Principle Housing Lawyer - Epping Forest District Council

Job description

Principle Hosing Lawyer - Epping Forest District Concil

Permanent - Fll Time

36 Hors Per Week

£61,754 - £7,6

Closing Date: 6th October 6

Abot the Role

To provide high-qality, professional legal advice and representation on all aspects of hosing law to the Concil, its Members, officers, and partner organisations. The role spports the athority's stattory fnctions, ensring compliance with legislation while managing legal risk and delivering effective otcomes for the commnity.

The role holder will be reqired to ensre that all casework is well managed and dealt with in an efficient and cost-effective manner, ensre that the organisations reglatory, stattory and common law obligations are met. Additionally to raise awareness of developments within the sector, identify risk and provide training as reqired to the organisation, be an effective bsiness partner to key internal stakeholders within the organisation who reqire spport and advice in respect of their hosing management operations and hosing litigation.

This role is specific to spporting or Hosing & Property Directorate, however, sbject to bsiness need there may be a reqirement to assist with other areas and condct work not set ot nder 'accontabilities' below, sch as bilding compliance, compensation reqests, complaints.

Key Responsibilities

Provide expert legal advice on a wide range of hosing matters, inclding:

Homelessness dties (Hosing Act 1996, Homelessness Redction Act 17)

Allocations and hosing registers

Tenancy management, possession proceedings, and evictions

Anti-social behavior (ASB legislation and injnctions)

Disrepair claims and hosing conditions

Eqality and hman rights considerations in hosing decisions

Advise on policy development, ensring compliance with stattory obligations and best practice.

Manage a varied caseload of hosing law matters from instrction throgh to conclsion.

Condct or instrct advocacy in corts and tribnals, inclding:

Conty Cort possession claims

Jdicial review proceedings

Appeals and homelessness reviews

Draft legal docments inclding pleadings, witness statements, and settlement agreements.

Liaise with external consel where reqired.

Abot Yo

The sccessfl candidate wold need to be/have:

a qalified Solicitor, Barrister, Legal Exective or eqivalent

an experienced advocate in the Magistrates and Conty Cort

experience of advising on whether there is sfficient evidence to isse proceedings or defend a case.

Strong technical experience in dealing with a wide range of non-contentios hosing management matters and contentios landlord and tenant matters (inclding tenancy management isses, anti-social behavior, possession, Injnctions and contempt of Cort applications), either on the Claimant or Defendant side.

Experience of sccessflly managing a large caseload sccessflly, achieving excellent otcomes.

Knowledge of the pre-action protocols and Civil Procedre Rles.

Knowledge of the relevant stattory, reglatory and common law applicable to the hosing management fnctions of a social landlord, and the provision of reglated social and affordable hosing.

Practical awareness and/or experience of the Data Protection Act 18.

Working Arrangements

This role is offered on a Hybrid basis with an expectation of at least 3 days per week in the office or in attendance at cort.

Why Join s?

Epping Forest District Concil - Legal Services

We are looking to recrit to a vacant role in or Legal Services team. We take pride in or spportive and collaborative team cltre and or focs on delivering the Concil's objectives. We aim to be soltion driven, providing the highest level of professional standards within a vale for money framework.

The District - Epping Forest District Concil takes its name from the forest which rns from its sothern bondary northwards and shares bondaries with Greater London and Hertfordshire. The three main settlements of Bckhrst Hill, Chigwell and Loghton contain more than half the poplation of approximately 131, people bt occpy only 5% of the district.

Working at EFDC - As a Concil, we're no longer reliant on a fixed desk, in a fixed bilding with fixed working hors approach. Remote and new ways of working are or new normal. We have developed new ways of working and here at Epping we made this a sccess by qickly adapting to modern technologies and placing new levels of flexibility and trst in or employees.

How to Apply

Please sbmit yor application by (deadline at 3:59) sing the 'Apply"' btton

Optional: For an informal discssion abot these posts please contact Nicola Sayers, Head of Legal Services on 199 56435.

Epping Forest District Concil is committed to safegarding and promoting the welfare of children, yong people and vlnerable adlts and expects all staff and volnteers to share this commitment.