An exciting opportunity has arisen to join Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust's Corporate Governance Team as a Public Sector Paralegal. This is a permanent, full-time role (37.5 hours/week).
We are seeking a motivated and detail-oriented individual to support the Legal Services Manager across a broad range of legal matters. The successful candidate will play a key role in managing employment tribunal claims, supporting HR-related legal processes, handling claims and assisting with Coroner's investigations and data protection matters.
We are looking for someone who:
Is a Law graduate (Legal Practice Course desirable).
Has experience in a legal environment, ideally with exposure to employment law and NHS procedures.
Demonstrates excellent organisational skills, attention to detail, and the ability to manage sensitive issues with discretion.
Has strong interpersonal and influencing skills, especially in high-pressure situations.
Is confident working independently and collaboratively within a busy team.
The post is based at our Trust Headquarters at Priestley Wharf in Birmingham. For enquiries, please contact by emailing legalservices.bchc@nhs.net (for attention of the Legal Service Manager).
Main duties of the job
Manage employment tribunal claims, including conducting preliminary investigations and liaising with external legal advisors.
Provide legal support for HR procedures (disciplinary, grievance, capability), ensuring compliance with employment law and Trust policies.
Assist with staff-related data subject access requests, ensuring compliance with UK GDPR.
Support the management of clinical negligence and employer/public liability claims.
Assist with Coroner's investigations and inquests, including evidence review and staff support.
Liaise with NHS Resolution, panel solicitors, and internal stakeholders.
Provide legal advice and guidance under the supervision of the Legal Services Manager.
About us
Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (BCHC) has more than 5000 staff working across Birmingham and the West Midlands in a wide range of community nursing and specialist healthcare roles. BCHC delivers over 100 clinical services, in people's homes, health centres, clinics and inpatient facilities. We deliver a wide range of services for children, young people, parents and families as well as adults and community services, two community hospitals, services for people with learning disabilities, the internationally recognised West Midlands Rehabilitation Centre and one of Europe's leading Dental Hospitals and School of Dentistry. We deliver all of this with a commitment to integrated, personalised care that is rooted in our local communities. We have an ambition to deliver outstanding, integrated care as one of the key NHS providers in the West Midlands.
If you want to 'Be Part of Our Team' and work with a Foundation Trust which is continuously striving for better care and healthier communities, we want to hear from you.
Job responsibilities
Main Duties
HR Duties
1. To assist the Legal Services Manager and HR colleagues in the management of employment-related legal matters, including disciplinary, grievance, and capability procedures, ensuring compliance with employment law and Trust policies.
2. To support the preparation and coordination of documentation for internal hearings and Employment Tribunal proceedings, including gathering evidence, identifying witnesses, and drafting case summaries.
3. To liaise with external legal advisors, ACAS, and relevant internal stakeholders to facilitate the resolution of employment disputes, ensuring that statutory deadlines and procedural requirements are met.
4. To maintain accurate records of employment-related legal matters on the Legal Services database, ensuring timely updates and supporting reporting requirements.
5. To contribute to the development and review of policies and procedures relating to employment law and HR governance, identifying areas for improvement and ensuring alignment with legal obligations and best practice.
Claims/Other Litigation
6. To act as the main point of contact for all claims, clinical and non-clinical, made against the Trust.
7. To support the Legal Services Manager in the conduct of clinical negligence claims, including an initial review of medical records for disclosure, completion of a synopsis of the case, provide advice on additional evidence required and to provide administrative support as necessary.
8. To assist the Legal Services Manager in ensuring that all new clinical negligence claims are reviewed, that they provide sufficient information relating to allegations of negligence in accordance with the relevant Pre-Action Protocols, that a file is created and the claim is entered onto the claims database (DATIX) and that checks are made to identify if there are previous complaints/internal investigations. Where necessary, liaise with the Claimant solicitors to obtain sufficient information to ensure compliance with the pre-action protocol and to enable an internal investigation to be undertaken, if required.
9. To be responsible for employer/public liability claims, managing from start to finish, including preliminary investigations, gathering of evidence, identification of relevant factual witnesses and providing a preliminary report to the Legal Services Manager advising on strategy and next steps.
10. To identify any claims where there is a litigation risk and reporting these claims to NHS Resolution under the direction of the Legal Services Manager.
11. To use own initiative to identify relevant staff to direct enquiries to in claim management.
12. Supporting the Legal Services Manager with the management of complex and/or contentious cases by ensuring that all evidence is requested and obtained in a timely manner, escalating cases where responses are not forthcoming.
13. To liaise with NHSR, Trust solicitors, operational managers and other relevant Trust staff to ensure that all appropriate information is available to manage claims against the Trust. There will be occasions where the post holder will have to use tact and persuasion to progress matters.
14. To assist the Legal Services Manager with the gathering and collation of claims information for the purpose of regular reporting to the Divisions/the Board and for any other internal/external purpose.
15. To ensure that all claims are managed in accordance with the Trusts relevant policies and procedures and escalating any issues of complexity or concern to the Legal Services Manager.
16. To maintain data on the claims database ensuring this is always kept up to date reflecting the position of the claim.
17. To propose changes to Standing Operating Procedures and Trust policy related to Claims Management as and when appropriate.
18. To set up new cases on the Legal Services database, obtaining medical records, liaising with the risk management team to identify any complaint/incident investigation, reviewing medical records and identifying factual witnesses and general case management as requested by the Legal Services Manager.
19. To assist in the review of evidence before it is disclosed to the Coroner, identifying if any further evidence is required and highlighting any issues or concerns to the Legal Services Manager
20. To support the Legal Services Manager in ensuring the smooth organisation of complex inquests and facilitating the instruction and provision of information to external legal advisors.
21. Assist in the provision of in-house support and guidance for Trust staff attending Inquests and arranging pre-inquest support meetings as requested.
22. To contribute to the formulation and revision of legal services policies and procedures.
Legal Advice
23. To support the Legal Services Manager in providing specialist legal healthcare advice by obtaining clear and detailed information from those requesting advice to assist in the provision of appropriate legal advice.
General
24. To undertake any other duties commensurate with this post.
25. To minimise the Trusts environmental impact wherever possible, including recycling, switching off lights, computers, monitors and equipment when not in use. Helping to reduce paper waste by minimising printing/copying and reducing water usage, reporting faults and heating/cooling concerns promptly and minimising travel. Where the role includes the ordering and use of supplies or equipment the post holder will consider the environmental impact of purchases.
Person Specification
Qualifications
* Law graduate or equivalent
* Knowledge of Employment Law including the Employment Rights Act 1996, ACAS Code of Practice, and Employment Tribunal procedures.
* Knowledge of NHS HR policies
* Successful completion of the Legal Practice Course
Experience
* Significant experience of working in a legal envrionment
* Understanding of Employment Tribunal processes and documentation requirements.
* Demonstrable experience supporting disciplinary and grievance investigations.
* Experience of civil claims
* Experience of working within the NHS
Skills/Knowledge
* Knowledge of confidentiality issues
* Ability to prioritise work and time management
* Knowledge of relevant statutory obligations
* Ability to assimilate a large volume of information and initiate action
* Ability to manage own workload / Use of initiative
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
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