Head of Legal Services

University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust

The closing date is 01 April 2026

For this senior role reporting to the Director of Corporate and Legal Affairs, we are seeking an experienced legal professional to lead a dedicated, high‑performing legal service, inquests, and claims management function for the Trust.

The postholder will provide strategic and operational management for the UHL Legal Services Team. The post holder will ensure that expert, highly‑specialised legal advice is available to Trust clinicians and senior managers as required on a range of complex and sensitive legal issues. They will identify trends for Trust‑wide learning from claims and inquests and requirements for improvement, working closely with other senior Trust leaders.

The post holder will also be involved in Freedom of Information Act work.

To be responsible for leading and managing all aspects of the Legal Services function, ensuring that there is a dedicated, high‑performing, effective legal service that delivers best practice Trust‑wide and when engaging with external organisations.

To provide strategic leadership and direction for the team to maximise learning and quality improvement, and have overarching responsibility and accountability for all work carried out in the Legal Services Department.

To ensure that expert, highly specialist legal advice is available to clinicians, senior managers and members of the Trust Board on a broad range of highly complex, confidential and sensitive legal matters, including the provision of general advice relating to healthcare matters, and the application of legal services legislation and regulation Trust‑wide.

To manage and monitor all claims and inquests, and identify any trends for Trust‑wide learning. To provide detailed reports on legal services trends and performance.

To undertake internal reviews of FOI responses when requested in line with the Trust's FOI Policy, providing an independent judgement on legal and procedural FOIA compliance and reviewing any relevant judgements or regulatory decisions from the Information Commissioner's Office.

Our new strategy, developed with the support and feedback of colleagues, patients, and partners, is our compass for the next seven years (2023‑2030).

We have four primary goals:

• high‑quality care for all,
• being a great place to work,
• partnerships for impact,
• research and education excellence

And we will embed health equality in all we do - taking active steps to reduce the avoidable differences in healthcare that some people face, working in partnership with communities.

Our strategy is underpinned by new values and we will work to ensure they are an everyday reality for all:

• we are compassionate,
• we are proud,
• we are inclusive,
• we are one team

This is an exciting moment as we look to the future with clarity on what we already do well and where we need to focus our energies to make an even bigger difference for the people we serve.

About the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust:

To establish, develop, review and maintain appropriate claims handling procedures and policies on behalf of the Trust.

To establish systems whereby all reported claims are systematically analysed and interrogated to identify trends and produce information for regular feedback to frontline staff and management for review and action.

To ensure the on‑going development and training of Litigation, Claims and Inquests staff.

To be part of the senior leadership team for the Directorate of Corporate and Legal Affairs.

To work appropriately with Group colleagues.

To have excellent keyboard and information management skills.

To manage budgets in accordance with authority delegated by the Director of Corporate and Legal Affairs and in compliance with the Trusts corporate governance policies including Standing Orders and Standing Financial instructions, and contribute to the Directorates annual financial and operational planning cycle.

To undertake the management of specific projects contributing to the corporate objectives of the Trust as directed by the Director of Corporate and Legal Affairs.

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