Senior Lawyer - Inquest Team in Cardiff

This is an exciting opportunity to join a thriving and growing team which provides advice and support to clients across Wales in respect of Inquests. As a senior lawyer, you will be a key member of the team, supervising others and delivering training whilst providing high-quality legal services to our NHS clients. The role involves having your own caseload of complex Inquest matters and conducting advocacy.

Main duties of the job

Legal and Risk Services are looking for an experienced Inquest solicitor capable of working with minimum supervision. Candidates are sought that fit with the values of the NHS in Wales to be open and transparent about inquest investigations and to help ensure lessons are learned. The post will be suitable for solicitors, barristers or legal executives with experience in Mental Health and Clinical Negligence, and advocacy in multi-day Article 2 inquests before juries. As a senior member of the team, the candidate will also be expected to train, mentor and professionally supervise more junior members.

The ideal candidate for the above position must have good communication skills, a confident approach to work and can demonstrate our core values:

• Listening and Learning
• Working Together
• Taking Responsibility
• Innovating

The ability to speak Welsh is desirable for this post; Welsh and/or English speakers are equally welcome to apply.

Working for our organisation

At NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership we expect everyone to embrace our values of Listening and Learning, Working Together, Taking Responsibility and Innovating. Our organisation encourages an agile working approach and we pride ourselves on being a learning organisation motivated by continuous improvement. We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace that values equality, diversity and inclusion, focussing on the wellbeing and belonging of our people. Excellent customer service is something we strive for, for both our internal and external customers. Offering a comprehensive benefits package, there is something for everyone.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

You will be able to find a full Job description and Person Specification attached within the supporting documents or please click “Apply now” to view in Trac.

Person specification

Qualifications and/or Knowledge

• Law degree & Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice (or equivalent)
• A qualified lawyer who is either of the following:
• A qualified solicitor admitted to the roll of solicitors of England and Wales
• A Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx) and where the specialist area of law described in the role profile includes civil litigation, the postholder is required to have been awarded the CILEx Civil Proceedings Advocacy certification
• A qualified barrister admitted to the bar in England and Wales
• Relevant Legal Knowledge NHS/public sector background

Experience

• Substantial relevant post-qualification experience in relevant field/fields of law as specified in the role profile i.e. litigation gained through practice.
• Experience of managing people.
• Extensive experience of reviewing large numbers of documents Defendant litigation/ experience in relevant field of law
• Experience of making presentations to legal staff

Aptitude and Abilities

• IT Skills/Computer literate to include the ability to learn new technologies and IT introduced.
• Ability to communicate in all formats on complex business and legal processes.
• Ability to negotiate in often difficult or emotional circumstances
• Ability to prioritise and organise own work whilst being an effective leader of the team
• Ability to recognise own capabilities
• Ability and enthusiasm to train, mentor and professionally supervise more junior members of the team
• Ability and enthusiasm to grow the work of the department and to build on and broaden the team’s reputation within and outside the NHS
• Experience of writing reports suitable for senior and executive level audiences
• Higher Advocacy Skills
• Experience of using social media to promote individual professional achievements and to enhance Legal and Risk’s reputation
• Welsh Language Skills are desirable levels 1 to 5 in understanding, speaking, reading, and writing in Welsh

Other

• Willing to undertake further professional development
• Able to travel to undertake the duties of the post at various locations
• Demonstrate how your personal qualities match against our NWSSP core values: Listening and learning - Working together - Taking responsibility & Innovating
• Deliver excellent customer service to our internal and external customers, helping us to maintain the customer service excellence standard

We are committed to flexible working and equal opportunities. To work in the UK, all candidates who are not UK or Republic of Ireland (RoI) nationals require sponsorship to obtain either a Health and Care visa or Skilled Worker visa, unless you have permission to work via another route. Non UK / RoI candidates wishing to apply should self-assess the likelihood of obtaining a Certificate of Sponsorship by visiting Work in the UK. If you are eligible for the Health and Care visa, application costs are lower and you do not need to pay the annual Immigration Health Surcharge.

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.