Job summary
- Main area
- Legal Services
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 8a
- Contract
- Fixed term: 13 months (Maternity Leave Cover)
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 190-0510-DIR
- Employer
- Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Royal Hallamshire Hospital
- Town
- Sheffield
- Salary
- £53,755 - £60,504 Per annum pro rata for part time staff
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 13/07/2025 23:59
- Interview date
- 17/07/2025
Employer heading

Interim Legal Services Manager (Maternity Cover)
NHS AfC: Band 8a
We are committed to helping our staff balance their work and home lives and ensure they feel supported, valued and appreciated so whilst you care for our patients and clients, we’ll take care of you. We offer many different ways of helping staff including career development opportunities, flexible working, good annual leave and pension schemes , health and wellbeing packages and financial support systems. Joining the Trust also allows you access to a number of saving options via our salary sacrifice schemes and a wide range of discount opportunities with retailers and service providers.
Job overview
As Legal Services Manager, you will oversee a caseload of NHS Resolution claims and Coroners’ inquests; you will provide expert legal advice, manage sensitive and complex cases, and support staff through challenging legal processes. This is a pivotal role in ensuring legal compliance, minimising risk, and embedding learning across the Trust.
We are looking for someone with extensive experience in managing healthcare-related legal cases with:
- A strong understanding of NHS Resolution processes and Coroners’ legislation.
- Excellent communication and advocacy skills, with the ability to provide compassionate support.
- A proven ability to manage complex, sensitive, and high-profile legal matters.
Main duties of the job
The main duties of the role are:
- To lead and manage the Legal Services Team, including line management and caseload oversight.
- Handle legal claims and inquests from initial notification to resolution, ensuring compliance with NHS Resolution and Coroners’ legislation.
- Provide expert legal advice and support to senior clinicians, managers, and directors.
- Represent the Trust in Coroner’s Court and liaise with external legal bodies.
- Analyse legal data and produce reports to inform governance and learning.
- Deliver training on legal processes to senior staff across the Trust.
Working for our organisation
Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the UK’s biggest providers of integrated hospital and community-based healthcare providing a comprehensive range of local and tertiary services.
You’ll be part of an integrated Quality Governance Department committed to enhancing patient and staff safety.
This vacancy is advertised on a fixed term contract basis for a period of a maximum of twelve months due to maternity leave of the substantive post holder. The fixed term contract status of the post holder will be reviewed in accordance with the Trust's legal obligations regarding fixed term contracts and statutory maternity provisions.
Please also note any secondment must first be agreed with your current line manager.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please view the attached Job Description and Person Specification documents for full details regarding this post.
The full job description provides an overview of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience and knowledge required.
When completing your application please ensure that you clearly demonstrate how you meet the role criteria.
Person specification
Education and Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Master’s degree or equivalent level qualification and/or equivalent level of recent relevant experience.
Desirable criteria
- Qualified solicitor
- NHS leadership or management qualification
Experience
Essential criteria
- Substantial, proven experience within the field of healthcare law, including managing litigation and inquests, for or on behalf of the NHS.
- Experience of the inquest process including supporting clinicians, providing representation and liaising with HM Coroner and officers including managing and maintaining relationships
- Experience in the management of litigation claims including the autonomous management of a litigation caseload
- Experience of managing staff, including recruitment and management of HR issues.
- Experience of negotiating with and influencing at all levels of seniority
Skills and Knowledge
Essential criteria
- Expertise in healthcare law, including litigation and inquests
- Ability to analyse complex information from a range of sources
- Understanding of the internal and external context within which NHS bodies operate, with particular reference to healthcare law
Personal Qualities
Essential criteria
- Ability to provide leadership and work with senior leaders
- Ability to develop and maintain strong relationships across an organisation and with external partner
- Credibility and enthusiasm for healthcare law
- Ability to be self-motivated and self-directed
- Enthusiasm and interest in ensuring others are trained and developed in healthcare law.
- Values diversity and difference; able to operate with integrity and openness
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Lisa Howlett
- Job title
- Deputy Quality Director
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 07787 411426
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