Legal Services Co-ordinator

Barnet Enfield and Haringey Mental Health NHS Trust; Greater London; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A key NHS Trust is seeking a Legal Service Co-ordinator to manage litigation functions and provide legal advice across the organisation. The role involves overseeing medico-legal claims, inquests, and ensuring compliance with NHS protocols. Candidates should possess a degree and a Master's in Healthcare Law along with extensive NHS legal experience. This position offers the opportunity to contribute to a collaborative environment focused on patient care and employee support, with various employee benefits, including flexible working arrangements.

Benefits

Flexible working

Health and wellbeing initiatives

NHS Pension

Generous Annual Leave Allowance

NHS Discounts

Qualifications

• Extensive experience as a Legal Services Manager in the NHS or similar.
• Detailed understanding of NHS Resolution and claims management.
• Good understanding of NHS-related legislation.

Responsibilities

• Lead on managing complex litigation claims against the organisation.
• Ensure systems for recording and reporting claims and inquests.
• Provide guidance to staff on sensitive legal matters.

Skills

Engages with peers

Effective organisation skills

Discretion regarding sensitive issues

Highly motivated

Education

Educated to degree level

Masters in Healthcare Law

Job description

Job overview

The Legal Service Co-ordinator is a key member of the corporate Legal Services team.

The post holder will be responsible for leading the litigation function within the Trust, including all aspects of medico-legal and personal liability claims investigation, management and resolution. They will manage support the management of inquest cases in a timely and efficient manner and provide general legal advice to staff across the Partnership, and advice on complex, sensitive contentious information to senior colleagues.

Main duties of the job

To lead on the management of complex litigation claims (clinical negligence, employer liability and public liability) against the organisation in accordance with relevant pre-action protocols, civil procedure rules and NHSR reporting requirements, performing all functions as required.

To ensure that there are structured systems in place for recording and reporting on claims and inquests. To analyse claims to identify trends and risk management issues. To support the Legal Services Managers in matters as they arise.

To support staff involved in claims and to assist in the provision of witness statements.

To monitor and keep under review the development of litigation and inquest cases, agree action plans and identify risk management issues arising from them and ensure information is fed back to the appropriate committees.

To support the Legal Services Managers on the management of inquests including attendance at inquest hearings as required.

To liaise with the Coroner’s office and obtain reports and witness statements from clinical staff for inquest cases in a timely manner.

To provide support to staff involved in inquests and to provide advice on writing witness statements.

To provide guidance and advice to clinical staff on the provision of reports as required by the Court of Protection.

Working for our organisation

The partnership between Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health NHS Trust (BEH) and Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust (C&I) is going from strength to strength since it was originally established in 2021 forming the North London Mental Health Partnership.

Why choose to join the Partnership?

• We believe that by working together, our two Trusts can achieve more for the residents of North Central London and our patients than we can by working apart.
• Deliver the best care using the most up-to-date practise in supporting those with mental health illnesses.
• Transforming and creating a positive environment for our service users, staff and visitors.
• Creating and working together to become a great place to work for all our staff.
• We offer flexible working, a wide range of health and wellbeing initiatives, NHS Pension and so much more.
• Generous Annual Leave Allowance
• NHS Discounts in a large variety of retail stores and services.
• We have excellent internal staff network support groups.

The postholder will need to be comfortable working in an environment of complex matrix management arrangements and will at all times behave and align with our Trusts’ values and cultural pillars :

• We are kind
• We are respectful
• We work together
• We keep things simple
• We empower
• We are proudly diverse

In order to meet the needs of the new Partnership services you may be required from time to time to work at different locations to your normal place of work.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please refer to the attached Job Description and Person Specification for detailed information about the role.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

• Educated to degree level and / or equivalent professional qualification
• Masters in Healthcare Law or equivalent

Experience

Essential criteria

• Extensive experience as a Legal Services Manager in the NHS or a practicing solicitor in medical negligence, or similar relevant experience
• A detailed understanding of the function of NHS Resolution, its reporting process, the claims management process.
• Understanding of governance matters as they relate to the NHS.
• Good understanding of legislation that applies to the NHS such as the Data Protection Act 1998, the Access to Health Records Act 1990, the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

Skills and abilities

Essential criteria

• Engages with and learn from peers, other professionals and colleagues in the desire to provide or support the most appropriate interventions
• Effective organisation / prioritisation skills
• Able to maintain discretion regarding sensitive issues
• Highly motivated with ability to influence and inspire others

Knowledge

Essential criteria

• Highly developed communication skills with the ability to communicate on highly complex matters and difficult situations both verbally and in writing.
• Ability to provide and receive, convey and present highly complex, sensitive and contentious information.
• Ability to communicate effectively with all levels of staff.
• Ability to analyse highly complex medical cases / claims’ sensitive information and draw out conclusions.
• Ability to present training material to large groups of staff