“In Legal Services we do everything as a team... there is more diversity of work than when I worked in private practice, every day is completely different, and you get a huge variety of experience."
David works as a Solicitor within the Legal Services employment team at Warwickshire County Council (WCC) since he joined in 2019. He deals with all employment related queries and works primarily with HR to bring positive solutions to any problems that arise. David also supervises a training solicitor programme, working with graduates and supporting them to become solicitors.
David was working for another local authority on a fixed term contract before he joined WCC. He said: “When my fixed term contract was coming to an end, I went through agencies to find my next role. Several agencies recommended WCC and said the authority had very diverse and interesting clients with a variety of work, so I thought it sounded like a great opportunity!”
There are approximately 100 employees that work in legal services at WCC, David said: “We’re a very supportive team, we recognise that people have strengths and weaknesses so we all work together to support each other and the council to get the best outcomes.”
For many solicitors working in the private sector, they may not have considered working for local government. David added: “Working at WCC, you get greater investment, trust and diversity of work. Within days of being here I was trusted to get on with my work and deal with clients.”
“I have worked in private practice as well and I have found that I get more variety of opportunities working at WCC. Warwickshire wants you to grow and get involved in things, you’re really encouraged to learn and develop.”
David added: “In Legal Services we do everything as a team we all have different experiences. There is more diversity of work than when I worked in private practice, every day is completely different, and you get a huge variety of experience.”
The Legal Services team at WCC has a clear community focus like every other area of the council. They make a huge difference to the lives of residents in Warwickshire through childcare and adult solicitors supporting children’s and adult’s welfare, through to supporting planning for housing developments and many other projects.
Like many others, David’s role has only got busier since the pandemic began, he said: “Just because most of us are working from home, support is still required for our employees to make sure the council does right by our people. Because of COVID-19, some laws have temporarily or permanently changed so there’s lots of legal implications to investigate to make sure that we can return to the office and work from home in the best way possible.”
There are often lots of opportunities within WCC legal services for qualified solicitors however for those looking to get into the industry, the council also offers a fantastic training programme for graduates. David, who supervises the programme alongside his day-to-day duties, said: “I’m there to guide our graduates and help them train. WCC is a great place to learn and many of our trainees on the scheme end up securing a permanent role at the council. It’s really rewarding being able to see them progress.”
“If you have a drive to get stuck in then WCC is a great place to work. You will get so much from the organisation if you’re willing to try anything and there’s always support available.”
This is the difference you can make, working for Warwickshire County Council.
There are a variety of job opportunities available at Warwickshire. If you're someone who is prepared to get stuck in, who wants to do the best job possible, who approaches everything with passion and purpose, then we want you to work for us!
To find out more about joining us go to www.warwickshire.gov.uk/jobs