Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is growing and changing. We provide specialist mental health, learning disability and community services across Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton, and we’re hiring people who want to shape what comes next. Formed on 1 April 2020 through the merger of Black Country Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and Dudley and Walsall Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust, we’re now focused on the future with a new Trust Strategy and our Best for the Black Country programme. What we do · Adult and older adult mental health · Children and young people’s mental health · Specialist learning disability services · Community healthcare for children, young people and families in Dudley Why join now · We’ve got real momentum right now. New strategy, clear priorities and our Best for the Black Country work mean things are moving in the right way, fast. · Our values aren’t just posters. People are genuinely compassionate, take responsibility, treat you with respect and help you feel confident and empowered. · You’ll be looked after. Flexible working, family-friendly policies, supportive teams, proper wellbeing support and chances to learn with coaching and development. · There’s room to grow. Loads of services to explore and real space to try ideas and be heard. · It’s a good place to live. Friendly diverse communities, easy transport, good schools and colleges, shopping, food, lots to do, plenty of green space and a lower cost of living than many other city regions. What it’s like to work here You’ll join friendly, skilled teams who look out for each other. We plan together, share caseload pressures, and celebrate wins. New starters get a warm welcome and clear induction; early careers colleagues have preceptorship and buddying; experienced staff can lead, teach and innovate. You’ll have space to do good work, speak up, and see the difference you make. Who we are We’re 4,000 colleagues from many backgrounds, committed to improving health and wellbeing for our communities and for each other. If you’re excited about the role but don’t tick every box, please apply. We value potential and transferable experience. Job overview An exciting opportunity has arisen to join a Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and support development of in-house Legal Affairs Team - this role specializing in Employment Law. You will be responsible for providing legal advice and services to Trust staff across a wide range of matters, including supporting HR Department with employment law matters and assisting in developing internal policies and processes relevant to area of human resources & workforce management. You will need to have a recognized legal qualification and current professional registration, combined with recent experience in the field of employment and contracts law. You should be self-motivated and enthusiastic, with excellent written and verbal communication skills, an eye for accuracy and detail, and a desire to ensure high quality care and services to patients, staff and the public. An ability to work with minimal supervision and manage day to day systems, processes and teams whilst managing a personal workload is essential. In return we offer a best in class pension scheme, flexible working patterns and work locations coupled with excellent work -life balance. Furthermore the trust has a host of discounts and incentives - including salary sacrifice car scheme. Advert 1. To provide professional legal advice and representation to clients regarding issues, processes, legal claims/concerns/disputes/risk management, policy and procedures. 2. To represent the client in formal negotiations, legal proceedings, at courts, tribunals, or other venues, undertaking advocacy where appropriate. 3. To take and maintain detailed and accurate notes of meetings, such as court hearings, witness meetings, tribunals, inquests and case conferences and other key activities (as appropriate for the specialist area of law) for use by the post holder and others. 4. To draft advice and formal legal documentation, such as formal legal correspondence witness statements, instructions to counsel and experts, agreements, contractual documentation, court documents and forms, or policies. 5. Generally, to work autonomously with responsibility for the day-to-day management of their own case load. 6. Line management and supervision of junior qualified lawyers, pre-qualified lawyers (such as paralegals and trainee solicitors) and support staff as required. 7. To work with our legal case and document management systems and processes, to securely create, store and share documents, to enter and maintain key information, including key dates and accurate records of time spent. For a full list of duties please download the full Job Description Working for our organisation Working for your organisation We’re a Trust that’s big enough to make an impact, but small enough to feel personal. We care deeply about our people - both those we support in the community and those who work with us. As our Trust Solicitor you’ll play a key role in shaping our future, improving our culture, driving excellence, and helping us deliver compassionate, high-quality care every day. This is your chance to make a lasting impact. To help us do our best for the Black Country, and for everyone who calls it home. Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust provides specialist mental health, learning disability, and community healthcare services for the population of the Black Country. Across the whole of the region, we provide: · Adult and older adult mental health services · Specialist learning disability services · CAMHS Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust was formed on 1 April 2020, after NHS England and NHS Improvement approved the merger of Black Country Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and Dudley and Walsall Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust. Combining resources, strategies and talented workforce enables us to deliver a wider variety of outstanding services that are based on best practice and are continually improving. As a public body, we are accountable to the people we serve. The Trust Board is responsible for determining the strategy and overall direction of the Trust in an open, honest, and transparent manner. Detailed job description and main responsibilities Please consider in detail published job description and personal specification for the role of Principal Employment Law Solicitor. Applying and timelines We may close this advert early if we receive a high volume of applications, so please apply soon. We shortlist after the closing date and will contact shortlisted candidates usually within two weeks. If you haven’t heard by then, you haven’t been shortlisted. Please check your email for updates and contact Recruitment for feedback. Pay and contracts Most NHS roles are paid under NHS Agenda for Change. With us - your starting point is set against the advertised band and your relevant NHS service, with progression through annual increments. Medical and Very Senior Manager roles follow separate national pay frameworks, not Agenda for Change. Details are provided in each advert and during recruitment. Standards and checks · Clinical posts up to and including Band 4 are expected to hold the Care Certificate. If you don’t have it yet, we’ll support you to complete it in post. · Some roles require a Standard or Enhanced DBS check under part V of the Police Act 1997. Having a criminal record won’t automatically prevent employment. We consider the role and individual circumstances. · We are an equal opportunities employer, offer flexible working, and are a smoke free Trust. Inclusion, equality and adjustments · We are an equal opportunities employer and offer flexible working. · We are an anti-racist, disability-inclusive and LGBTQ-inclusive Trust. · We welcome applications from under-represented groups and people with lived experience relevant to our services, including Black and Asian colleagues, Disabled people (including non-visible disabilities such as neurodiversity and mental health) and LGBTQ people. · Disabled applicants can request consideration under our Guaranteed Interview Scheme where essential criteria are met. You can ask for reasonable adjustments at every stage of the process. Our culture and values Best for the Black Country is our improvement journey. We share a clear vision and values, lead with compassion and visibility, listen to every voice, keep improving what we do and take ownership for delivery. You’ll feel it in how teams support each other and in the impact your work has on local people. If you want to contribute, learn and progress, this is a great time to join us.