Here at Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust we’re committed to recruiting and supporting a diverse workforce and we welcome applications from all parts of the community. We are committed to having a team that is made up of diverse skills, experiences and abilities whilst employing people to our organisation who meet our Trust values of ambition, respect and compassion. With the opening of our new hospital, Midland Metropolitan University Hospital, it’s the coming together of expertise from every corner of our organisation and a show of our commitment to provide better healthcare and create more jobs and so much more. We at the Trust actively encourage Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) and disabled applicants, as well as members of the armed forces community and value the positive impact that difference has on our teams. We are committed to equality and diversity within our workforce.
Job overview
An exciting opportunity has arisen to join a well-established and high-performing team within the Legal Services Department.
You will need to have recent and significant experience in the field of healthcare law and management of people within a legal team environment. 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 deputise for the Head of Legal Services in all matters, and be responsible for line management of Legal Services staff as required.
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.
Main duties of the job
To provide professional in-house legal advice and services across a range of matters, but particularly in relation to medico-legal issues; 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; liaise with HM Coroner as required providing appropriate legal representation for the Trust and its staff in the Coroner’s Court; contribute to the Trust’s Risk Management and Clinical Governance processes; provide medico-legal training for Trust staff; to deputise for the Head of Legal Services in all matters, including line management, leadership and support.
Working for our organisation
Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust (SWB) serves Birmingham and the Black Country – one of the country’s most culturally diverse areas. It’s a friendly and welcoming place – a place where you can belong, and a place where you can grow.
We care for our patients, we care about our population, and we care about our people.
Our values – Ambition, Respect and Compassion – are at the heart of who we are. They guide us every step of the way; how we work with each other, and how we look after our patients and their families; how we respect and value the rich diversity of our team and our community.
Our Trust has always aspired to be more than a hospital, more than a healthcare provider. Our purpose is “Improve the Life Chances and Health Outcomes of our Population.” It is what inspires, drives, and unites us every day. It’s what makes us unique.
We want working at SWB to feel like more than just a job. We want our Trust to be a place where you can feel you belong. A place where you feel happy, safe, and rewarded. A place where you can develop your career in whatever way you choose. When we say we’re ‘with you all the way’ we want you to know that we mean it. Visit the SWB website to find out more about our ambitions and people plans.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please see attached Job Description and Person Specification for details on the main duties and responsibilities.
Person specification
Experience
- Experience in a legal team
- Handling Inquests in Coroners court, including advocacy
- Handling Clinical and non-clinical personal injury claims
- Teaching/training experience on legal topics
- Experience as a line manager/supervisor
- Experience of working in Legal Services in the NHS
Qualifications
- Educated to degree level
- Healthcare related legal or clinical qualifications
- Qualified legal professional with current practising certificate for England & Wales
- Undergraduate or post graduate qualification in law
Knowledge
- Principles and processes of civil litigation, UK Courts and Tribunals, Civil Procedure Rules
- Key medico-legal issues in the NHS/healthcare
- Principles of clinical and corporate governance in the NHS
the four partner Trusts of the Black Country Provider Collaborative (Dudley Group NHS FT, Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, Sandwell & West Birmingham NHS Trust, and Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust) are actively working in partnership to deliver a collective vision focused on providing “better, faster and safer care to the population of the Black Country and beyond”.
To support this vision, we are (where appropriate and safe to do so) actively looking at new models of care which:
Better protect elective / planned care service delivery across the system by organising on a ‘hot and cold’ arrangement
Consider the optimal use of resources through consolidation and specialisation, and
Seek to reduce unwarranted variance, level up / standardise care through a ‘Networked Service Solution’ approach across the four sites
Against this context, although this post is hosted by Sandwell & West Birmingham NHS Trust, there may be an expectation to work flexibly across the four partner Trusts to better meet patient and service needs.
As a major employer in the Black Country and West Birmingham region we are committed to supporting all employees to achieve a healthy work life balance. We want the Black Country and West Birmingham region to be the best place to work and as such will consider all requests to work flexibly taking into account personal and individual circumstances alongside the needs of the service. We encourage all prospective applicants to discuss their individual circumstances with the Recruiting Manager as part of the on-boarding process.
Healthcare services have a significant impact on the environment. We are committed to embedding sustainable practices. We expect all colleagues to support the delivery of our Green Strategic Plan and to drive positive changes in their department by joining ourGreen Impact programme.
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.
Name Sally Arnold-Jones Job title Associate Director of Quality Governance Email address sally.arnold-jones2@nhs.net Telephone number 07977148075
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