Job Overview
An opportunity has opened up within the MK Mental Health Law team which would suit a person looking for a role outside of a standard admin post. They would be looking to develop extensive knowledge of Mental Health Law and practice, providing assistance to ensure the highest standards are met for our inpatients that require detention under The Mental Health Act.
The post will provide vast opportunities to expand on your knowledge and creates invaluable moments to challenge and deepen your understanding. Over the years we have strived and maintained an excellent reputation within the organisation and believe this will continue with the right candidate who, will approach this role with a committed work ethic and drive to provide an excellent standard of care for service users within this Trust.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will work with and support the Mental Health Law Team at the Campbell Centre. The post holder will also liaise with the Tribunal, Associate Hospital Managers, Trust Mental Health Law Officers, Senior Managers and professionals within multi-disciplinary care teams.
The Mental Health Law office is an important part of the team and the service rely on us to provide them with accurate information which is often time sensitive to ensure all requirements under The Act are met. You would therefore, need to demonstrate excellent time management skills, the ability to work independently, excellent communication skills and be highly organised.
The Mental Health Law team's mission is to give the highest quality support and expertise in all areas of Mental Health Law to mental health professionals, patients and their relatives and to ensure all procedures prescribed by law are adhered to.
Working for our organisation
Despite being a small team in MK, we work with the wider multi-disciplinary team and have created excellent relationships that enhance the level of service we are able to provide. Across the Trust, the local MH Law offices provide each other with support when needed and are a great source of knowledge and assistance when dealing with complex cases or transfers across units.
Please note: This vacancy does not meet the criteria for Skilled Worker sponsorship, unless you meet the criteria by temporary exemption from current changes to immigration rules put in force on 22/07/2025. "Separate provisions are applied to workers who have been sponsored and held continuously Skilled Worker visa since prior to 04/04/2024."
As such, if you don't meet the Transitional Provision (above) we are unable to consider your application unless you can provide documentary evidence of your right to work in the United Kingdom. If you believe you are eligible for sponsorship or already hold a valid right to work in the UK, please ensure you provide full details of your immigration status in the Pre-Screening Immigration section of your application form.
Please note role eligibility also depends on whether the role meets the salary threshold for the relevant occupational code (SOC CODE).
For further info please visit: Skilled Worker visa: Overview - GOV.UK
Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities
To assist in the administration of the Act and to ensure that all appropriate procedures have been performed correctly and timely.
To assist the Mental Health Law Office in receiving and administratively scrutinising section papers on behalf of the Trust.
To assist with processing and recording section papers and applications for Deprivation of Liberty relating to Service Level Agreements.
To bring any irregularities or legal deficits to the attention of the Mental Health Law Locality Manager.
To ensure timely notification of detention to all appropriate professionals and the patients nearest relative.
To ensure reminders letters are sent to all clinicians ensuring that they are provided with timely reminders for the expiry of sections and of consent to treatment due dates.
To assist the Mental Health Law Office in maintaining an effective and safe system of storage for section papers.
To assist the Mental Health Law Office in the co-ordination of CQC visits, including liaison with appropriate staff and the preparation of essential data.
To answer telephone calls and deal with queries relating to the department, including general correspondence and acknowledgement letters.
At the request of the Mental Health Law Locality Manager to circulate relevant literature with regards the Act to inpatient and community teams.
To ensure inpatient wards and units are supplied with copies of detention papers.
Patients Rights
To assist with the maintaining a monitoring system to ensure detained patients are advised of their rights on a regular basis and as a minimum on those occasions outlined in the Trust policy.
To monitor the receipt of rights forms by nursing staff.
To assist patients in seeking to find legal representation or advocacy advice.
To process any requests by Nearest Relatives requesting the discharge of their relative and to ensure statutory time scales are adhered to.
To write to and provide the Nearest Relative with information regarding their relatives detention.
To write to Approved Mental Health Professionals (AMHPs) and remind them of their duty to consult with the Nearest Relatives where this may not initially have happened.
Associate Hospital Managers
To assist in the organisation of all Associate Hospital Managers hearings.
To liaise with relevant care professionals, solicitors, advocates and relatives to ensure that the required reports, information and documentation is made available for the hearing and that care professionals remain compliant with Trust time scales.
To book venues and ensure refreshments are arranged.
To assist the Mental Health Law Office in arranging Associate Hospital Managers informal visits to wards and units.
Review Tribunals
To assist in ensuring that all appeals/referrals to the tribunal are dealt with promptly and that all requests are processed with the statutory time limits.
To book venues and ensure refreshments are arranged.
To negotiate with tribunal staff hearing dates and to confirm the necessary arrangements.
To liaise with relevant care professionals, solicitors, advocates and relatives to ensure that the required reports, information and documentation is available and that the Trust is compliant with statutory time scales.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
Good general education to GCSE/O'level standard or equivalent.
Good standard of literacy and numeracy (Maths and English GCSE/O level or equivalent).
Desirable criteria
RSA III or NVQ III or secretarial/administrative experience
Previous experience
Essential criteria
Administrative/secretarial experience
Experience of working in health or health related environment
Significant experience of using Excel Spreadsheets, Word, Outlook
Experience of multi-tasking and providing administrative support
Experience of working within multidisciplinary teams.
Desirable criteria
Mental Health Act Experience
Knowledge of clinical record systems (SystmOne)
Experience of taking minutes
Skills
Essential criteria
Excellent verbal and written communication skills
Demonstrate effective organisational ability over a wide range of tasks: e.g. filing, record keeping, statistics
Ability to work in a flexible and organised manner, to prioritise and work to deadlines.
Must have a confident and assertive personality and be able to work flexibly
Ability to maintain confidentiality appropriately and understand the issues involved.
Ability to treat service users with respect and dignity at all times, adopting a culturally sensitive approach, which considers the needs of the whole person.
Able to build constructive relationships with warmth and empathy
Confidence to work on own initiative and to consult as needed
A comprehensive working knowledge of the use of Microsoft Office software
Desirable criteria
Knowledge of the MHA 1983 and other related legislation