Job Description

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and support the development of an in-house Legal Affairs Team.



You will need to have a recognised legal qualification and current professional registration, combined with recent experience in the field of healthcare law, social care law, information governance law as well as clinical negligence.



You should be self-motivated and enthusiastic, with excellent written and verbal communication skills, an eye for accuracy and detail, and a desire to ensure high quality care and services to patients, staff and the public.



You will be responsible for providing legal advice and services to Trust staff across a wide range of matters, including supporting clinical teams in learning from claims and inquests, and contributing to other patient safety initiatives.



An ability to work with minimal supervision and manage day to day systems, processes and teams whilst managing a personal workload is essential.



In return we offer a market leading pension scheme, Flexible working patterns and flexible work locations as well as genuine work-life balance along with a host of benefits including salary sacrifice schemes for cars.



Main Duties/Responsibilities

Inquests:

1. Liaise with the Coroner's office and obtain reports/witness statements, identifying relevant clinicians following review of clinical records.

2. Identify and provide advice to the Trust Board on complex cases and those where there is potential for an adverse outcome.

3. Provide representation and advocacy in the Coroner's Court.

4. Provide appropriate support to Trust staff in relation to the Inquest process.

Legal Advice:

1. To provide professional in-house legal advice and services across a range of matters, but particularly in relation to medico-legal issues;

2. To provide professional in-house legal advice in relation to all matters pertaining to Mental Capacity Act 2005, especially serious medical treatment, deprivation of liberty, place of residence and care arrangements.

3. To provide advice to Trust's Mental Health Law Team on all matters related to application of Mental Health Act and related frameworks.

Litigation:

1. Assist in the management of litigation claims against the Trust for clinical negligence and employer and public liability claims, in accordance with pre-action protocols, civil procedure rules and NHS Resolution reporting requirements.

2. To undertake factual investigations of clinical negligence, public liability and employers' liability claims against the Trust in accordance with Trust policies and the requirements of NHS Resolution;



Please download the attached for the full list of duties



We're a Trust that's big enough to make an impact, but small enough to feel personal. We care deeply about our people - both those we support in the community and those who work with us. As our Trust Solicitor you'll play a key role in shaping our future, improving our culture, driving excellence, and helping us deliver compassionate, high-quality care every day.



This is your chance to make a lasting impact. To help us do our best for the Black Country, and for everyone who calls it home.



Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust provides specialist mental health, learning disability, and community healthcare services for the population of the Black Country. Across the whole of the region, we provide:



Adult and older adult mental health services Specialist learning disability services CAMHS

Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust was formed on 1 April 2020, after NHS England and NHS Improvement approved the merger of Black Country Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and Dudley and Walsall Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust.



Combining resources, strategies and talented workforce enables us to deliver a wider variety of outstanding services that are based on best practice and are continually improving.



As a public body, we are accountable to the people we serve. The Trust Board is responsible for determining the strategy and overall direction of the Trust in an open, honest, and transparent manner.



Please download the accompanying and Person Specification for the role prior to submitting your application.

Educational Responsibilities:

1. To assist in planning and delivering the Trust's programmes for teaching and professional development of staff relating to healthcare-related law generally, delivering lectures and leading seminars as required.

Analysis and Data Management:

1. Maintain accurate and up to date information on the legal database.

2. Ensure use of computers and computerised data conforms fully to legal requirements and Trust standards.

3. Assist in the analysis of trends identified from all activities undertaken by the Legal Affairs Team

4. Assist in the production of reports on activities undertaken by the Legal Affairs Team for various Trust Boards/Committees.

5. Analyse highly complex matters and alert the Associate Director for Safeguarding and Legal Affairs as appropriate of any rising trends and hotspots, suggesting viable optionsfor reduction and/or corrective action.

General:

1. Undertake any other duties commensurate with the grade as required by the Associate Director of Safeguarding and Legal Affairs.

2. To act in accordance with any delegated operational and financial authority, which can include incurring the cost of expert reports, instruction of barristers, court applications and requests for records.

3. Line management and supervision of junior qualified lawyers, pre-qualified lawyers (such as paralegals and trainee solicitors) and support staff as required.