Head of Legal ServicesinBlackburninBlackburnPUBLISHED FRI 21 FEB 2025
Key responsibilities include managing a caseload of high-value claims, ensuring compliance with relevant protocols, liaising with claimants and NHS Resolution, and conducting investigations in line with Trust policies. Additionally, the role entails handling inquest cases, providing support to witnesses, and ensuring that learning from inquests is implemented to improve patient care and safety. The Head of Legal Services will also participate in audits to assess policy effectiveness and contribute to broader governance discussions within the Trust.
This role will ensure the efficient and effective management and leadership of an in-house legal service focused on inquest and claims coordination.
Sitting within the wider Quality Governance Team, this post will ensure that risk and issues relating to open legal cases are visible and triangulated with the patient safety, experience and audit and effectiveness teams to enable timely and comprehensive representation at coroners court, and learning from thematic review of claims.
- Responsible for ensuring the Trust's policies and procedures enable thorough and timely representation at coroner's court and the early, equitable and cost-effective settlement of claims made against the Trust.
- To make recommendations to the Trust on risk-based decisions in relation to inquests and claims management, including any settlement costs.
- To manage the legal services team, ensuring effective use of resources, within delegated budgetary responsibilities.
- To provide legal advice on a wide range of specialist or ad hoc issues including Court of Protection and wider safeguarding concerns.
About us
Leadership
o Develop an annual Delivery Plan for the Legal Services Team with priorities and deliverables which support the achievement of the Quality Governance team and Trust objectives.
o Be responsible for the day-to-day management of the Legal Services Team including the delegated/shared management of legal services budget.
o Manage the performance of the Legal Services Team staff and ensure appropriate arrangements are made for their development supporting their continued learning and performance improvement.
o Undertaken performance management of team members in line with Trust policies and procedures.
o Responsibility for policy development and advice in relation to legal issues
o Deputise for managers in the Quality Governance team as appropriate in times of planned and unplanned absences.
o Attend all appropriate Quality Governance, Divisional and Corporate meetings contributing effectively to those Committees and Groups of which the post holder is a member.
o Undertake audits to demonstrate the effectiveness of the policy and management of claims developing action plans to ensure that there is continual improvement in the performance of the Legal Services Team
o Support the development of inquest and claims management in response to challenge and changes in best practice.
Claims
o Handle a caseload of high value claims (<£1m)
o Ensure that all clinical negligence and personal injury claims are investigated and managed efficiently in accordance with Trust policy and procedure and the rules of the NHS Litigation Authority
o Ensure that all claims are managed in accordance with the Pre- action Protocols and Civil Procedure rules from receipt of the claim until closure liaising with the claimants solicitors and the NHS Resolution (NHSR).
o Ensure all letters of claim are reported appropriately to the NHSR.
o In line with the requirements of the CNST, LTPS and PES, ensure that the Legal Services Team liaises with the NHSR and all solicitors involved in the handling of claims
o Liaise with and support clinical and non-clinical colleagues in relation to claims.
o Undertake investigations in accordance with the Trusts procedures and policies.
o Act as the Trusts named point of contact with the NHSR.
o Ensure that there are effective case management processes in place supporting transparent internal and external reporting.
o Monitor performance of claims management to ensure compliance with the Trusts Claims Policy and provide appropriate monitoring reports.
o Provide monthly updates on claims to the Associate Director of Quality and Safety.
o Authorise the settlement of claims within delegated limits (>£1m)
o Authorise claim documentation within delegated limits.
o Ensure that claim documents and files are retained and disposed of in line with Trust policies and procedures.
Inquests
o Handle a caseload of red RAG rated inquests which represent the biggest risk to the Trust financially and reputationally.
o Liaise with the Coroners and Coroners Officers to meet the requirements of the Coroners Court providing advice and support in the preparation and content of witness statements and preparing staff for their role as witness to the Court.
o Ensure appropriate attendance is in place for the Trust at inquests and the attendance of Legal Service Team members to support staff giving evidence.
o Ensure effective arrangements for the reporting of outcomes and learning from inquests.
o Ensure effective responses and action plans are developed and implemented in response to Regulation 28/Prevention of Future Deaths (PFD) notices.
o Ensure that inquest documents and files are retained and disposed of in line with Trust policies and procedures.
o Liaise with the deceaseds relatives at inquest to ensure they are supported and receive appropriate information and apologies on behalf of the Trust.
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