Solicitor

Are you a Solicitor with experience of housing and homelessness law? If so then consider a move to Shelter you could soon be making a real difference to people affected by the housing emergency.

About Shelter

Home is a human right. It’s our foundation and where we thrive. Yet everyday millions of people are being devastated by the housing emergency.

We exist to defend the right to a safe home. Because home is everything.

We need ambitious, passionate people to join us. This is your chance to play a part in the fundamental change we are striving to achieve.

Our enemy is the social injustice at the core of the escalating housing emergency. To win this fight, we must be representative of the people we are here to help and those who support our movement. In all our people decisions, we take pride in being inclusive, equitable and transparent. We are committed to combating racism both within and outside Shelter. We welcome you on our journey to becoming truly anti-racist.

About The Team

The Advice team at our Plymouth Hub delivers legal aid funded and non-legal aid funded work throughout Devon and Cornwall. Also based at the Hub are members of our Lived Experience team, who deliver a range of activities with the aim of ensuring the views and experiences of individuals with lived experience of bad housing or homelessness informs all of Shelter’s work and a Community Organiser who works with the local community to fight the housing emergency. People are at the heart of the services we offer and, in order to keep growing and evolving to suit the communities we work with and bring about real change, we need to understand what really matters for people.

Our Legal Service provides specialist legal knowledge across Shelter through four teams covering Community Legal advice, Strategic Litigation, the National Legal Team and Legal Support Team. You will be part of our Community Legal Team, who are based across our 11 hub locations and work alongside hub colleagues every day to fight housing injustice and deliver systemic change relating to housing practice in our local communities.

About the role

Using your legal expertise, you will play a key role in tackling housing in justice and unfair housing practices. You will be working under our Legal Aid contract, delivering legal advice and representing tenants at court where needed. Delivering systemic change through legal challenge to prevent homeless will also be a considerable part of the role.

About You

Qualified as a Solicitor, you will have a strong knowledge of housing law and be used to managing your own caseload. You have strong skills in advocacy, litigation, and file reviews. If you meet the Supervisor status for legal aid purposes that would be preferable but isn’t essential, as is experience of working under a legal aid contract.

Benefits

We offer a wide range of benefits, including 30 days of annual leave, enhanced family friendly policies, pension and interest free travel loans. Our employees also have access to a tenancy deposit loan, payroll giving, cycle to work scheme and an employee assistance programme.

Shelter helps millions of people every year struggling with bad housing or homelessness through our advice, support and legal services. And we campaign to make sure that, one day, no one will have to turn to us for help. We’re here so no one has to fight bad housing or homelessness on their own.

Home is everything. We exist to defend the right to a safe home. Join us in ending the devastating impact the housing emergency has on people and our communities.

We are happy to talk about flexible working, personal growth, and to promote a workplace where you can be yourself and achieve success based only on your merit.

Safeguarding Statement

Safeguarding is everyone's business. Shelter is committed to protecting the health, wellbeing and human rights of those we support, and enabling them to live free from harm, abuse and neglect. All our staff will be expected to observe professional standards of behaviour and conduct their work in line with our Safeguarding Policies.

Recruitment Agencies

Shelter does not accept unsolicited CVs from external recruitment agencies nor accept the fees associated with them.