Legal Services - Our Vision &
Values
Vision:
To provide an efficient and cost effective Legal Service to
the Council, it’s Members and Senior Officers. To look to the
future, anticipate client needs and explore new
opportunities
Values:
- Client Centred: We
will deliver high levels of service and build strong relationships
with our clients
- Team work: We
will act as one unit, recognising the different important
contributions we all make
- Mutual
Respect: We will treat everyone with respect, fairness and
courtesy
- Accountability: We
will take responsibility for problems and strive to find
solutions
-
Continuous: We will embrace change and
challenge the status quo
- Improvement:
Seek to find better ways of doing things
Overview
The overall aim of Legal Services is to
provide a full Legal Service to the Council and the legal services
required by those other bodies to whom it provides services under
service level agreements or other arrangements.
There are a number of ways in which we
aim to achieve this overall aim.
- Advising and supporting members, senior officers and their
staff and various council bodies and panels on all legal and
related matters.
- Providing advocacy services to ensure that the Council is
appropriately represented in the various levels of courts and
tribunals.
- Proactively advising our clients on developments in the law and
assisting them with preparing for any consequential effects on
their services.
- In the case of clients other than the Council itself providing
the legal services stipulated in the Service Level Agreements or
other arrangements with these clients.
Legal Services is headed by Andy Thom, Chief Legal
Officer
Tel: 01670 623294
Fax: 01670 626030
E-mail: Legal.Services@northumberland.gov.uk
Legal Services consists of four
teams. Details of these teams and what services they provide
can be found by selecting the team from the list below.
Children and Adult Services Team
Corporate Governance Team
Public Protection and Development
Management Team
Local Services Team
Each of these teams is supported by a group of
Administrative Staff. The support they provide depends on
which team they have been assigned to.
Accreditation
Legal Services is proud to say that, since June 2002, we have
achieved Lexcel Accreditation every year with very few
non-compliances.
The Law Society introduced the Lexcel Standard for private and
Local Government legal practices to identify those who demonstrate
an extremely high level of management.
Legal Services are now working towards the "New Version 5" of
Lexcel in preperation for our annual assessment in June
2012.
For more information on Lexcel Accreditation, please visit the
Law
Society website
News
Northumberland's
legal team sign up to Diversity and Inclusion Charter
- (PDF) - 07/12/2011
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NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY COUNCIL DOES NOT PROVIDE LEGAL ADVICE TO
MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC. SHOULD YOU REQUIRE SUCH ADVICE YOU CAN
CONTACT AN EXTERNAL SOLICITORS OFFICE
