Head of Legal Advice

Join Toynbee Hall as our new Head of Legal Advice (Part-Time) and lead the world’s oldest continuously running free legal advice service. With a 125-year legacy of providing access to justice, our legal advice services include employment, housing, and women-focused clinics, all supported by a passionate team of supervisors and pro-bono law firm partnerships.

 This role is perfect for a qualified solicitor or barrister who is looking to work part-time (2 days a week) while driving impactful legal services in East London. Reporting to the Director of Advice Services, you will:

• Provide strategic leadership to expand and enhance our legal advice clinics.
• Cultivate partnerships with law firms and stakeholders to secure pro-bono support and funding.
• Oversee and support Legal Advice Supervisors, ensuring the delivery of high-quality services.

 You’ll combine your legal expertise with a passion for social justice, helping Toynbee Hall address the legal needs of disadvantaged communities while shaping the future of our legal advice provision.

 What we’re looking for:

• A qualified solicitor or barrister with significant legal advice experience.
• A proven track record in leadership, strategy, and partnership development.
• A commitment to Toynbee Hall’s mission to tackle poverty, injustice, and inequality.

 This is a hybrid role, offering flexibility and a unique opportunity to make a tangible difference.

If this sounds like you, we’d love to hear from you!

Scope of role

The Head of Legal Advice oversees the delivery of comprehensive legal advice services, manages key relationships with existing funders and pro-bono partners, and actively seeks new partnerships to expand and enhance our services. This includes strategic planning, team management, and operational oversight to ensure compliance with legal standards and the effective delivery of services. The role requires strong leadership skills to manage and support a team of legal advice supervisors and the ability to engage with and cultivate relationships with key stakeholders to secure funding and volunteer support.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

• Develop and implement strategic plans to enhance and expand legal advice services.
• Monitor and report on the progress of strategic initiatives and special projects.

Strategic Growth

• Develop and implement plans to expand the number of legal advice clinics.
• Cultivate relationships with law firms to secure pro-bono support and funding.
• Identify and pursue funding opportunities to sustain and grow services.

 Team Management:

• Line manage legal advice supervisors, ensuring they provide specialised, high-quality service delivery.
• Oversee recruitment, training, and development of the legal advice team.
• Conduct performance appraisals and address HR issues within the team.

 Operational Oversight:

• Ensure efficient and effective delivery of legal advice services.
• Develop and enforce operational policies and procedures.
• Ensure compliance with legal standards and regulatory requirements.

Partnership Building:

• Act as an ambassador for Toynbee Hall’s legal advice services, attending networking events, forums, and stakeholder meetings to enhance visibility and reputation.

Please download the full Job Description for more details.

Our Benefits Package

We believe in supporting our employees with a well-rounded benefits package designed to enhance work-life balance, financial security, and overall well-being.

Annual Leave

• 25 days of annual leave, plus 3 additional days for our Christmas shutdown (on top of bank holidays).
• After 2 years: +3 extra days of leave.
• After 3 years: +1 additional day.
• After 5 years: A total of 30 days annual leave, plus the 3-day Christmas shutdown.

Pension

• Standard Life Pension Scheme – Employer contribution: 4%, Employee contribution: 5%

Additional Perks & Support

• Enhanced Sick Pay for peace of mind during illness
• Employee Eyecare Vouchers to support your vision health
• Employee Assistance Programme for free, confidential advice and support
• Mental Health First Aid to ensure workplace well-being
• Tenancy Deposit Scheme to help secure your home
• Interest-Free Season Ticket Loan for cost-effective commuting
• Cycle to Work Scheme to promote a healthier, greener way to travel

We’re committed to creating a supportive and rewarding work environment, because when our team thrives, we all succeed!

About Toynbee Hall

Based in the East End of London since 1884, Toynbee Hall is a charity working alongside people facing poverty, injustice, and inequality to build a fairer East London. We provide vital advice and support, working in partnership to tackle unfairness and ensure everyone has an equal chance to thrive.

We have recently launched a new strategic plan which reinforces that our purpose is to build a fairer future with an end to poverty, injustice and inequality.

We work towards this by:

• Addressing poverty and injustice through advice and support and influencing systemic change.
• Shifting power to people and communities affected by injustice and inequality.
• Collaborating to end poverty and build fairer systems and institutions. What we want to see in the world starts with our community and our organisation.

This means:

• Working together to build a thriving local community where people have the resources they need, feel their voices are heard and are optimistic about the future.
• Being a good employer, where people are treated fairly, feel engaged and empowered, and work together to achieve our shared vision.
• Acknowledging the role Toynbee Hall has historically played in civic society while recognising that our role now is to shift power, to be an effective partner, and to amplify voices that are less likely to be heard.

What we learn from our work in east London we use to inform and influence wider policy – working to influence change in structures, systems and policies.