Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust provides specialist mental health, learning disability, and community healthcare services for the population of the Black Country.
Across the Black Country we provide:
- Adult and older adult mental health services
- Specialist learning disability services
- Mental health services for children and young people
- Community healthcare services for children, young people and families in Dudley
Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust was formed on 1 April 2020, with the merger of Black Country Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and Dudley and Walsall Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust. Combining resources, strategies and talented workforce enables us to deliver a wider variety of outstanding services that are based on best practice and are continually improving.
We currently employ over 4,000 people and just like the population we serve, we are made up of diverse cultures and backgrounds. Whatever your role, working in a NHS Foundation Trust, like ours, is a demanding and extremely rewarding experience. Knowing that every day you can help to make a positive difference to someone’s life is a very powerful feeling. We know that our Trust runs on this desire to help and support people, and our Trust vision expresses this. Our vision is to improve health and wellbeing for everyone, especially our colleagues to achieve the best possible work/life balance.
We proudly offer supportive, inclusive and family friendly employment and flexible working policies. We have a wide range of professional services and employee networks to help our colleagues be at their best - and find support if they need it. To find more about our staff benefits, please visit our website: blackcountryhealthcare.nhs.uk.
Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women and ethnic minority candidates are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At Black Country Healthcare we recognise and value all forms of knowledge and expertise, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification or criteria in the job description/person specification, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.
For further supporting information to help you apply for this role please see documents attached under ‘Additional documents’.
Job overview
An exciting opportunity has arisen to join a Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and support development of in-house Legal Affairs Team - this role specialising in Employment and Contracts Law
You will need to have a recognised legal qualification and current professional registration, combined with recent experience in the field of employment and contracts law.
You should be self-motivated and enthusiastic, with excellent written and verbal communication skills, an eye for accuracy and detail, and a desire to ensure high quality care and services to patients, staff and the public.
You will be responsible for providing legal advice and services to Trust staff across a wide range of matters, including supporting HR Department with employment law matters as well as Contracts & Procurement Teams as well as Estate Teams with contract related matters.
An ability to work with minimal supervision and manage day to day systems, processes and teams whilst managing a personal workload is essential.
In return we offer a best in class pension scheme, flexible working patterns and work locations coupled with excellent work -life balance. Furthermore the trust has a host of discounts and incentives - including salary sacrifice car scheme.
Main duties of the job
Detailed duties have been outlined in the attached job description and personal specification documents attached below for candidates to review.
- To provide professional legal advice and representation to clients regarding issues, processes, legal claims/concerns/disputes/risk management, policy and procedures.
- To represent the client in formal negotiations, legal proceedings, at courts, tribunals, or other venues, undertaking advocacy where appropriate.
- To take and maintain detailed and accurate notes of meetings, such as court hearings, witness meetings, tribunals, inquests and case conferences and other key activities (as appropriate for the specialist area of law) for use by the post holder and others.
- To draft advice and formal legal documentation, such as formal legal correspondence witness statements, instructions to counsel and experts, agreements, contractual documentation, court documents and forms, or policies.
- Generally, to work autonomously with responsibility for the day-to-day management of their own case load.
- Line management and supervision of junior qualified lawyers, pre-qualified lawyers (such as paralegals and trainee solicitors) and support staff as required.
- To work with our legal case and document management systems and processes, to securely create, store and share documents, to enter and maintain key information, including key dates and accurate records of time spent.
Working for our organisation
We’re a Trust that’s big enough to make an impact, but small enough to feel personal. We care deeply about our people - both those we support in the community and those who work with us. As our Trust Solicitor you’ll play a key role in shaping our future, improving our culture, driving excellence, and helping us deliver compassionate, high-quality care every day.
This is your chance to make a lasting impact. To help us do our best for the Black Country, and for everyone who calls it home.
Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust provides specialist mental health, learning disability, and community healthcare services for the population of the Black Country. Across the whole of the region, we provide:
- Adult and older adult mental health services
- Specialist learning disability services
- CAMHS
Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust was formed on 1 April 2020, after NHS England and NHS Improvement approved the merger of Black Country Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and Dudley and Walsall Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust.
Combining resources, strategies and talented workforce enables us to deliver a wider variety of outstanding services that are based on best practice and are continually improving.
As a public body, we are accountable to the people we serve. The Trust Board is responsible for determining the strategy and overall direction of the Trust in an open, honest, and transparent manner.
We reserve the right to bring the closing date forward for this vacancy at any time should we receive an overwhelming response of applications. We therefore encourage applicants to apply early if you wish to be considered for this post.
If you do not hear from the Recruitment team within the advertised closing date please assume that you have been unsuccessful at the shortlisting stage. Please ensure that you check your emails on a regular basis for any recruitment updates regarding this vacancy. If you are not successful at the shortlisting stage and would like feedback, please contact the Recruitment Team directly for feedback.
The salary range quoted is as per NHS Agenda for Change pay structures where applicable. This is based on the number of years’ working directly within the NHS at the advertised pay band. Experience gained with other NHS Trusts will apply, but candidates without prior experience working direct for the NHS would normally be appointed at the lowest point unless they can demonstrate the equivalent experience and then be eligible for incremental increases in future years.
