Inquest Manager

Transformationunitgm; Blackpool; On-site; GBP 37,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading NHS foundation trust seeks an Inquest Manager to create a legal department currently 80% outsourced. The role entails managing inquests, ensuring compliance with legal standards, and improving patient safety through effective governance and collaboration with stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Educated to degree level or equivalent.
• Legal professional qualification at post-graduate level.
• Strong technical knowledge relevant to legal healthcare practice.

Responsibilities

• Manage a caseload of inquests and provide legal advice.
• Ensure compliance with Civil Procedure Rules and CRM regulations.
• Liaise with NHS Resolution and Coroner's Office.

Skills

Problem-solving

Interpersonal skills

Communication

Data analysis

Education

Degree level education or equivalent

Legal professional qualification at post-graduate level

Job description

Employer Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site Blackpool Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Town Blackpool Salary £37,338 - £44,962 pa Salary period Yearly Closing 08/07/2025 23:59 Interview date 28/07/2025

Inquest Manager

NHS AfC: Band 6

Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is situated on the west coast of Lancashire, with services covering the local authority areas of Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre. The Trust is part of the Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care System (ICS) supporting a population of around 1.6 million people.

We have three main hospitals providing acute services to around 330,000 local residents. The organisation also provides specialist tertiary care for cardiac and haematology services, delivers community health services to over 445,000 residents including those in North Lancashire and hosts the National Artificial Eye Service across England. Plus, we provide urgent and emergency care services to an estimated 18 million people who visit the seaside resort each year. We employ over 7000 people from 68 different countries.

We welcome and encourage application from anyone with protected characteristics, as well as supporting reservists and Veterans who are looking for a rewarding and challenging career within the NHS.

Blackpool Teaching Hospitals encourages flexible working in all our roles to support staff in maintaining healthy home-life balance. Working patterns such as: part time working, self-rostering, compressed hours, annualised hours, term time, reverse term time and flexitime working can be explored.

Job overview

The trust is looking for an Inquest Manager to create a fully established in-house legal department. The department is currently 80% outsourced and a new department is being developed.

The post holder will be responsible for supporting management of inquests from inception to conclusion.

The post holder will work closely with key internal and external stakeholders and identify areas of improvements in patient safety and governance for the benefit of patients and staff.

The post holder will be required to manage a case load of inquests and provide advice and guidance on Trust policies relevant to Coronial law and, where appropriate, on healthcare related legal matters or escalate as appropriate under the direction of the Legal Services Manager.
The post holder will ensure inquests are dealt with efficiently and appropriately and, where identified, patient safety learning lessons are learnt and shared with clinical governance colleagues for the benefit of future patients and staff.
The post holder is responsible for ensuring the Trust is compliant with Civil Procedure Rules (CPR) and HM Coroner Rules & Regulations.
The post holder will liaise with NHS Resolution (NHSR), HM Coroner and their officers, police and external solicitors instructed to represent the Trust and/or panel solicitors.
The post holder will also provide cross cover in the absence of the Claims Officer.

Please note that the proposed interview date may change.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will be required to manage a case load of inquests and provide advice and guidance on Trust policies relevant to Coronial law and, where appropriate, on healthcare related legal matters or escalate as appropriate under the direction of the Legal Services Manager.
The post holder will ensure inquests are dealt with efficiently and appropriately and, where identified, patient safety learning lessons are learnt and shared with clinical governance colleagues for the benefit of future patients and staff.
The post holder is responsible for ensuring the Trust is compliant with Civil Procedure Rules (CPR) and HM Coroner Rules & Regulations.
The post holder will liaise with NHS Resolution (NHSR), HM Coroner and their officers, police and external solicitors instructed to represent the Trust and/or panel solicitors.
The post holder will also provide cross cover in the absence of the Claims Officer.

Working for our organisation

Vision - to improve the lives of people who live, work and volunteer on the Fylde Coast and beyond.

Values - The Trust’s values "Caring, Safe and Respectful" help to represent the culture of the Trust and to communicate who the Trust is and how they do things. They also play an important part in encouraging people to come and work and be part of the Trust themselves.

In January 2022 we invited staff, patients, carers, the local community, and key partners to be involved in the development of our 2022-2027 strategy.

Following this engagement, we developed the strategy to clearly indicate our vision - to improve the lives of people who live, work and volunteer on the Fylde Coast and beyond. The approach we took to do this was key and shows that we are committed to listening to our staff and actively engaging patients in how we deliver safe, effective, sustainable care for everyone, every day.

Together, our engagement community told us what’s important to them:

