Job Description

East Suffolk Council, Melton (IP12 1RT) or Lowestoft (NR33 OEQ) (dependent on candidate preference)

Year 1 - 16,340 per annum, Year 2 - 22,070 per annum (NLW)

37 hours per week

21-month training contract

Start date - 15

th

September 2025

East Suffolk Council is an exciting place to work and a great place to make a real difference to people's lives, delivering vital services to a quarter of a million people across East Suffolk.



We have an established and successful apprenticeship scheme, which has seen over 80% of apprentices stay on beyond their apprenticeships to develop promising careers with the Council. If you are looking for an exciting opportunity where you can earn money as well as gaining experience and a recognised qualification, then look no further!



A unique opportunity has arisen for an enthusiastic apprentice to join East Suffolk Council as an

Apprentice Paralegal

in our Legal Team.

Your role

You will support the Lawyers in drafting and producing legal documents, assisting with client files, research, communicating with clients and managing data/records. You will also get the opportunity to assist with preparing court bundles and on occasion, attend court with a Lawyer to take notes.


This role will also include general administrative support duties in the legal team including handling telephone calls, scanning, booking meeting rooms, ordering stationary and typing documents.

You will need:

You will need to have excellent interpersonal skills, an aptitude for ICT and be educated to A-level standard or equivalent. You will also have English and Maths GCSEs at Grades 4 -9 or Grade C and above (or equivalent). No previous experience is required, as full training will be provided, however a passion to be a positive and professional ambassador for the council and provide the best experience for our customers is a must.

Apprenticeship open evening!

We are pleased to announce that we will be holding two open evenings at our Melton and Lowestoft offices. This will give you the opportunity to find out more about East Suffolk Council's apprenticeship scheme, learn more about each of our available opportunities direct from the placement managers and ask any questions you have. The open evenings are taking place on the following dates -


Tuesday 13th May 2025, 5.30pm - 7.00pm at the East Suffolk House offices (Riduna Park, Station Road, Melton, Woodbridge IP12 1RT) Wednesday 21st May 2025, 5.30pm - 7.00pm at the Riverside Offices (4 Canning Road, Lowestoft, NR33 0EQ)

Please email HR@eastsuffolk.gov.uk to book your place at one of our open evenings.

Why work for us?

East Suffolk Council is a great place to work and there are lots of benefits our employees can access. To find out more about why we are so proud of East Suffolk Council,

take a look at our video and hear why our employees think it is such a great place to work

.



Our apprentices have worked together to create a video to tell you a little bit about their experience of being an apprentice at East Suffolk Council, which we hope you find insightful.

Here are some of the main benefits:

A fully funded and supported Level 3 Paralegal apprenticeship qualification. Generous holiday entitlement (equivalent to 25 days a year, increasing to 31 days after 5 years' service, plus bank holidays) Flexible working arrangements Local government pension scheme The opportunity to meet and work alongside other apprentices in the organisation. Great training and development opportunities to add to your CV. A wide variety of staff support networks including access to health and wellbeing initiatives and programmes. Discounts on mobile phones, computers, holiday and travel, fashion and clothing, health and beauty and many other products and services.

Please see our benefits brochure for further information

.

For an informal discussion regarding this post, please contact Jo Hooley on 07385 953520 or email HR@eastsuffolk.gov.uk.


If you think you could bring enthusiasm, fresh ideas and a different perspective to East Suffolk Council, we would like to hear from you!

Closing date:

11:30pm on 16 June 2025

Interview date:

w/c 7 July 2025

How to apply

Step 1 -

Read the advert and the

and Person Specification

.

Step 2 -

Complete the

Supporting Statement template (docx)

. Your statement needs to indicate how you meet each of the criteria contained within the Person Specification. Please use the template provided (other formats will not be accepted).

Step 3 -

Complete the online application and upload your statement. Please note, CV's are not accepted.
For more information, check out the

How to Apply section of our Career Site (suffolkjobsdirect.org)

.
East Suffolk Council is an exciting place to work and a great place to make a real difference to people's lives, delivering vital services to a quarter of a million people across East Suffolk.



We hugely value our staff and know that in order for us to remain successful, it is essential for us to recognise talented employees, developing and retaining them within the organisation. We are therefore committed to investing in our staff and providing first-class support to ensure a positive culture and rewarding careers.



To find out more about why we are so proud of East Suffolk Council and to hear why our employees think it is such a great place to work, take a look at our video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSWedQksWt0