Job overview
We are looking for a healthcare/regulatory solicitor to join the NWAS Legal and Resolution team.
North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust is an Equal Opportunities Employer.
We are committed to providing services which embrace diversity and which promote equality of opportunity. We offer a guaranteed interview scheme for disabled applicants who meet our minimum selection criteria at each stage of the selection process.
We will not tolerate discrimination on any of the following: gender, marital status, sexual orientation, race, colour, nationality, religion, age, disability, working pattern, caring responsibilities trade union activity or political beliefs-or any other grounds.
The Trust is currently under-represented in terms of staff from black and minority ethnic backgrounds. We encourage applications from all backgrounds to improve the diversity of our workforce and to better reflect the communities we serve to provide the right care, at the right time, in the right place; every time.
The Trust reserves the right to close this vacancy early if a large number of applications are received.
Main duties of the job
Working under the supervision of the Head of Resolution with a high degree of autonomy, you will represent and act as the Trust authority in formal legal proceedings both in Coroners’ courts and Civil courts, providing an advocacy service in respect of litigation or contentious inquest cases as well as providing general legal and advisory services across the Trust.
Working for our organisation
North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust provides 24 hour, 365 days a year accident and emergency services to those in need of emergency medical treatment and transport.
Our highly skilled staff provide life-saving care to patients in the community and take people to hospital or a place of care if needed.
We also provide non-emergency patient transport services for those patients who require non-emergency transport to and from hospital and who are unable to travel unaided because of their medical condition or clinical need.
Alongside the other emergency services, we also work to ensure the safety of the public and treatment of patients in the event of a major incident.
We also deliver the NHS 111 service in the North West. NHS 111 replaced NHS Direct in 2013. This service was introduced to make it easier for people to access local NHS healthcare services in England. It provides non-emergency medical help fast, and is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Person specification
Qualifications and Education
Essential criteria
1. Law Degree, Legal Practice Course (LPC) or equivalent
2. Qualified practising solicitor with post graduate diploma in legal practice
3. Trained to masters level or equivalent
4. Evidence of continued professional development
Skills and Abilities
Essential criteria
5. Excellent communication skills and able to communicate highly contentious and sensitive legal information often in a hostile atmosphere
6. Ability to take evidence from witnesses and present in court
7. Ability to negotiate and advise on the settlement of claims
8. Excellent facilitation and negotiation skills
9. High quality report writing and legal statement drafting skills
10. Ability to analyse, evaluate and summarise highly complex and/or contentious data
11. Approachable and supportive, ability to work within a team
12. Ability to work flexibly with occasional need to work unsocial hours.
13. Ability to travel regularly across the NW to meetings with client and to attend coroners court etc often at short notice.
14. Remain calm in a very busy environment
15. Personal resilience – the role will involve reading about and hearing difficult and distressing situations on a daily basis e.g. non-accidental injury to children, vulnerable adults, child abuse, substance abuse, fatal accidents, both from a staff perspective and from a patient perspective
16. High level of work organisation, self-motivation, drive for performance and improvement, and flexibility in approach and attitude
17. Expected to be able to frequently concentrate intensely for prolonged periods of time - reading legal documentation, case papers, note taking, conducting examination and cross examination of witnesses in court or tribunal over a period of several days
18. Required to spend sustained periods sitting still at a desk or in court
Knowledge and Experience
Essential criteria
19. Knowledge of litigation and coronial law management
20. Understanding of the NHS infrastructure and policy
21. Knowledge of management of legal services within the NHS
22. Understanding of ambulance service policies, procedures and strategy and of broader NHS/Ambulance issues
23. Post qualification experience of managing complex, high profile and/or contentious cases
24. Proven court advocacy experience
25. Current and demonstrable evidence of managing large caseloads of inquests and claims
26. Evidence of successfully providing high quality and responsive advice with a clear client focused approach, achieving innovative solutions
27. Evidence of successfully leading, motivating and developing others
28. Experience in allocating and supervising the work of junior legal colleagues.
Values and Behaviours
Essential criteria
29. Working together – demonstrate collaborative and inclusive working and challenge behaviour that is not inclusive or acceptable
30. Being at our best – professional and adaptable and takes pride in work
31. Making a difference – act with compassion, kindness and integrity towards everyone.