Deputy Head of Legal Services - Inquests

Deputy Head of Legal Services - Inquests\nNHS AfC: Band 8a\n

Main area Specialist Inquest Experience Grade NHS AfC: Band 8a Contract Permanent Hours Part time - 25 hours per week Job ref 321-CORP-7601732-B8a

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Site Legal Services, 1st Floor Stable Block Town Oxford Salary £55,690 - £62,682 per annum pro rata Salary period Yearly Closing 02/12/2025 23:59 Interview date 22/12/2025

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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.

\nJob overview\n

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• Depute the Head of Legal Services in the management of the Legal Services Department and Subject Access Request Team and directly line manage the Claims and Inquest Officers;
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• Provide cross‑cover for the duties of the Deputy Head of Legal Services -Claims as required;
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• Act as a role model and provide positive, professional and accountable leadership to the legal team.
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\nMain duties of the job\nRole and Leadership\n

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.

\nInquest Management\n

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 28 reports to ensure compliance and organisational learning.

\nPatient Safety and Communication\n

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.

\nPolicy, Training, and Development\n

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.

\nDetailed job description and main responsibilities\n

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• Providing expert legal advice on healthcare law including patient consent, capacity, confidentiality, safeguarding, and regulatory matters, and briefing senior management on sensitive legal issues with potential operational or reputational impact.
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• liaising with safeguarding leads on care proceedings, providing advice on disclosure and statements, supporting staff giving evidence in family courts, and advising on complex legal issues related to Mental Capacity Act and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards.
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• Deputising in managing police requests for healthcare records and statements, ensuring compliance with GDPR and confidentiality, liaising with police and security, and advising on legal actions to protect patients and staff during violent or threatening incidents.
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• Assisting in preparing claims reports, managing inquest data audits, attending committees, supporting complaint and incident report reviews, alongside developing operational procedures for efficient inquest management.
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\nProfessional Qualification & Specialist Experience in Inquests\n

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• Must be a qualified solicitor, Legal Executive, or Barrister admitted to practice in England and Wales, with relevant post‑qualification experience.
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• Educated to degree level with the LPC or equivalent qualification.
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• Significant specialist work experience in inquest management within an NHS Trust or similar environment.
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• Significant leadership experience, with excellent verbal, written, and presentation skills.
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• Ability to communicate with a wide range of audiences and establish credibility quickly.
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• Ability to analyse and process highly complex facts and information in respect to clinical negligence claims and devise appropriate management strategies.
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• Previous experience working in health and social care law, beyond the essential NHS claims and inquest management background.
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• Experience working in a public sector, legal, or insurance environment, especially at a senior level in a large, complex, and dynamic organisation.
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• Demonstrated experience in staff management, training, teaching, setting objectives, and performance management, including holding people to account.
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• Knowledge of the Mental Capacity Act, Mental Health Act, and other associated general advice matters.
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COVID‑19: The COVID‑19 vaccination remains the best way to protect yourself, your family, your colleagues and of course our patients from the virus when working in our healthcare settings. Whilst COVID‑19 vaccination is not a condition of employment, we do encourage our staff to get vaccinated. If you are unvaccinated there is helpful advice and information at Oxfordshire County Council Website where you can also find out more about how to access vaccination.

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Vacancy Closures: Please note, this vacancy may close early if a high volume of applications are received.

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Probation Period: This post is subject to a 6 month probationary period. If you currently hold a contract of employment with the Oxford University Hospitals, this will not apply. This statement does not apply to Medical staff or Executive Appointments.

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Referencing: When providing employment reference details please provide correct work related email addresses so references can be sought promptly when we are looking to progress your application. Your first referee will need to be your line manager, supervisor or clinical lead from your current or most recent post or place of study. Please note that if you have previously worked for the Trust we will require a reference from your last Manager, this information is essential if your offer of employment is to be confirmed.

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Next Steps: Please make sure that you read the job description and person specification, and that your supporting statement reflects this as your application will be judged against these criteria. Candidates selected for interview will be contacted after the short‑listing process, usually within 2 weeks. (Please note that shortlisting times vary when applying for a Medical position within the Trust). The majority of correspondence will be via the e‑recruitment system; therefore you should check your emails regularly including junk mail folders in web‑based email products.

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No unsolicited recruitment agency telephone calls or emails.

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