Vacancy -- Trainee Solicitor - Welsh Language Essential

Working for the Civil Service

The Welsh Government's recruitment processes are underpinned by the principle of selection for appointment on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles.

The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

Vacancy Details

Office of the First Minister
Legal Services
EO - £26,900 - £30,610
£25,860
Full time (not suitable for candidates who wish to work on a part time or job share basis)
Fixed term
2 years
Pan Wales
'Pan Wales' means that the location in which the vacancy can be based is flexible, subject to the needs of the business. Please note it may not always be possible to accommodate a preference for a specific office location, but requests will be taken into consideration.
TBC

Purpose of Post:

The Legal Services Department is responsible for the delivery of legal services to the Welsh Government, including advice on complex matters of public law, the handling of high profile litigation and the preparation of all Welsh Government legislation.
Welsh Government Trainee Solicitors, like lawyers in the department, will work to a Senior Lawyer leading a subject team responsible for specific functional responsibilities of the government.
Trainee solicitors will be allocated to subject teams in accordance with the development needs of the individual and the business needs of the department.  It is likely that the training will be split into 6 periods within which there is likely to be a period of 4 months undertaking litigation in another public sector legal department or solicitor’s firm.
Trainee Solicitors will work under the overall supervision of one of the Department’s Senior Lawyers.

Key tasks:

To provide and contribute to the provision of legal advice within a team portfolio;

To assist in the drafting of a range of subordinate legislation and in the preparation of legal instructions for drafting of primary legislation and to monitor its passage through Senedd procedures as necessary. To assist in the drafting of other formal documentation within the team portfolio;

To assist the team in ensuring it is responsive to customer/client needs and changing circumstances;

To undertake such research, tasks and projects as are specified by a Senior Lawyer or a Deputy Director which are commensurate with the level of Trainee Solicitor;

To provide support to colleagues within the department as requested by the Senior Lawyer or Deputy Director.

Development opportunities:

These posts provide the opportunity to develop advisory and legislative drafting skills in specialist teams of lawyers.  It also provides an opportunity to work as part of a highly skilled group of public sector lawyers in a political environment where the chance to develop skills and knowledge in constitutional and administrative law is excellent.  It will also provide the chance to be at the heart of government in Wales in what is a dynamic and challenging environment as changes to the devolution settlement are shaped.

Closing Date:

28/01/2022, 16:00

Eligibility

Posts recruited to as part of this recruitment campaign are broadly open to UK nationals, those with right to remain and work in the UK and those that meet the Civil Service Nationality Rules only. Check your eligibility here:

Prior to appointment, all successful applicants will be required to produce original, acceptable documents as part of the pre-employment checks. If it becomes apparent at a later stage in the process that you aren’t eligible to apply, your application will be withdrawn, or offer retracted.

Equality and Diversity

The Welsh Government is committed to providing services which embrace diversity and which promote equality of opportunity. This is underpinned by the Equality Act 2010 and will be adhered to at each stage of the recruitment process. Our goal is to ensure that these commitments are also embedded in our day-to-day working practices with all our customers, colleagues and partners.

We are committed to being an anti-racist organisation and increasing diversity in the Welsh Government by removing barriers and supporting all our staff to reach their potential. We are committed to recruiting Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people and disabled people who are currently under-represented in Welsh Government.

We welcome applications from everyone regardless of age, marriage and civil partnership (both same sex and opposite sex), impairment or health condition, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, gender identity or gender expression.

We are a Stonewall Diversity Champion and a Disability Confident Level 3 (Leader) organisation. Key to supporting this work and providing peer support are five Board sponsored Staff Networks (Disability Awareness and Support (DAAS); Minority Ethnic Support Network (MESN); Mind Matters (Mental health and well-being); PRISM (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex +) and Women Together.

Disability Confident

A Great Place to Work for Veterans

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative.

Welsh Language Requirements

The Welsh Government is a bilingual organisation and Welsh language skills are considered an asset to the organisation. We encourage and support staff to learn, develop and use their Welsh language skills in the workplace. 

The following list of language requirements represents an objective assessment by the line manager on behalf of the Welsh Government of the Welsh language skills required to undertake the duties of this particular post.

Essential
Can read most work-related material
Can hold most work-related conversations
Can understand most work-related conversations
Can prepare most written work in Welsh

Social Partnership

In Welsh Government, the relationship between the employer and trade unions is based on social partnership. We believe our goals can best be achieved by management and trade unions working together.

Our 3 recognised trade unions are:
•         PCS
•         Prospect
•         FDA

This relationship is underpinned by a partnership agreement. This sets out how our unions work with Welsh Government on issues such as:
•         pay
•         terms and conditions
•         policies and procedures
•         organisational change.

