Associate Head of Legal (Speciality Claims and Advisory)

Job summary

Reporting to the Head of Legal or Group Head of Legal Services, as appropriate, and working under their own initiative at a senior level, the Associate Head will:

• Assist with leading the management and provision of expert legal advice across all sites for the designated Speciality Team.
• Be responsible for ensuring staff across all services and sites are adequately advised and supported.
• Assist in the management of the to day to day running of the designated Speciality Team.
• Jointly lead on the critical evaluation of the Trust's policies and practice to interpret whether these provide assurance and promote the Trust's patient safety and patient-centred values.
• Be responsible for preparing board reports and briefs on high profile matters.
• Jointly lead on triangulation and identification of relevant incidents, inquests, claims, advisory and complaints.

Be responsible for the instruction and management of out-sourced legal services; ensuring the efficient and effective management of all advice on a broad range of legal matters

Main duties of the job

Provide highly specialised expert advice and leadership on all clinical and non-clinical litigation, ensuring that all claims are investigated and managed efficiently and in accordance with Trust policy and procedure, Pre-action Protocols and CPR and NHS Resolution

Develop and lead the claims management process across all sites

Under the supervision of the Head of Legal, be responsible for the day-to-day running of the claims/advisory team including conducting regular 1:1 meetings and providing direct line management to the Senior Legal Officer post.

Deputise for the Head of Legal as required.

Act as the 'first point of contact' for any legal issue arising within the Trust across the full range of matters ; including (but not restricted to) aspects of medical law (incl. Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards, Mental Capacity Act 2005), withdrawal of treatment, treatment issues, funding, best interests cases, advanced directives, consent, and complex discharge

Provide verbal and written advice on legal matters relating to healthcare including reviewing and advising on Trust policies as appropriate

Be responsible for the development and implementation of legal services policies and standard operating procedures across all sites

Jointly lead on Training sessions

Provide leadership and strategic direction in respect of legal services across the Trust.

About us

MFT is one of the largest NHS Trust In England with a turnover of £2.6bn & is on a different scale than most other NHS Trusts. We're creating an exceptional integrated health & social care system for the 1 million patients who rely on our services every year.

Bringing together 10 hospitals & community services from across Manchester, Trafford & beyond, we champion collaborative working & transformation, encouraging our 28,000 workforce to pursue their most ambitious goals. We set standards that other Trusts seek to emulate so you'll benefit from a scale of opportunity that is nothing short of extraordinary.

We've also created a digitally enabled organisation to improve clinical quality, patient & staff experience, operational effectiveness & driving research, and innovation through the introduction of Hive; our Electronic Patient Record system which launched in September 2022.

We're proud to be a major academic Research Centre & Education provider, providing you with a robust infrastructure to encourage and facilitate high-quality research programmes. What's more, we're excited to be embarking on our Green Plan which sets out how MFT continues to play its part in making healthcare more sustainable.

At MFT, we create and foster a culture of inclusion and belonging, provide equal opportunities for career development that are fair, open, and transparent, protecting your health and wellbeing and shaping the future of our organisation together.