclusion in our workplace. We make employment decisions by matching business needs with skills and experience of candidates, irrespective of age, disability (including hidden disabilities),gender, gender identity or gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, or sexual orientation. We also encourage applications from people, who have been homeless or have been at risk of homelessness. We are facing diverse problems, so need diverse people to tackle them.

We are happy to talk about flexible working, personal growth, and to promote a workplace where you can be yourself and achieve success based only on your merit.

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