Deputy Head of Legal Services - Inquests

Job overview To deputise for the Head of Legal Services in the management of the Legal Services Department and Subject Access Request Team and to directly line manager the Claims and Inquest Officers; To provide cross‑cover for the duties of the Deputy Head of Legal Services – Claims, as required; To act as a role model and provide positive, professional and accountable leadership to the legal team; Main duties of the job Role and Leadership: The post involves deputising for the Head of Legal Services, managing the Legal Services Department and Subject Access Request Team, and directly line‑managing Claims and Inquest Officers, providing accountable leadership to the legal team. Inquest Management: The role requires independently conducting a portfolio of complex coroner’s inquests, acting as legal advocate in court, liaising with coroners, instructing external legal representation, and preparing responses to Regulation reports to ensure compliance and organisational learning. Patient Safety and Communication: Identifying and escalating patient safety risks from claims or inquests, and providing non‑clinical information to patients and relatives about legal claims and inquest processes. Policy, Training, and Development: Advising on clinical and non‑clinical policies, assisting in legal training development and delivery for staff, researching legal developments, leading inquest case management meetings, and supporting continuous professional development. Working for our organisation Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the largest NHS teaching trusts in the country. It provides a wide range of general and specialist clinical services and is a base for medical education, training and research. The Trust comprises four hospitals – the John Radcliffe Hospital, Churchill Hospital and Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre in Headington and the Horton General Hospital in Banbury. Our values, standards and behaviours define the quality of clinical care we offer and the professional relationships we make with our patients, colleagues and the wider community. We call this Delivering Compassionate Excellence and its focus is on our values of compassion, respect, learning, delivery, improvement and excellence. #J-18808-Ljbffr