Our Welsh Government trade union colleagues work together to give their members a real say in the workplace. They make sure that the interests of their members are promoted and protected. They also help reduce inequalities and improve terms and conditions.

The Welsh Government has an excellent track record of working in partnership with its trade unions. We encourage staff to get involved. We support you to join a recognised trade union, to ensure your voice is heard in the workplace. and to learn more about trade unions and partnership working.

Competencies / Job Specific Criteria

Competencies: 

Strategic Cluster – Setting Direction - Making Effective Decisions:
Examine complex information and obtain further information to make accurate decisions.

People Cluster – Engaging People - Leading and Communicating:
Express ideas effectively, both orally and in writing, and with sensitivity and respect for others.

Collaborating and Partnering:
Listen attentively to others and check their understanding by asking questions.

Performance Cluster – Delivering Results - Delivering at Pace:
Set and achieve challenging goals and monitor quality.

Job Specific Criteria: 

1. Basic knowledge of constitutional and administrative law.

2. Candidates to have a minimum of a 2:2 honours degree although this does not have to be in law.  Alternatively, if you hold a Certificate of Academic Standing or Equivalent Means from the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), you will be eligible to apply.  Fellows and graduate members of CILEx who have satisfied the SRA’s academic stage of training are also eligible.

3. Have either passed the Legal Practice Course (LPC) or both the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) 1 and SQE 2 by 1 October 2022.

Assessment Process

Application Form evidencing all competencies and job specifics.

CV
An initial sift will be undertaken on job specific responses, only those applicants who meet the minimum requirement will proceed to the next stage. A second sift will then assess the competencies, only those applicants who meet the minimum requirement will be invited to the next stage. 

Interview stage (if successful at application stage sift);
Candidates successful at the second sift stage will be invited for interview. The job specific criteria and competencies will also be assessed at this stage. Candidates invited to interview will also be asked to make a short presentation to the panel, the subject of which will be notified in due course.

Feedback
Feedback for the sift stage will only be provided once the scheme has been completed.

Other Information

  • Unless stated otherwise in ‘actual starting salary’, all candidates will start at the minimum of the pay scale being appointed to (this includes existing civil servants).This is not negotiable.
  • Unless stated otherwise in ‘type of opportunity’, this recruitment advert is not open on a Loan or Secondment basis.
  • For more information on the eligibility criteria and terms and conditions for Loan and Secondment positions in Welsh Government, please see external recruitment candidate guidance.
  • Unless stated otherwise in ‘Location of Post’ the role/s recruited to via this campaign can only be worked in the UK, not overseas.

'Pan Wales' means that the location in which the vacancy can be based is flexible, subject to the needs of the business. A list of the Welsh Government's offices can be found on our website (www.wales.gov.uk). Please note it may not always be possible to accommodate a preference for a specific office location, but requests will be taken into consideration.
Most of our staff are however currently working remotely due to the pandemic. Whilst the precise post pandemic working arrangements are still under consideration, it is likely that such arrangements will see the normalisation of blended or hybrid “place of work” arrangement for many staff in the future.

Legalrecruitment.wg.legal@gov.wales

How to apply

All applications for this vacancy should be made online via the Welsh Government's online application system.  If you have an impairment which would prevent you from applying on-line, please e-mail SharedServiceHelpdesk@gov.wales to request an application pack in an alternative format, or to request a reasonable adjustment related to an impairment in order to submit your application.

To apply, you'll need to have an account on our online application system.  Click the 'Apply' button below, and you'll be asked to 'Log in' if you already have an account, or 'Register' if you don't yet have an account.  Registration takes just a few minutes to complete.  You'll need an e-mail address to be able to register.  Once you've registered for an account and logged in, you'll be taken to the online application form, which you'll need to fully complete and submit before the deadline on the closing date.  

If you’d like to apply for this vacancy in Welsh, please use the ‘Newid Iaith / Change Language’ link at the top of this page, to take you to the Welsh version of this advert, from which you can apply in Welsh.

For further information regarding the Welsh Government recruitment process, please see the Recruitment Guidance for External Candidates (link).

When evidencing your suitability for the post, it is recommended that you refer to the Civil Service Competency Framework (link)

Grievance and Complaints

Anyone who believes they have been treated unfairly, or has a grievance or complaint, about how the process was conducted should either write to the Head of Resourcing, Welsh Government, Cathays Park 2, Cardiff CF10 3NQ or email SharedServiceHelpdesk@gov.wales.  If you are unhappy with the outcome of the complaint raised with the Welsh Government and feel that the principles of appointment on merit through fair and open competition have not been met you have the right to pursue your grievance with the Civil Service Commission.

This vacancy is closed to applications.