Job summary
The post holder will interpret national guidance and as necessary make it operational and embedded within the Trust. The post holder will report into the General Counsel and will work collaboratively with the Chief People Officer, Deputy Chief People Officer, Directors of People, Associate Directors, HR Business Partners, Senior HR Advisors, as well as the Responsible Officer and external legal providers.The post holder will support the provision of a specialised and effective high quality employment legal service that meets the needs of Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and other organisations as appropriate. They will advise the respective teams with regard to the operational management of employment tribunals and other external legal processes. The post holder will also contribute to the Trust's HR governance processes.The post holder will also work in collaboration with other HR Departments across the region to provide support, learning and advice as part of the development of the collaborative model across Liverpool.
Main duties of the job
- Advising on any changes to legal regulations as required, which may impact the Trust's employment policies and procedures
- Responsibility for drafting Trust wide policies relating to Employment Law processes and HR guidelines, and having oversight of the management of these policies across the organisation.
- Consider and identify organisational learning at all stages, with the respective HR Business Partner, ensuring that the relevant groups are involved throughout.
- Lead on the provision of employment legal advice to the Senior HR Leadership Team and Business HR Team to resolve complex, wide ranging, highly sensitive and sometimes contentious issues.
- Provision of advice on complex disciplinary matters, both administrative and clinical, TUPE, equal pay, industrial action, discrimination, working time regulations, MHPS, and representation at Employment Tribunals, and Employment Appeal Tribunals.
- Advising on specialist aspects of employment law affecting the NHS.
- Prepare and deliver a range of training sessions for clinical and support staff, across all grades and disciplines, to develop knowledge in relation to relevant legal HR matters.
- Review, draft and advise the Trust on employment contracts and standard documents as appropriate
- Act as the Trust's Employment Solicitor in relation to all court actions and appearances, involving the defence of all relevant types of court actions raised.
About us
Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust was created on 1 October 2019 following the merger of two adult acute Trusts, Aintree University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and the Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust.
The merger provides an opportunity to reconfigure services in a way that provides the best healthcare services to the city and improves the quality of care and health outcomes that patients experience.
The Trust runs Aintree University Hospital, Broadgreen Hospital, Liverpool University Dental Hospital and the Royal Liverpool University Hospital.
It serves a core population of around 630,000 people across Merseyside as well as providing a range of highly specialist services to a catchment area of more than two million people in the North West region and beyond.
To hear more about our achievements click here https://www.liverpoolft.nhs.uk/media/13089/1606-annual-report-booklet_final.pdf
Follow us on Social Media:
Facebook - Liverpool University Hospitals Careers
Instagram - @LUHFTcareers
Twitter - @LUHFTcareers
Job description
Job responsibilities
- To prepare reports as required by the Chief People Officer, Deputy Chief People Officer and General Counsel for Trust Executive meetings, HLT meetings and / or Divisional Governance meetings.
- To deputise for the General Counsel at committees as and when required.
- To take part in and / or supervise complex investigations required by the Trust or regional colleagues.
- Liaise with professional colleagues within the Trust in order to increase the level of skill and knowledge within the HR and Legal Departments, to ensure adequate cover and continuity of work and that consistent legal advice is given to the Trust.
- Ensure regular and timely reports for the Chief People Officer and Deputy Chief People Officer on progress of external legal claims.
- To have responsibility for auditing of policies and processes across the Legal Services Department and HR Department. To ensure all policies are held in a central location and a regular audit is undertaken for assurance purposes.
- To provide support, learning and advice as part of the development of the collaborative model across Liverpool.
- To have full responsibility for and manage the Legal Services Managers on a day-to-day basis.
Job description
Job responsibilities
- To prepare reports as required by the Chief People Officer, Deputy Chief People Officer and General Counsel for Trust Executive meetings, HLT meetings and / or Divisional Governance meetings.
- To deputise for the General Counsel at committees as and when required.
- To take part in and / or supervise complex investigations required by the Trust or regional colleagues.
- Liaise with professional colleagues within the Trust in order to increase the level of skill and knowledge within the HR and Legal Departments, to ensure adequate cover and continuity of work and that consistent legal advice is given to the Trust.
- Ensure regular and timely reports for the Chief People Officer and Deputy Chief People Officer on progress of external legal claims.
- To have responsibility for auditing of policies and processes across the Legal Services Department and HR Department. To ensure all policies are held in a central location and a regular audit is undertaken for assurance purposes.
- To provide support, learning and advice as part of the development of the collaborative model across Liverpool.
- To have full responsibility for and manage the Legal Services Managers on a day-to-day basis.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Qualified lawyer in England and Wales or other common law jurisdiction.
- Masters qualification, or equivalent
- Evidence of continued professional development
Experience
Essential
- Significant PQE in Employment / HR Law
- Significant experience in advising on and supporting highly complex HR employee relations case work, including Employment Tribunals.
