Legal Services Manager

Job overview

The Trust is seeking an experienced qualified solicitor who can manage this busy and developing legal department. The team is undergoing a restructure and the Legal Services Manager will be responsible for overseeing this, and ensuring a smooth transition from an 80% out sourced service to a fully resourced in-house team. This is an exciting opportunity for someone who wants experience in setting up a department, implementing streamline processes and building good relationships.

The department manages all healthcare law related matters and the successful applicant will need to have sound knowledge of an NHS legal setting and be experienced in working cohesively with key internal stakeholders (executives, staff and governance departments) and external stakeholders (NHS Resolution, panel, coroners).

In addition to managing the transition to an in house team, the post holder will be expected to conduct advocacy at straight-forward inquests, independently advise the trust on healthcare law related matters (e.g. consent, court of protection matters), and effectively oversee clinical negligence and non-clinical claims in conjunction with panel and NHSR.

Triangulation of working with complaints and the patient safety/governance teams is essential, and the successful applicant will be expected to drive this forward to ensure cohesive working and early identification of incidents that may also have a legal element.

Main duties of the job

Reporting to the Deputy Director of Quality Governance this post forms part of the Legal Services team to support the delivery of the Trust’s vision to ensure the delivery of safe, effective, and high-quality services, that ensure the people who use our services, their families, carers and visitors receive a positive experience. The post holder will be responsible for: • Providing efficient and effective legal services to minimise clinical, financial, operational, and legal risks, including inquests, clinical claims, court of protection and all aspects of clinical legal advice, training, and support. • Attending court on behalf of the Trust. • Establishing processes and procedures that meet the Trust’s statutory  obligations and leading the management of healthcare legal services relating to clinical negligence, employer’s liability, personal injury, and coroner related work, contributing to and implementing policies. • Facilitating a culture that improves quality through leading from legal issues, including Get It Right First Time (GIRFT) guidance on learning from claims, whilst ensuring we act in line with Government Legislation, Regulations, Policy Guidance, and good practice. • Ensuring the timely and effective collation of information required for claims, litigation and coroners’ inquests ensuring all internal due diligence is completed.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Reporting to the Deputy Director of Quality Governance this post forms part of the Legal Services team to support the delivery of the Trust’s vision to ensure the delivery of safe, effective, and high-quality services, that ensure the people who use our services, their families, carers and visitors receive a positive experience. The post holder will be responsible for: • Providing efficient and effective legal services to minimise clinical, financial, operational, and legal risks, including inquests, clinical claims, court of protection and all aspects of clinical legal advice, training, and support. • Attending court on behalf of the Trust. • Establishing processes and procedures that meet the Trust’s statutory  obligations and leading the management of healthcare legal services relating to clinical negligence, employer’s liability, personal injury, and coroner related work, contributing to and implementing policies. • Facilitating a culture that improves quality through leading from legal issues, including Get It Right First Time (GIRFT) guidance on learning from claims, whilst ensuring we act in line with Government Legislation, Regulations, Policy Guidance, and good practice. • Ensuring the timely and effective collation of information required for claims, litigation and coroners’ inquests ensuring all internal due diligence is completed.