Manchester City Council

Work, jobs, training and advice Legal Services, Work Placements Scheme

Placements in the combined Legal Services of Manchester and Salford

Aims and Objectives

The combined Legal Services Division is a large in-house practice providing legal advice and representation to all Council Departments, for Manchester City Council, Salford City Council and Rochdale Council through an integrated system and shared services.

The Division deals with a diverse range of legal work for both City Councils and Rochdale and for a range of external bodies. The Division is split into three groups: Regeneration, Neighbourhood Services and Children's Services, along with the Democratic Services Team.

Our mission statement is to be the first choice provider of legal services to both City Councils.

The combined Legal Services Division is committed to supporting and promoting high quality placements for Students.

Our aims for the placement are:

  • To give the applicant an understanding of how a busy legal practice operates.
  • To demonstrate how we provide a high quality legal service, within a local government setting.
  • To promote interest in the work of local government lawyers.

Application Criteria

  1. Priority for a work placement will be given to applicants who either, live and/or work within the Manchester and Salford Local Authority boundary and/or attend a Manchester or Salford, College or University.
  2. Must be currently studying law.
  3. Applicants must be 18 years of age or over (Please note: If you are looking at a placement within Children's Services then you must be at least a third year law student.)
  4. Applicants must not have been subject to any legal proceedings by either Council.

Application Process

  • Applications must be received no later than 4pm on 30 January 2026.
  • All applicants will be contacted to let them know the outcome of their application, and the successful applicants will be provided with a contact within the Legal Department with whom the placement will be arranged.
  • Placements will take place for 5 days during mid June to mid July 2026.
  • There is a maximum of 6 places available for placement.
  • Applicants will be based in two or a maximum of three departments during the placement and must indicate on the application form the preference for which department they would like to be placed in. If this information is not provided then the application may not be successful. (See list of Departments for areas of Law covered by each)
  • A placement programme will be developed with the successful applicants which will set out the teams that the applicant will be based in, the work that they will cover and what skills will be developed during the placement.
  • Once the placement has taken place then the Applicant will be provided with feedback on the success of their placement and will also provide the Council with feedback for future development of the placement scheme.
  • Applicants do not get paid, as work placements are aimed at providing work experience, and allowing students to sample as wide a range of tasks as possible, whilst under the supervision of experienced staff.
  • All Applicants will be expected to work the normal working hours of the City Council.
  • Applicants will be expected to provide their own lunch.
  • The applicant's dress and appearance must meet our customer care standards.
  • All students on placement are insured, just as all other employees of the Council. However, applicants still have a responsibility for behaving in a sensible and safe manner.

Application Form

  • All Applicants must complete the Legal Services Work Placement Application, which can be obtained by emailing legalworkplacements@manchester.gov.uk.
  • All sections of the Application must be completed providing as much detail as possible.
  • CVs can be attached in support of the application.
  • For assistance in the completing section 5 the areas of law that are covered by the division are as follows:

Community Services
The Community Team offers comprehensive legal services across a broad range of issues and departments. Whilst its primary focus is on supporting the Adult Social Care departments of Manchester City Council, Salford City Council, and Rochdale Borough Council, the team's expertise extends beyond these areas and it provides guidance and support to various other public bodies and sectors. The main areas of work covered by the team include:

  • Adult social care including the Care Act 2014. 
  • Mental capacity and the Mental Capacity Act 2005. 
  • Mental health and the Mental Health Act 1983, providing advice to mental health professionals. 
  • Other significant areas of work include: (i) Forced Marriage Protection Orders; (ii) inquests; (iii) public law principles and threats or claims for judicial review; (iv) advice about duties owed to people with "no recourse to public funds"; (v) advice to over 200 Manchester and Salford schools; and (vi) advice about Special Education Needs (SEN) and education generally.
  • Court proceedings - dealing with applications in the following courts: (i) Court of Protection (ii) County Court (iii) Administrative Court (iv) SENDIST (v) Family Court  (vi) Coroner's Court (vii) High Court

Spending time with the Community Team therefore offers an opportunity to engage with a diverse array of issues. You’ll gain experience across multiple sectors, ensuring an engaging and rewarding placement that broadens your professional horizons.

Employment
The Team provide legal advice and representation for Manchester City Council in relation to the following aspects of employment law:

  • Disciplinary and grievance procedures
  • Equal pay
  • Discrimination
  • TUPE
  • Employment tribunals
  • Employment contracts
  • Redeployment
  • Dismissals

Housing and Neighbour Nuisance
The Team provide legal advice and representation in relation to:

  • Housing
  • Homelessness and housing allocation
  • Boundary disputes
  • HMO licensing
  • Selective licensing
  • Private sector licensing
  • Tenancy enforcement
  • Anti-social behaviour injunctions and orders
  • Access injunctions
  • Estate management injunctions

Civil Litigation
The Civil Litigation Team offers advice and represents the Council in Civil work in both the County Court and High Court. The team also takes part in different forms of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) including mediation and Joint Settlement meetings (JSM). The area of work covered include:

  • public and employer's liability,
  • motor vehicle,
  • contract disputes,
  • Historic child exploitation
  • professional negligence,
  • nuisance
  • industrial disease claims
  • highway tripping claims
  • road traffic claims
  • Subsidence Claim
  • the recovery of debts due to the Council
  • Actions for repossession of commercial premises and Council Land
  • renewal of business tenancies
  • Property Litigation

The team acts on behalf of all departments within Manchester City Council and also matters that are referred by Salford City Council.