- Significant experience of building, maintaining, and utilising successful partnerships across a range of stakeholders to influence and drive change.
- A good understanding of employment law, policies, procedures relating to recruitment, temporary staff, payroll and pensions.
- Experience of policy development and implementation
- Demonstrable leadership experience, including management of teams of working to tight and challenging deadlines, managing complex and multiple pieces of work.
- Previous experience in presenting to large and small audiences, and facilitation of agreement between stakeholders using variety of communication techniques, including negotiation, persuasion and empathy.
- Experience of dealing with complex and sensitive matters, and with challenging, highly contentious and at times confrontational situations.
Desirable
- Substantial experience of working in a multidisciplinary team.
Knowledge
Essential
- The ability to analyse complex situations and ambiguous information.
- Evidence of the ability to manage conflict and sensitive situations, acting with tact and diplomacy.
- Broad understanding of the current NHS Policy and workforce issues in NHS working practices.
- Knowledge and experience of the need to maintain confidentiality
Desirable
- A sound knowledge of the Agenda for Change NHS Terms and Conditions of Service
- Good knowledge of the internal workings of an NHS organisation.
Skills
Essential
- Excellent inter-personal skills with the ability to facilitate effective relationships with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills with the proven ability to manage and convey highly complex, sensitive and potentially contentious information regarding a wide range of topics.
- Ability to process conflicting information, rely on judgment and past experience to understand the situation and implications of potential responses, and make wellreasoned decisions.
- Ability to plan and organise own workload with a high level of autonomy, ensuring work is delivered to challenging deadlines and managing complex and multiple pieces of work.
- Ability to write and implement policies.
- Maintain strong relationships with the Trust's Hospital Leadership Teams, advising them on complex information on claims and lessons to be learnt.
- High level influencing, persuasion and negotiating skills.
- To be able to deputise for the General Counsel at meetings as and when required.
- Confident and resilient.
- Ability to produce reports to the Executive Team and HLTs.
- Personal impact, drive, enthusiasm, and commitment.
- Ability to work under pressure, meet strict deadlines and respond flexibility to changing priorities e.g. attend meetings outside of normal working hours
- Initiative, self-motivation and ability to problem solve.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Qualified lawyer in England and Wales or other common law jurisdiction.
- Masters qualification, or equivalent
- Evidence of continued professional development
Experience
Essential
- Significant PQE in Employment / HR Law
- Significant experience in advising on and supporting highly complex HR employee relations case work, including Employment Tribunals.
- Significant experience of building, maintaining, and utilising successful partnerships across a range of stakeholders to influence and drive change.
- A good understanding of employment law, policies, procedures relating to recruitment, temporary staff, payroll and pensions.
- Experience of policy development and implementation
- Demonstrable leadership experience, including management of teams of working to tight and challenging deadlines, managing complex and multiple pieces of work.
- Previous experience in presenting to large and small audiences, and facilitation of agreement between stakeholders using variety of communication techniques, including negotiation, persuasion and empathy.
- Experience of dealing with complex and sensitive matters, and with challenging, highly contentious and at times confrontational situations.
Desirable
- Substantial experience of working in a multidisciplinary team.
Knowledge
Essential
- The ability to analyse complex situations and ambiguous information.
- Evidence of the ability to manage conflict and sensitive situations, acting with tact and diplomacy.
- Broad understanding of the current NHS Policy and workforce issues in NHS working practices.
- Knowledge and experience of the need to maintain confidentiality
Desirable
- A sound knowledge of the Agenda for Change NHS Terms and Conditions of Service
- Good knowledge of the internal workings of an NHS organisation.
Skills
Essential
- Excellent inter-personal skills with the ability to facilitate effective relationships with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills with the proven ability to manage and convey highly complex, sensitive and potentially contentious information regarding a wide range of topics.
- Ability to process conflicting information, rely on judgment and past experience to understand the situation and implications of potential responses, and make wellreasoned decisions.
- Ability to plan and organise own workload with a high level of autonomy, ensuring work is delivered to challenging deadlines and managing complex and multiple pieces of work.
- Ability to write and implement policies.
- Maintain strong relationships with the Trust's Hospital Leadership Teams, advising them on complex information on claims and lessons to be learnt.
- High level influencing, persuasion and negotiating skills.
- To be able to deputise for the General Counsel at meetings as and when required.
- Confident and resilient.
- Ability to produce reports to the Executive Team and HLTs.
- Personal impact, drive, enthusiasm, and commitment.
- Ability to work under pressure, meet strict deadlines and respond flexibility to changing priorities e.g. attend meetings outside of normal working hours
- Initiative, self-motivation and ability to problem solve.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Additional information
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
