Job summary
Join Us as Deputy Head of Legal Services
Are you a skilled legal professional ready to lead with purpose and make a difference in healthcare? We are seeking a dynamic Deputy Head of Legal Services to help shape the future of patient safety, legal governance, and quality care across our Trust.
Why Join Us?
This is more than a legal role—its a chance to be part of a compassionate, forward‑thinking organisation where your expertise will shape how we care, respond, and grow. You'll work alongside dedicated professionals, influence real change, and be supported to develop your career in a meaningful way. Ready to lead with impact? Apply now and help us build a safer, smarter future for patients and staff alike.
Job responsibilities
* Working with the Head of Legal Services, lead a dynamic legal team, manage complex and high‑profile cases including inquests, clinical negligence, and liability claims, and ensure the Trust stays compliant with legal and regulatory standards.
* Provide medico‑legal advice and collaborate with NHS Resolution, HM Coroners, external law firms, senior clinicians, and operational leaders.
* Build strong relationships, communicate clearly, and contribute to the One Culture of Care; ensure legal advice is practical, timely, and aligned with the Trust's mission.
* Shape local policies, interpret national guidance, and support delivery of outstanding care in fast‑paced, emotionally charged environments.
Person Specification
Qualifications / Training
* Educated to degree level in law/ legal practice (CILEx) with appropriate post‑graduate level courses or substantial experience at a comparable level.
* Recent experience managing clinical negligence/employer liability claims to Masters level equivalent; evidence of CPD.
Experience
* Essential: Previous Coronial/Inquest management experience; experience of staff management; understanding of CPR, the claims process, and coronial law/regulations; strong knowledge in legal healthcare practice; understanding of investigations management, root cause analysis, and Clinical Governance; data understanding and analysis.
* Desirable: Experience in healthcare law setting; managing inquests; advocacy experience; implementing risk and case management systems; quality management and improvement; teaching/training experience.
Additional Criteria
* Essential: ability to assimilate complex information, strong problem solving, team and workload management, interpretation of national policy, risk assessment, project delivery, strategic thinking, and strong IT literacy; clear recommendations and risk identification; ability to travel across CHFT sites.
About us
Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust is an integrated trust providing acute and community health services. Over 7,000 colleagues serve from Calderdale Royal Hospital, Huddersfield Royal Infirmary, community sites, health centres and patients' homes. The organisation also has around 170 volunteers.
We serve two local populations: Greater Huddersfield (~245,000) and Calderdale (~220,000).
We provide urgent and emergency care; medical, surgical, maternity, gynaecology, critical care; children and young people; end of life care; and outpatient/diagnostic imaging. Community health services include sexual health in Calderdale. In 2024/25 we cared for over 103,000 inpatients or day cases, with hundreds of thousands of outpatient and A&E attendances.
Details
Date posted: 12 September 2025
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 8a
Salary: £55,690 to £62,682 per annum
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full‑time
Reference number: 372‑CORP1959
Job locations: Huddersfield Royal Infirmary, Acre Street, Huddersfield, HD3 3EA
Additional information
Disclosure and Barring Service Check: This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975; a DBS disclosure may be required.
Certificate of Sponsorship: Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled Worker sponsorship will be considered alongside all other applications. For more information, see the UK Visas and Immigration guidance.
UK Registration: Applicants must have current UK professional registration.
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