Job summary
- Main area
- Claims and Inquests
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 7
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 334-NCL-8275673-MU
- Employer
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Royal Bethlem
- Town
- Beckenham
- Salary
- £55,524 - £62,652 Per Annum inclusive of HCAS
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 26/10/2026 23:59
Employer heading
Claims and Inquests Manager
NHS AfC: Band 7
South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust has a rich history, well-established community links and an international reputation. We deliver specialist services in the London boroughs of Croydon, Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark, Bexley, Bromley, Greenwich, Wandsworth and Richmond.
We are committed to provide a high quality and specialist care to our service users and we are recognised for our care and treatment we provide. The Care Quality Commission already rates our services as ‘good’.
We launched our five-year strategy, Aiming High; Changing Lives in 2021 together with Our Care Improvement System as our quality management system methodology to make a positive impact on patient care, outcomes and staff experience. By joining SLaM, all staff will get the opportunity to be part of this exciting improvement journey supported with learning and development to harness everyone’s potential as change makers.
The trust recognises the unique and valuable contribution that people with lived experience of mental illness can bring to a role. We therefore welcome applications from people with lived experience and consider them as an asset to the Trust.
Our Values
We take pride in providing specialist care to our service users where our Trust values and our promise to be caring, kind, polite, prompt, honest, listen and do what I say I’m going to do is at the heart of everything we do. When you join us, you’ll be part of something special.
As a Trust we are happy to talk flexible working.
Job overview
Are you a qualified lawyer or experienced paralegal looking for an opportunity to use your legal expertise on challenging, complex and highly sensitive cases?
This is an opportunity to join our Legal Services team in a senior role where you will have significant responsibility for managing a varied caseload and providing specialist legal advice across a range of matters. You will work on complex clinical negligence and liability claims, inquests and other legal and regulatory proceedings, often involving multiple and competing legal, clinical and reputational considerations.
You will work with senior clinicians and managers, external solicitors and counsel, NHS Resolution and HM Coroner, providing trusted legal advice and ensuring the Trust’s interests are appropriately represented.
This role offers the opportunity to develop your legal career within a specialist NHS environment, gaining substantial experience of complex litigation, coronial processes and legal risk within one of the UK’s leading mental health providers.
Main duties of the job
You will take a senior role in the management of complex legal cases, exercising professional judgment and working with a high degree of autonomy.
Your responsibilities will include:
· Managing a varied caseload of clinical negligence, employer’s and public liability claims and other legal matters.
· Leading the Trust’s response to complex, sensitive and high-profile inquests.
· Preparing and reviewing legal and witness documentation and supporting witnesses through the coronial process.
· Attending pre-inquest reviews and inquest hearings, representing the Trust where required.
· Advising senior staff on liability, causation, quantum, disclosure, legal process and risk.
· Working closely with external solicitors, counsel, NHS Resolution and HM Coroner.
· Managing matters where multiple legal and regulatory processes intersect.
· Identifying legal and reputational risk and advising on appropriate mitigation.
· Contributing to legal learning, governance and risk management across the Trust.
· Supporting colleagues with complex Court of Protection, Mental Health Act, safeguarding, data protection, Family and Criminal Court matters.
· Providing supervision and guidance to colleagues and deputising for the Legal Services Manager when required.
Working for our organisation
South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust is one of the UK’s leading mental health providers, with an international reputation for the quality of its services, research and training.
Our Legal Services team operates in a uniquely complex legal environment. The breadth of the Trust’s services means that our lawyers and legal professionals encounter challenging issues spanning clinical negligence, coronial law, mental health and capacity law, safeguarding, information governance, regulatory matters and litigation.
This role provides the opportunity to work closely with senior clinical and corporate colleagues and external legal professionals, while developing an in-depth understanding of the legal and regulatory issues facing a major mental health provider.
You will be supported to develop your professional expertise and will have access to learning and development opportunities. Our links with King’s Health Partners, King’s College London and the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience provide an additional opportunity to work within a leading academic and research environment.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
This is a role for a legally minded professional who enjoys getting to grips with complex cases, analysing evidence and providing clear, pragmatic legal advice.
You will manage cases from initial notification through to resolution, working with NHS Resolution, external solicitors and counsel as appropriate. You will analyse complex information from multiple sources, identify legal and reputational risks and ensure the Trust’s position is properly considered and represented.
You will have a particularly important role in complex inquests, including liaising with HM Coroner, preparing evidence and witnesses, attending hearings and advising the Trust on emerging issues and risks.
The role also provides exposure to a broad range of legal work, including Court of Protection, Mental Health Act, safeguarding, data protection, Family and Criminal Court matters and complex complaints.
You will contribute to the Trust’s legal risk management and learning from claims and inquests, as well as developing guidance and delivering training to colleagues.
We are looking for someone with significant relevant legal experience and strong analytical, drafting and case-management skills. A legal qualification and current practising certificate as a solicitor or other regulated legal professional would be desirable. Experience of complex claims, inquests or working within a mental health or NHS environment would be an advantage.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- • Educated to degree level or equivalent experience in a relevant field.
- • Evidence of continuing professional development.
Desirable criteria
- • Registered solicitor or other regulated legal professional with a current practising certificate and good standing with the relevant professional body.
Experience
Essential criteria
- Significant experience working in claims, inquests, legal services, governance, risk management, patient safety, complaints or a related NHS setting.
- Experience of working with clinicians, senior managers, legal advisers and external agencies.
- Experience of drafting reports, statements, briefings and formal correspondence.
- Experience of managing competing deadlines and priorities.
- Experience of supporting staff involved in challenging or sensitive processes.
Desirable criteria
- Experience of managing complex and sensitive cases.
- Experience of analysing information from multiple sources and identifying themes, risks and learning.
- Experience working with or for Mental Health providers
Knowledge
Essential criteria
- • Knowledge of relevant legislation and guidance, including clinical negligence processes, coronial processes, data protection and disclosure requirements.
- • Understanding of NHS Resolution processes and requirements.
- • Understanding of the coronial process and the role of HM Coroner.
- • Knowledge of disclosure obligations and information governance requirements.
Desirable criteria
- • Understanding of Duty of Candour and organisational learning from adverse events.
- • Understanding of NHS governance structures and patient safety frameworks.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties 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.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Caroline Carrick
- Job title
- Legal Services Manager
- Email address
- [email protected]
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