PS/487/B - P04 - Force Solicitor - Legal Services - A Division

*Please note that this vacancy has now closed and is available to redeployees only; it will not be checked on a regular basis by the recruitment team. It is therefore essential that if you apply for this role, you e-mail BCHCareers@herts.pnn.police.uk to notify us that you have submitted an application. We will then process it for shortlisting. If you do not notify us by e-mail that you have submitted an application, it will not be picked up. Please also ensure that you notify your allocated Change Advisor of any redeployee applications that you have submitted.

Redeployees who apply will be given priority over any other internal applicants for permanent roles up until the point that an offer has been accepted either verbally or in writing.

If a role is not filled by an internal candidate and is advertised externally, redeployees will continue to get priority over external applicants until a successful candidate has received a final offer of employment.*

An exciting opportunity has arisen to be part of our small, friendly legal team to undertake varied, fast paced and challenging work. Bedfordshire Police’s Legal Services Department provides legal advice and representation to the Chief Constable of Bedfordshire and to our collaborative police partners.

We are seeking a lawyer, specialising in civil litigation to join us. You will have knowledge and experience in the conduct and management of public liability claims, (claims for unlawful arrest and false imprisonment, assault/battery, malicious prosecution and misfeasance in public office), together with experience of general litigation claims, judicial review and debt recovery matters.

In addition, you will have advocacy experience within the court system and be able to provide resilience for work conducted in the wider Legal Services Department.

With capability as an advocate before the Courts, you will have excellent analytical skills, first rate drafting skills and be able to demonstrate sound and balanced judgement with good attention to detail.

Whilst knowledge and understanding of police law is desirable it is not essential. We are seeking someone who has the ability to work under pressure, excel at meeting tight deadlines and have strong file management skills. Being tactically aware, you will also be able to evidence prior experience in providing legal advice to senior figures in an organisation and have a constructive approach to problem solving.

You will be able to work autonomously or as part of a team, and capable of taking on new areas of work with minimal supervision. You will also be able to deal with sensitive and confidential information.

Internal applicants within Bedfordshire Police, Cambridgeshire Constabulary or Hertfordshire Constabulary (BCH), should upload their CV or a completed ‘Staff internal role summary’ form (if you do not have a current CV), which can be found in the vacancy documents below. We strongly recommend that where possible, a CV is provided to ensure that your full experience and employment history is demonstrated. Please note you will be required to provide a statement no more than 500 words against the minimum entry requirements as stipulated in the role profile.

External applicants should ensure that their current CV is uploaded and provide a statement no more than 500 words against the minimum entry requirements as stipulated in the role profile. To ensure the recruitment process is fair and equal, please do not include personal details on your CV other than your name.

If you are successful at shortlisting, you will be required to provide evidence against the competency and values framework (CVF) and entry requirements as stipulated in the role profile.

All applications must be made through our online recruitment portal by clicking the ‘Apply’ button below.

All internal applicants must have successfully completed their probationary period in order to apply for this role.

This force is a Disability Confident employer. Should you require any reasonable adjustments for your application process, please contact the HR Service Centre on 01438 75(7777) or the manager contact for this role directly. We also offer the guaranteed interview scheme; this means that all candidates with a disability covered by the Equality Act 2010, who meet the minimum entry requirements for the role, will be invited to attend an interview.

This vacancy is live to those at risk of redundancy throughout the recruitment process. Any redeployee that wishes to apply should apply through the redeployment portal and provide a statement no more than 500 words against the minimum entry requirements as stipulated in the role profile. Redeployees will take priority over other applicants at any point during the recruitment process up until a start date is agreed. Redeployees should notify the HR Service Centre at BCHCareers@herts.pnn.police.uk and their HR advisor of their application. All applicants will be notified if this occurs.