Deputy Mental Health Law Officer

NHS; Chorley; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust (LSCFT) is seeking a Deputy Mental Health Law Officer to support the Mental Health Law Administrator in implementing the Mental Health Act and ensuring policy compliance.

You will work with clinicians and external bodies, coordinating systems, maintaining documentation, and acting with professionalism across sites as needed. Full training provided; strong organisational and communication skills essential.

Qualifications

• Level 4 NVQ Diploma in Business and Administration or equivalent.
• Significant clerical/administrative experience.
• Experience of supervision/management.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate, develop and maintain systems to ensure compliance with the Mental Health Act 1983 and related legislation.
• Liaise with the Mental Health Tribunal, Care Quality Commission and external agencies.
• Support the Mental Health Law Administrator with implementation of the Mental Health Act and monitoring compliance.
• Be flexible to cover at other sites as required.

Skills

Analytical thinking

Discretion

Documentation

Education

NVQ Level 4 in Business & Administration

Job description

Our Vision is to provide the best mental health, learning disability, autism, community, and physical health services for the populations we serve.

As an integrated Trust, Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust (LSCFT) delivers a comprehensive range of services, including:

• Primary and secondary mental health care for children and adults, including specialist inpatient child and adolescent mental health provision, perinatal mental health, and forensic services with low and medium secure care.
• Specialist mental health inpatient care for individuals with learning disabilities, alongside specialist community support for children and adults with learning disabilities and autism, including intensive support.
• Extensive community physical health and well-being services for children and adults, covering prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and long-term condition management.

The Trust was first established in 2002 and employs approximately 7,500 staff who provide care from more than 400 sites. The organisation offers opportunities for medics, mental health, general nurses, children’s nurses, allied health professionals, psychology, administration and clerical staff, apprentices and volunteers, as well as those specialising in learning disabilities and community physical health services.

An exciting opportunity has arisen within the Mental Health Law office for an efficient, organised and assertive Deputy Mental Health Law Officer.

The post holder will support the Mental Health Law Administrator with the implementation of the Mental Health Act and monitoring compliance. You should have a good working knowledge of Mental Health Law administration, although full training will be given. Additionally, you should be a team player but also able to work on your own initiative when necessary and be flexible as cover is required at other sites.

Main duties of the job

The post holder is expected to co-ordinate, develop and maintain systems, to ensure effective compliance with the Mental Health Act 1983, Code of Practice and other associated legislation, guidance and procedures in accordance with Trust Policy and Practice.

The post holder will be required to work closely with clinicians, other professionals within the Service. Liaise with the Mental Health Tribunal, Care Quality Commission, Associate Managers, Ministry of Justice and other external agencies.

Working for our organisation

LSCFT values diversity and inclusion, recognising that talent from varied backgrounds creates a flexible, creative, and effective workforce. We actively challenge discrimination and welcome applications from all, regardless of age, disability (including those with experience of accessing or caring for someone who has accessed mental health or learning disability services), ethnicity, gender, religion, belief, or sexual orientation.

Our aim is to reflect the communities we serve, so we particularly encourage applications from under‑represented groups. If you’d like to discuss your application, please ask.

We also welcome individuals with lived experience relevant to the role or service area, as your insight brings authenticity to our services.

LSCFT support flexible working, we believe that a positive work/life balance benefits NHS employees through improved health and wellbeing. We would consider working patterns such as term time, part time, compressed hours and flexi‑time.

The wellbeing of our people is at the heart of everything we do. We offer a wide range of resources, tools and support to help you thrive both in and out of work.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

For more information regarding this opportunity, please see the attached job description and person specification.

Person specification

Education

• Level 4 NVQ Diploma in Business and Administration, or equivalent
• Significant clerical /administrative experience
• Experience of Supervison / management

Knowledge

• Knowledge of the Mental Health Act 1983 and Code of Practice
• Knowledge of changes in case law

Experience

• Analyse and problem solve
• Demonstrate ability in dealing sympathetically and sensitively with people and maintain confidentiality
• Proven ability to produce well presented, clear and accurate documents

You are advised to consider applying for LSCFT vacancies as soon as possible as in some instances vacancies are closed as soon as a sufficient number of applications have been received. If you are not invited to interview within four weeks of the closing date then please assume that on this occasion you have been unsuccessful, as it is not possible to contact all unsuccessful candidates.

Please note that further communication from LSCFT will normally be to the email address given on the application form. You should also ensure that email addresses and telephone numbers are provided for your referees, to enable LSCFT to contact them.

Please ensure that you read the person specification as your application will be measured against this document.

If you use AI to assist with your application, you must declare this. Undeclared use may result in withdrawal. Please ensure your application reflects your own skills and experiences. While AI tools can assist, they may produce generic or inaccurate content. We encourage you to provide personal examples that demonstrate how you meet the essential criteria.

For all posts which require a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check please be aware of the Disclosure and Barring Service Code of Practice, a copy of which is available by logging on to the DBS website. If the post is subject to DBS disclosure, a charge will be made to the successful candidate(s).

Employer certification / accreditation badges

The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.