Housing Team Manager - Solicitor or CILEx (Legal Aid)

8th January 2026

Organisation:

Citizens Advice Sheffield

Salary:

£34,263 to £36,649 p.a. depending on experience and qualifications

Location:

Sheffield

Hours and Working Pattern:

Full time 35hr

Term of Employment:

Permanent

Job Reference:

HTM12-25

Job Description

When applying, please ensure to answer person specification based on qualifications, skills and experience, team manager person specification for CILEX, Solicitor person specification for Solicitor. Applications will be reviewed as they arrive, and interviews may be conducted before the closing date. Therefore, early applications are strongly encouraged.
The Role
Solicitor specialising in a specific area of social welfare law, providing high-quality legal advice and representation. Managing their own caseload and providing comprehensive legal services under our Legal Aid contract. The solicitor is also responsible for managing a team of advisors within their specific specialist area of law and the monitoring of the quality of their work through both local and national Citizens Advice standards and the external ones set by the Legal Aid Agency.
An important aspect of this role is to communicate effectively with other client-facing staff members to offer support, advice and guidance when dealing with clients presenting with queries relating to their specialist area.
Duties and Responsibilities
Solicitors at CAS are Team Managers and part of the wider management team. They are required to:
*Deliver services in accordance with our service delivery strategy and operational plans, including telephone, digital and pre-booked appointment services
*Meet the needs of all clients, wherever possible empowering clients to improve their confidence and capability, and supporting them to develop and implement action plans to meet their needs
In addition Solicitors are expected to:
*Provide expert legal advice, casework assistance, and representation to clients in your specialist area (eg Housing, Employment, or Immigration Law).
*Manage a varied caseload, including conducting initial interviews, undertaking legal research, drafting legal documents, negotiating settlements, and representing clients in court or tribunals.
*Conduct thorough case analysis and develop effective legal strategies.
*Maintain accurate and up-to-date case files in accordance with Legal Aid Agency requirements and internal procedures.
*Comply with all relevant Law Society and Legal Aid Agency regulations, standards, and quality requirements. Including but not limited to ensuring preparation, record keeping and service delivery for SQM (Service Quality Mark) and all other required audits.
*Ensuring that accurate and securely stored records are maintained for the required period and are available for timely legal aid billing requirements.
*Contribute to the development of legal resources and training materials for staff and volunteers.
*Participate in internal and external meetings and networking events as required.
*Work collaboratively with other team members, including caseworkers, volunteers, and administrative staff, to provide a holistic service to clients.
*Contribute to the organisation's aims and objectives, including promoting access to justice and raising awareness of social welfare issues.
*Undertake continuous professional development to maintain and enhance legal knowledge and skills.
Staff supervision, support and development
Like all team managers, Solicitors are required to:
*Contribute to creating and supporting a positive culture in which all paid staff and volunteers are supported and valued
*Contribute to engaging paid staff and volunteers in good team work, planning and delivering services, and in campaigning
*Supervise paid staff and volunteers in accordance with our policies and procedures
*Provide advice, guidance and support to and supervise paid staff and volunteers in relation to any aspect of service delivery
*Support volunteer recruitment, training, development and retention
*Support the design and delivery of training
*Campaigning and social policy development
Solicitors may also:
*Support research and other activity to identify priorities for campaigns and social policy development, and the evidence to support such campaigns
*Support the design and implementation of campaigns locally
*Assist with our contribution to regional and national campaigns, and with acting upon these campaigns locally
*Service strategy, planning and development
Solicitors will:
*Support and advise the leadership team to develop and implement service delivery strategies and plans
*Professional learning and development
*Solicitors, like all team managers are all required to undertake learning and development including:
*Keeping up to date with legislation
*Keeping up to date with policies and procedures
*Attending internal and external training
*Obtaining and maintaining accreditation for specialist practice
Reporting to: Service Manager
Responsible for: a team of paid advisers/ advice workers and volunteers
*Our team managers are responsible for supervising the provision of our services to clients.
*Team managers manage, supervise and support our paid staff and volunteers to support and empower clients to address their needs, and to provide tailored casework when this is needed.
*Team managers are part of the management team, responsible for shaping and implementing service strategy, to ensure high quality service delivery and performance in accordance with contractual and other requirements, and to develop and implement service policy and practice.
*Team managers provide advice, guidance and support to other staff, and support the provision of training and professional development in their fields of expertise.
*Team managers lead and contribute to specific projects as agreed with their service manager.
*Team managers themselves provide advice, advocacy and other services, including casework, including complex cases.
*Team managers seek to support and empower clients to address their needs.
*Team managers provide advice and advocacy that is accessible by all clients, taking full account of clients’ communication and other needs.
*Team managers provide services through multiple channels and in a wide range of settings, including our own offices, those of partner agencies and clients’ homes.
*Team managers play a key role in campaigning and social policy work.
*Team managers may play a lead role in the provision of independent advocacy or advice in one or more areas of law; this may include welfare benefits, debt, housing, employment, immigration, discrimination, health and social care and other areas of public and social welfare law.
*Team managers are required to undertake all their duties in accordance with Citizens Advice Sheffield’s policies and procedures, utilising national and local sources of information and guidance.
Main duties and responsibilities
Service provision
Team managers are required to:
*Ensure the delivery of services in accordance with our service delivery strategy and operational plans, including telephone, digital and pre-booked appointment services
*Meet the needs of all clients, wherever possible empowering clients to improve their confidence and capability, and supporting them to develop and implement action plans to meet their needs
*supervise advice and/or advocacy sessions and casework, in accordance with relevant quality standards
*contribute to ensuring that performance standards and targets are met
*ensure that comprehensive client and service records are maintained, using information technology and other systems
*contribute to ensuring compliance with funders’ and contractual requirements
*support the identification and reporting of evidence to support social policy campaigns, and may lead and contribute to such campaigns
*Team managers may also provide advice and/or advocacy, and carry a caseload, including complex casework, court and tribunal representation, and are required to do so in accordance with all relevant quality standards.
Staff supervision, support and development
Team managers are required to:
*Contribute to creating and supporting a positive culture in which all paid staff and volunteers are supported and valued
*Contribute to engaging paid staff and volunteers in good team work, planning and delivering services, and in campaigning
*Supervise paid staff and volunteers in accordance with our policies and procedures
*Provide advice, guidance and support to and supervise paid staff and volunteers in relation to any aspect of service delivery
*Support volunteer recruitment, training, development and retention
*Support the design and delivery of training
*Campaigning and social policy development
Team managers may also:
*Support research and other activity to identify priorities for campaigns and social policy development, and the evidence to support such campaigns
*Support the design and implementation of campaigns locally
*Assist with our contribution to regional and national campaigns, and with acting upon these campaigns locally
Service strategy, planning and development
Team managers support and advise the leadership team to develop and implement service delivery strategies and plans

How to Apply

Job application packs are available to download at www.citizensadvicesheffield.org.uk or you can contact applications@citizensadvicesheffield.org.uk. Please quote the job reference number in the subject heading. All candidates must submit the applica