Mental Healthcare Jobs

About Hempsons:

With 250 staff and lawyers working across our five offices nationwide, Hempsons is a leading law firm for the health and social care, charity, education and social enterprise sectors. We help clients overcome a constantly evolving list of challenges. This is a time of change and opportunity for our clients, as highlighted by recent investment into the NHS and the sharpening focus on innovation, technology, integration, new ways of working and efficiency.


We are the leading national defendant clinical negligence firm, with three of our offices ranked as ‘top tier’ by the Legal 500 and many of our teams attracting individual praise.


Our aim is to provide outstanding legal services that deliver the best possible client outcomes whilst nurturing a culture that makes us a “great place to work”.


We offer an excellent benefits package with Hybrid Working available for all lawyers.

The Role:


Our Healthcare Advisory Team work on a range of matters including inquests, mental health law, mental capacity and Court of Protection and general advisory queries regarding patient-facing issues. The work will involve high profile and sensitive cases, acting largely for the NHS but also private health providers and MDOs.

Ideally, you will have at least 2 years PQE in this area, potentially with some advocacy experience. Confident and be able to hit the ground running with good understanding of the NHS. Due to the nature of the work, strong communication skills are vital to communicate and work with senior NHS management. 

We will consider those seeking Solicitor, Senior Solicitor or Associate level positions.


The Team:


Our team of lawyers are experienced in high profile cases and act for a number of NHS teaching hospitals, NHS mental health trusts, third sector organisations and NHS commissioners. This role is based within the London Healthcare Advisory team which currently includes 2 partners, 1 associate, 2 solicitors and a paralegal.


We are looking for lawyers with experience of at least two of our key areas of practice: inquests, mental capacity and mental health law. Ideally this will be supplemented by strong advocacy experience and further knowledge of information governance, clinical negligence, or child law.

The work will include contested Court of Protection and Family Division cases regarding best interests and experience of this is highly desirable. The successful candidate will be part of a friendly London-based team within a wider national team and keen to develop their skill base including advocacy, and improve their technical knowledge of an exciting and fast-moving area of law.


Responsibilities:


Your key responsibilities will include but not limited to: -


• Providing accurate and timely legal advice to clients
• Managing inquest cases including advocacy at PIR and inquest hearings
• Involvement in Court of Protection matters, with occasional urgent treatment cases
• Advising on inquests, mental capacity, mental health, information governance and liability issues including fatal and human rights claims
• Carrying out business development opportunities including client training

Skills and Competencies:


You will have:


• Strong experience in Healthcare Advisory work;


• Ability to handle a busy caseload of Healthcare Advisory cases, which will include but not limited to inquests, Court of Protection matters, mental health and mental capacity, treatment cases and general healthcare advice.


• A genuine interest and desire to develop further experience in these areas of law;


• Excellent written and verbal communication as well as organisational skills;


• Inquest advocacy experience is desirable;


• Familiarity with NHS Resolution procedures is desirable;


• Experience of providing training is desirable;


• Strong client relationship skills;


• Motivation to fit into a responsive team providing excellent service to our health and social care clients;


• An appreciation of the need to comply with internal and client data security guidelines;


• A strong team work ethos – we all work with colleagues across our five offices.


Hempsons is an equal opportunities employer


Hempsons is committed to providing equal opportunities for all and to encouraging diversity through recruitment. Applications are welcome from all sections of the community and decisions to progress will be made with reference to entirely objective criteria only.

Hempsons is an agile firm and open to discussions over Hybrid/Flexible Working.