Job overview

Legal & Risk Services is a division of the NHS Wales shared Services Partnership which provides a comprehensive legal advisory service to the NHS.

Our Core Values, which are important in how we work with our clients and how we support our colleagues, are:

• Listening and Learning
• Working together
• Taking responsibility
• Innovating

We have an exciting opportunity for a Paralegal to join our Complex Patient Team with a particular focus on Court of Protection work. You will be assisting our growing team of solicitors and fellow paralegals who advise and represent the whole of the NHS in Wales.

The types of cases we typically advise on include:

• Consent and capacity for adults and children
• Use of restraint
• Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (soon to transition to the Liberty Protection Safeguards)
• Mental Heath
• End of life decision making
• Inquests that have issues of Mental Health or Mental Capacity.

The Team are experts in their field who are regularly instructed in novel and high profile cases. We work closely with our clients’ Mental Health, Learning Disability, Paediatric, Nursing, and Intensive Care teams.

The ideal candidate for this position must have good communication skills, a confident approach to work and can demonstrate our core values. There will be a need for empathy and sensitivity due to the very personal nature of the cases we deal with.

Main duties of the job

You will assist in the day-to-day management of cases under close supervision of a Senior Lawyer. You will have opportunities to contribute to the team and wider Legal & Risk family. You will be responsible for opening new enquiries, liaising with clients and witnesses, attending hearings at court and helping witnesses navigate the court process. This will include reviewing medical records/reports, drafting letters to obtain evidence and assisting in the preparation of client advice, witness statements, court bundles, and instructions to counsel.

The post holder will need to establish and maintain good working relationships with a variety of health care professionals, colleagues within Legal & Risk Services, Court officers, witnesses and experts.

Some experience in Court of Protection is desirable but what is important is a genuine interest in this area of work.

The ability to speak Welsh is desirable for this post; English and/or Welsh 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.  To find out more about working for us, the benefits we offer and guidance on the application process please visit https://nwssp.nhs.wales/working-for-us/

NWSSP work in an agile way where possible, all posts will have a contractual base but as part of agile ways of working that may mean working from home and other locations. We also look at how we balance flexibility with community, and how to manage opportunities to learn from each other.