Job Description

Salary

From 34,434 to 39,862 per annum (Grade H)

Contractual hours

37

Basis

Full Time

Package

Permanent

Job category/type

Legal

Date posted

24/09/2025

Job reference

REQ00000812



Are you an experienced Paralegal looking to take the next step in your career within a dynamic and supportive legal team?

West Berkshire Council's Legal and Democratic Service is seeking a Senior Paralegal to provide essential support to the Principal Lawyer - People Team, working on a range of interesting and varied legal matters, with a focus on Special Educational Needs Tribunals.

The Role

As a Senior Paralegal - People Team, you will be an integral part of the Legal and Democratic Service, providing high-quality legal advice and support in relation to education law, and other areas of law as required. Your key responsibilities will include:

Assisting with the preparation of legal documents such as court/tribunal submissions Conducting legal research and providing summaries of findings Managing and maintaining case files, ensuring accurate record-keeping Attending client meetings and taking detailed notes, including advising clients with supervision as required Attending court/tribunal hearings Providing administrative support including bundles


In addition to the above, you will also have the opportunity to work on more complex legal matters under the guidance of the Principal Lawyer, allowing you to further develop your skills and expertise.

The ideal candidate will possess the following skills and attributes:

Previous experience working as a Paralegal, ideally within a public sector or local authority environment Solid knowledge and understanding of Special Educational Needs law Excellent research and analytical skills Strong written and verbal communication skills Ability to manage multiple priorities and work to tight deadlines Proactive and self-motivated, with a positive and professional attitude


In addition to the above, you should also be a team player, able to collaborate effectively with colleagues and clients

West Berkshire Council offer excellent employment benefits such as:

Flexible working wherever possible between the hours of 07.00-21.00 Hybrid working wherever possible working 40% in the office Access to a wide range of training and development opportunities Generous Local Government pension scheme Family friendly policies A range of local discounts Wellbeing Programme including Employee Assistance Programme and employee benefits You will also be entitled to a generous annual leave entitlement starting at 29 days per annum (plus public holidays) Rising by an additional 5 days after 5 years' service.


Please note that the closing date is given as a guide. We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible to avoid disappointment.

In addition to the above, you will also benefit from a competitive salary of up to 39,862 per annum, pro rata for part-time hours, and a working week of 37 hours.

For the right candidate, there may be future opportunities to gain further qualification.

This post is a Sensitive Post for the purpose of the Local Government Housing Act 1989 and the post-holder is therefore restricted from engaging in any prescribed political activities. In summary, this means that you are prohibited from holding political office and from involvement in any political activity within or outside the workplace. Full details of the restrictions can be found in the Council's Policy and Guidance on Politically Restricted Posts.

For an informal discussion to learn more about this role, please contact Laura Knowles on 01635 503136 or email laura.knowles1@westberks.gov.uk.

We are ideally looking to offer the successful candidate the full number of hours advertised above. We may however consider offering less hours than advertised providing they meet the requirements of the role and service which will be determined by the recruiting manager.

If you are a motivated and skilled Paralegal looking to contribute to the legal team at West Berkshire Council, we invite you to apply for this exciting opportunity.

Explore everything that a career with West Berkshire Council has to offer here: Working with Us

Equal Opportunities

The Council supports Equal Opportunity of employment, and positively encourages applications from people who fall within any of the nine protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010.

How to apply

Please now complete a short online application form. You will then be able to upload your CV.

This role has been identified as public facing in accordance with Part 7 of the Immigration Act 2016; the requirement to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence in English applies.

This privacy notice applies to job applicants applying for vacancies with West Berkshire Council https://info.westberks.gov.uk/pnapplications