Job Overview
Our Senior Legal Services Officer will investigate and manage potential and actual clinical negligence, employers/public liability and property expenses scheme claims against the Trust in line with statutory requirements and the NHS Litigation Authority rules.
Key to the role will be the requirement to analyse trends from claims received and provide management information (risk management feedback, themes and financial costing) to enable learning from claims to enhance patient and staff safety.
You will also actively manage the Trust’s Coroner’s inquest caseload from initial statement/document gathering to attending court.
The legal services team is a small team and you will play a key role in providing administrative support to the Director of Corporate Affairs for legal services issues. You will also line manage and provide continuous development of the Legal Services Assistant and Administrator.
Previous candidates need not apply
For further information please see the attached Job Description & Person Specification. Or contact Neila Patel, Head of Legal Services neila.patel@nhs.net
Job Description Summary (Main duties and responsibilities)
* Establish and maintain a procedure for ensuring efficient management of litigation claims and Coroner’s inquests.
* Proactively manage all claims and inquests and ensure that standards and performance targets are met.
* Review witness statements/reports for inaccuracy’s and comprehensiveness.
* Using own judgement as to necessity and appropriateness of obtaining witness statements and in house opinion in order to be able to form an assessment of liability (breach of duty and causation).
* Arrange and attend pre-inquest meetings to prepare and support staff for giving evidence in court.
* Attend pre-inquest reviews and respond to any requests from the Coroner.
* Review cases on an individual basis to determine the need for legal representation and instruct solicitors as required.
* Attend inquests either alone or with legal representation, report back any operational or media issues that arise during the hearing.
* Investigate and respond to Prevention of Future Death reports.
* Liaise with and support all parties involved in claims and inquests, including clinical and non-clinical staff at all levels, throughout the entire process and ensure that all relevant officers are kept informed of pertinent issues.
A full list of duties and responsibilities can be found in the attached Job Description/Person Specification.
We may close the advert early, if we receive a sufficient number of applicants, so please apply as soon as possible.
About Us
Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust (LPT) provides a range of community health, mental health and learning disability services for people of all ages. Delivered through over 100 settings from inpatient wards to out in the community, our 6,500 staff serve over 1 million people living in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.
We aim to develop a workforce that reflects our community. We actively implement equal opportunities in employment and service delivery and seek people who share our commitment. We strongly encourage applications from all sections of the community, particularly from underrepresented groups.
Details of our benefits, leadership behaviours and other important information can be found in the Information for Applicants, please view the supporting documents.
We will consider requests to work alternative hours or varied working patterns in line with our flexible working policy.
For all substantive roles, new staff (excluding medical staff) are appointed subject to a 6-month probationary period (see Probation Policy).
All jobs will require permission to work in the UK.
For all jobs the cost of any DBS disclosure required will be met by the individual. This will be deducted from salary once started.
Applicants at risk within the local NHS who meet essential criteria will have preference for interview.