Regulatory and Enforcement
Regulatory and Enforcement Services (Legal) provide legal advice and representation in a wide range of areas including:

  • Environmental
  • Health and Safety at Work
  • Food Safety
  • Waste
  • Statutory Nuisance
  • Consumer Protection
  • Trade Marks
  • Trade Descriptions
  • Animal Welfare
  • Building Legislation
  • Planning Enforcement
  • Licensing Act 2003, licences etc
  • Taxi Licensing
  • Gambling
  • Street Trading
  • Collections
  • Markets

We also act as legal advisers to the Licensing and Appeals Committee and to the committees established under the Licensing Act 2003.

Democratic Services Legal Team 
The Team forms part of the Governance Group within the Legal and Democratic Services Department and provides legal advice and support in relation to: 

  • Local Government Law;
  • Constitutional matters and decision making;
  • Information governance matters including data protection, Freedom of Information, the Environmental Information Regulations and RIPA;
  • Election Law;
  • Members' Standards matters including complaints alleging breaches of the Council’s Code of Conduct for Members.

Commercial Team
The team acts on behalf of the Council in the delivery of major projects within the City. Examples of projects that the team has been involved in include:

  • The creation of This City company, building new homes
  • GM Brownfield Land Fund grants facilitating thousands of new homes
  • Homes England and DLUHC grants facilitating delivery of new affordable homes, social homes, homes for homeless across Manchester and GM
  • Supporting commercial and construction considerations for large scale affordable housing scheme developments including Collyhurst and Victoria North Northern Gateway
  • Campfields Grant for Tech Hub
  • UK SPF Grant for the Generator - SME space in THX
  • Creation of the Digital Innovation and Security Hub, Heron House
  • Skills Bootcamps Grants
  • NEET Grants
  • 5G Connectivity

Culture and heritage projects:

  • Town Hall and Albert Square Refurbishment
  • Construction of Aviva Studios
  • Supporting creation of new public spaces including Mayfield Park (first new public park in Manchester since 1926), Central Retail Park and Ancoats Green
  • Heaton Hall orangery
  • Chanel catwalk
  • MTV Music Awards
  • Live from Wythenshawe Park
  • WOMEX (Worldwide Music Expo)
  • Co-Op Live Arena
  • Manchester Bee licensing and enforcement – fundraising for We Love Manchester via third parties (including football clubs, retail) using the worker bee emblem.

Wellbeing and Sustainability:

  • Integration of Health and Social care services throughout Manchester and across GM, collaboration with NHS, charities, mental health bodies and care providers
  • Bus franchising
  • Social Housing and Public Sector Decarbonisation
  • Ancoats Mobility Hub

Procurement, Contracts and Agreements

The team acts on behalf of the Council in connection with all issues arising in connection with the procurement of strategic service partnerships and advising all Council departments on the procurement of goods, works, services and supplies, and drafting of contracts and agreements, as well as grant funding agreements and subsidy control.

Physical Infrastructure

  • The team provides legal services to various Departments and development bodies involved in planning, valuation, development and regeneration. Their main areas of work include advice on regulatory planning matters, compulsory purchase and compensation, section 106 agreements, enforcement, statutory notices and special controls such as listed building and tree preservation orders.
  • The team deals with all highway and traffic related legal advice, drafting and representation (excluding highway related claims against the Council). Their main areas of work include highway adoptions, the prosecution of highways related offences, the creation, diversion or stopping up of highways, Traffic Regulation Orders and highway licences.
     

Property
The Property Section provides legal advice on property based issues, undertakes the making of compulsory purchase orders and also undertakes all City Council related property transactions.
The section covers the following areas of work:

  • Compulsory Purchase Orders;
  • Compensation Payments in relation to properties in Compulsory Purchase Orders the Voluntary Registration of Title to the Council's Land Holdings
  • the Closure of Scheme Titles, Large Scale Voluntary Transfers of Council Housing Estates
  • Development Leases
  • the Purchase of Property by Agreement
  • General Property Transactions.
  • Completion of Property Documentation relating to Manchester Airport
  • Termination of Business Tenancies: Leasehold Reform Act Notices
  • Property Matters relating to Special Projects and Strategic Initiatives
  • Development Agreements
  • Enforced Sales
  • The Sale and Acquisition of Property in North and East Manchester under the English
  • Partnership Scheme and New East Manchester Commercial Acquisitions)
  • Right to Buy Sales (including Sales on behalf of Eastlands Homes Partnership Limited)
  • Home Loans
  • Industrial Grants
  • Property Documentation relating to the St. John's Gardens Estate
  • Social Services Charges
  • Pleasure Fair Licences
  • Transfer of School Sites
  • Development Agreements
  • General Property Transactions

Children's Services (Only open to third year law students)
The Child Care Team provides legal advice and representation in the following areas.

  • Care and Supervision Orders
  • Emergency Protection
  • Secure Accommodation
  • Residence and Contact Orders
  • Local Authority Support for Children and Families
  • Adoption and Fostering
  • Private proceedings with local authority involvement
  • Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme
  • Advice to the Local Safeguarding Children Board
  • Multi Agency working
  • Support with formulation of policies and procedures
  • Public Interest Immunity

If you are interested in this area of law please note the additional requirement of being a third year law student for a placement within this team.

Additional Information

  • The placement does not cover administrative based placements.
  • All applicants must understand the confidential and sensitive nature of the work undertaken within the Division. Students will be required to confirm that they understand that any information they become aware of during the placement must be treated in confidence. All applicants will be asked to sign a confidentiality statement.
  • Once the application form has been completed, they will be determined by the Workforce Development Group as set out above.
    The completed application form should be emailed to: legalworkplacements@manchester.gov.uk with the Subject of: WORK PLACEMENT APPLICATION.

If you have any questions please email: legalworkplacements@manchester.gov.uk