Employer Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust Town Sheffield Salary £31,049 - £37,796 per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 19/06/2025 23:59
Legal Services Officer
NHS AfC: Band 5
Job overview
Permanent | Full time | Proposed interview dates: 16 July & 17 July 2025
We’re looking for an experienced and enthusiastic Legal Services Officer to join our team, working with the Deputy and Legal Services Director. In this rewarding role, you’ll play an important part in supporting the Trust’s legal and governance functions.
You’ll manage a diverse caseload including clinical negligence, inquests, employer’s liability (EL), and public liability (PL) claims, while also providing general legal advice on an ad hoc basis. Your work will help minimise litigation risks and ensure the Trust complies with legal and regulatory requirements.
About You
Qualified Solicitor or experienced Paralegal in healthcare, inquests or clinical negligence
Experience managing a caseload and providing legal advice in complex healthcare matters
Compassionate and able to guide staff through sensitive legal proceedings
Main duties of the job
You will report to the Legal Services Director, and your responsibilities will include:
Legal Advice: Assist the Deputy and Legal Services Director in providing expert legal advice on complex clinical issues, regulatory compliance, and general legal matters, ensuring the Trust’s interests are protected, litigation risks are minimised, and compliance with laws, including human rights and professional conduct, is maintained.
Coroner’s Inquests: Support the inquest process by collaborating with the Coroner, Officers, and clinicians. Manage non-contentious inquests, prepare documents (medical records, inquest reports), and coordinate witness attendance. Ensure witnesses are well-informed and supported.
Claims Management: Investigate Employer’s Liability (EL), Public Liability (PL), and Clinical Negligence claims, liaising with partners, drafting disclosures, and gathering evidence, including interviews and expert reports, to assess claim merits.
Working for our organisation
At Sheffield Children’s, our purpose is clear: to provide healthier futures for children and young people. Our three strategic aims are:
· Outstanding Patient Care
· Brilliant Place to work
· Leaders in Children’s Health
We work with local, regional, and national partners to provide physical and mental healthcare across acute and community settings. Many of our clinicians are amongst the best in their field, recognised nationally and internationally for their expertise.
As well as having enormous pride in what we do, we are a friendly, welcoming, and motivated NHS Trust who are guided by our CARE values: Compassion, Accountability, Respect, and Excellence. Our nearly 4000 colleagues live these values, ensuring kind and compassionate care that makes patients and their families feel safe and at home.
As we approach our 150th anniversary in 2026, we remain committed to enhancing our reputation in children’s health leadership, improving the experiences of both patient and colleagues, and focusing on our communities and population health.
Sheffield Children's provides great benefits to support your wellbeing, with excellent annual leave and pension schemes, health programmes, and exclusive discounts—helping you succeed at work and beyond.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
For more information on the main responsibilities for this post, please refer to the job description and person specification.
Please note that Sheffield Children's uplift pay to meet the Real Living Wage, which is £12.60 per hour.
Diversity Statement
At Sheffield Children’s, we are committed to creating an inclusive environment that celebrates diversity and supports everyone’s success. We prioritise Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion in our recruitment practices, creating a welcoming space for people of all backgrounds, including ethnic minorities, individuals with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ members.
Recognising that inclusivity is an ongoing effort, we review our processes and welcome feedback to enhance our practices. A diverse team strengthens our organisation and the quality of care we deliver. For ideas on how we can improve, please contact our Recruitment Manager at scn-tr.recruitment.team@nhs.net. Together, we’re building a workplace where everyone belongs.
#LI-Hybrid
Person specification
Qualifications and Training
* Degree in law or a related subject or equivalent experience in law (in law or related subjects)
* Post graduate qualification in LPC or LLM or equivalent experience in law
Experience
* Significant specialist work experience in claims and inquest management
* Experience of investigating a large caseload of clinical negligence/ personal injury and/ or public liability claims
* Experience of providing legal advice in complex healthcare matter on a range of matters
* Experience of supporting colleagues in claims and inquests
* Previous NHS experience
* Significant experience in healthcare regulatory including Court of Protection Matters
* Experience of supervising others
* Experience of undertaking advocacy
Knowledge and Skills
* Ability to assess claims and legal matters accurately identifying trends and potential risks
* Ability to provide advice to people and prepare clear written documents
* Ability to collaborate and build relationships with a variety of stakeholders
* Understanding of clinical negligence, employer’s and public liability, mental capacity and confidentiality
* Proficiency in maintaining and updating case management systems
* Analytical skills to review data, identify trends and prepare reports
* Ability to deliver training on a variety of legal topics to a wide range of recipients
* Demonstrated capabilities to manage own workload and make informed decisions in the absence of required information, working to tight and often changing timescales
* Excellent negotiation and persuasion skills and an ability to develop and maintain constructive relationships with all professional disciplines
Personal Attributes
* High levels of attention to detail to review documents, prepare reports and ensuring accuracy of advice
* Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to convey complex legal issues clearly to non-legal staff, clinicians and external stakeholders.
* Ability to support witnesses and colleagues through legal processes with understanding and compassion
* Proactive in identifying opportunities to improve processes and contribute to the ongoing development of the legal services department.
* Being open to change and able to manage multiple pieces of work in a fast paced environment.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
The postholder will have regular contact with vulnerable people and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.
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