• Being an employer of choice.
• Recruiting and retaining staff, especially from local areas.
• Growing excellence through training, education, research and innovation.
• Health promotion and prevention.
• Improving our impact on the environment.
• Creating safe, healthy environments to work and receive care in.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The post holder will be required to manage a case load of inquests and provide advice
and guidance on Trust policies relevant to Coronial law and, where appropriate, on healthcare related legal matters or escalate as appropriate under the direction of the Legal Services Manager.
The post holder will ensure inquests are dealt with efficiently and appropriately and, where identified, patient safety learning lessons are learnt and shared with clinical governance colleagues for the benefit of future patients and staff.
The post holder is responsible for ensuring the Trust is compliant with Civil Procedure Rules (CPR) and HM Coroner Rules & Regulations.
The post holder will liaise with NHS Resolution (NHSR), HM Coroner and their officers, police and external solicitors instructed to represent the Trust and/or panel solicitors.
The post holder will also provide cross cover in the absence of the Claims Officer.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
• To manage and coordinate a caseload of all inquests in accordance with Civil Procedure Rules.
• To manage a portfolio of Inquest cases in compliance with Trust internal
process and the requirements of the relevant HM Coroner and Coronial law.
• Liaising closely with the Bereavement/Medical Examiner Office (internal) and Coroner’s Office to facilitate full engagement with the Coronial process including obtaining relevant reports and witness statements, identifying relevant clinicians through review of relevant medical records. Ensure the Trust complies with its duties as set out in relevant legislation, Coronial Rules and Practice Directions.
• Reviewing all relevant reports and witness evidence and escalating as
necessary to the Legal Services Manager and Senior Clinical Management team as appropriate.
• Ensure the smooth organisation of complex inquests involving all relevant Trust departments including risk, patient services and communications. Considering and facilitating when appropriate the instruction of external legal advice/representation following consultation with the Legal Services Manager
• To escalate any concerns arising from your investigation to the Legal Services Manager which may identify risk of an adverse outcome/public interest and/or require further investigation through the investigations team. To liaise with the Clinical Governance team and appropriate divisional colleagues to ensure remedial actions are properly identified, implemented and monitored.
• Providing in-house support and guidance for Trust staff attending inquests.
• Contribute to the formulation and revision of policies and procedures.
• To closely review cases to identify and escalate risk issues arising from their investigation
• To provide specialist legal advice in relation to the clinical care of
patients/clients, liaising directly with the treating medical and nursing teams thereby contributing directly to patient care. Advising medical/nursing staff with regard to issues affecting patient care and general health care such as the law relating to consent, capacity, best interests (non-exhaustive) as appropriate and escalating complex issues as appropriate to the Legal Services Manager with the aim of contributing to and informing treatment plans and clinical decisions regarding ongoing care.
• To liaise with the PALS/complaints team on complex or contentious complaints cases as necessary where there is the potential for subsequent litigation or where a legal opinion is required.
• To assist in the monitoring of incidents to identify and act on Trust-wide risk issues arising from their investigation and proceeding with a focus on identifying aspects of learning and patient safety improvement
• The post holder may deputise for the Legal Services Manager as required and directed.
• The post holder will be responsible to cross for the Claims Officer in their absence.

Person specification

Education and Qualification

• Educated to Degree level or equivalent or relevant experience
• Legal professional qualification at post-graduate level

Education and Qualification

• Educated to Degree level or equivalent or relevant experience
• Legal professional qualification at post-graduate level

Experience and Knowledge

• Proven ability to work to tight deadlines
• Able to demonstrate a clear understanding of CPR, the claims process and HMC Rules & Regulations
• Strong technical knowledge in areas relevant to legal healthcare practice
• Good understanding of the principles of investigation management, root cause analysis techniques and Clinical Governance
• Previous clinical negligence/employer/public liability claims experience
• Experience of quality management processes and quality improvement methodologies.

Skills and Ability

• Strong problem-solving ability and capacity to recognise alternative solutions where necessary
• Ability to interpret national policy and guidance, identify local implications and apply implementation to a local setting
• Critical appraisal of wide-ranging documents to facilitate assessment of risk and to ensure appropriate and sensitive communication/management of claims/inquests
• Critical appraisal of wide-ranging documents to facilitate assessment of risk and to ensure appropriate and sensitive communication/management of claims/inquests
• Ability to manage, prioritise and deliver a number of projects and work programmes within timescales
• Ability to work well under pressure
• Good standard of computer literacy including word processing, spreadsheets and databases
• Competent with gathering, collating and analysing data and information from a variety of sources effectively
• Data manipulation including identification, accessing and downloading of data, design set up and development of data entry systems including automation as appropriate
• Makes clear recommendations indicating benefits/consequences and identify risks
• Analyses and uses complex information from a variety of sources and formats and undertakes information analysis
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Good communicator at all levels
• Experience of drafting letters and technical reports with clarity and awareness. Excellent writing skills. Ability to prepare written material presenting complex matters in a logical way using the appropriate style, content, and language for the audience
• Communicate clearly with appropriate groups. Information is clear, concise, and accurate and given in a helpful and professional manner. Express opinions confidently and constructively
• Clear ability to listen and absorb complex information.
• Ability to lead and supervise teams and work in a collegiate manner where necessary
• Ability to implement decisions
• Displays a high standard of personal integrity
• Actively seeks ways to improve efficiency and effectiveness of own performance
• Self-motivated and able to work with minimal management
• Flexible and adaptable to changing workloads/priorities
• Experience of trends analysis
• Ability to assess and advise on the appropriateness and suitability of investigation techniques and standards

Any invitation to interview will be sent to the email account stated on your application form.

If the role you have applied for requires a Disclosure and Barring Services (DBS) check we will administer this as part of your pre-employment checks. Please note, you will be required to repay the cost on appointment. This will be collected via a salary deduction. You can choose whether to pay this over 1-3 months from your salary or as a one-off payment on commencement in post. The level of check required depends on the role that you have been offered. Currently the charges are - Basic DBS check £25.50, Standard DBS check £25.50 and Enhanced DBS check £53.50.

You are encouraged where possible, to register for the DBS update service. This is an annual registration fee of £16. By registering for the update service you will not have the additional cost of repeated disclosures.

Should you withdraw your application, you may be required to reimburse the cost of the DBS check.

DBS checks remain free of charge for volunteer positions.

By submitting an application for this vacancy you are confirming your agreement to the above in the event you are successfully appointed.

The DBS Code of Practice can be accessedhere .

Please ensure that you read the Person Specification attached below as your application will be judged against this.

Please note that every effort will be made to keep the vacancy live until published closing date, though there may be instances where such interest is generated, that for administrative reasons the post may close earlier.

Please note that in line with national NHS guidelines this Trust operates a strict non-smoking policy. Members of staff are not permitted to smoke on Trust premises or grounds at any time nor take breaks during working hours for the purposes of smoking.

The Trust does not offer interview expenses to shortlisted candidates unless indicated in the advert.

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