Principal Legal Officer (Childcare)

Job Introduction

Principal Legal Officer (in the field of Child Protection)

Salary: £36,580 - £40,444

Work Pattern: Permanent (37 hours p/w)

Location: Lincoln, Hybrid (min 2x office days)

Closing Date: October 15th, 2026

Interviews: (In person) Tuesday October 27th, 2026

Do you have experience of handling a busy and varied public law (specific to childcare) and/or pre-proceedings caseload? Can you demonstrate good technical skills? Do you command the respect and trust of colleagues and clients? Are you a problem solver? If so, then we want you to join our growing friendly, supportive and well-respected Team. 

We are looking for an enthusiastic Principal Legal Officer to join our childcare team to undertake autonomous case holding for pre-proceedings cases. 

The childcare legal team sits within Legal Services Lincolnshire and is a team of 20 individuals who hold a specialist caseload relating to the areas of public childcare law, including pre-proceedings, care proceedings, fostering and adoption and Deprivation of Liberty.

Legal Services Lincolnshire (LSL) is a shared legal service hosted by the county council, offering legal advice to the county council, and to seven of the county's district and borough councils as well as other public sector clients. The childcare team's main client department is Lincolnshire County Council Children's Services. Lincolnshire Children's Services is an Ofsted outstanding Local Authority, and has a highly collaborative approach to working with the legal department.

What we're looking for:

Applicants must have completed part 2/Advanced level of CILEX or have at least 7 years relevant experience, including a working knowledge of public law childcare matters. 

You must be an experienced case holder, who can evidence that you have had autonomous care and conduct of pre-proceedings cases. 

Please see the attached post outline as well as the Job Description for more specific details on this post. 

What we can offer:

We care about our staff so we want to offer you a competitive salary, generous holidays, access to a Flexible working policy, ability to purchase additional leave, staff benefits scheme and access to our LGPS pension scheme. It is important to us that you have an excellent work/life balance.

Special Conditions:

Ability to work flexibly and on occasions, beyond the normal contracted hours in order to meet the business needs of the service. 

Remote Working:

The council has a smarter working policy which does provide a great degree of flexibility between home and office working.

This post does require a minimum of 2 x office days per week, with the mandatory childcare team day taking place each Tuesday, with another day to be confirmed to fit in with professional commitments.

Lincolnshire is a great place to live and work. It has an impressive castle and Cathedral, with the medieval quarter being a great contrast to the lively and youthful feel of this University City. If you are looking for an opportunity to work in a beautiful city with a great team of experienced colleagues then please grasp this exciting opportunity and come join our childcare legal team.

Next steps:

If this sounds like the role for you, then please read through the full Job Description and post outline to ensure that your skills and experience meet the required criteria and to help you do the best application possible before clicking apply!

If you would like an open and informal discussion regarding this role, then please call Jodie Ogden, Principal Lawyer, for chat on 01522 552582 as she is keen to hear from you and answer any questions you may have about this role.

Applications close on 15th October 2026 with interviews scheduled to take place in person at our offices in Lincoln on 27th October 2026.

Due to recent changes in immigration law in the UK we are unable to offer skilled worker visa sponsorship for this role as it does not meet the requirements.

PLEASE NOTE: It is imperative that your personal statement clearly states why you have applied, how you meet the essential and desirable criteria for the role as set out in the Job Description (attached on LCC jobs Site) and what you feel you can bring to this role, the team and the wider County Council.

Please refer to our Job Information Pack here to support you in your application.

On occasion we receive significantly more applications than expected for some vacancies and under such circumstances we reserve the right to bring forward the closing date of the advertisement. We therefore strongly advise you to apply for the role promptly to avoid disappointment should the closing date be brought forward. Please also note: once an application is submitted it is final and cannot be amended. If you withdraw your application, it cannot be reinstated and you will not be able to submit another application for that vacancy. If you have an issue with your submitted application, please contact recruitment@lincolnshire.gov.uk.

We operate a talent pool scheme whereby candidates who are not successful on this occasion may be considered for a period of up to 3 months for equal positions.

Lincolnshire County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

A Smarter Working Employer

We have embraced new ways of working and hybrid working will be a feature of this role. You will be given a nominated contractual work base and you will be required to commute to this work base when necessary.  Working arrangements regarding hybrid working will be discussed as part of the appointment process.

Our technology platform and equipment is very good enabling you to connect and collaborate remotely. We require that you have in place good connectivity, and we will discuss during the recruitment process if support with this is needed.

Fluency Duty 

In accordance with Part 7 of the Immigration Act 2016 (Fluency Duty), the ability to converse at ease with customers and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post.

Our values – collaborative, adaptable, eco-conscious, supportive, and responsible – guide everything we do. We’re looking for candidates who share these values and bring them to life in their work, helping us build strong teams and make a real difference in the communities we serve.