Job summary
An opportunity has arisen for a highly motivated, competent and dependable Paralegal to join our friendly Legal Services Department at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.
We are looking for an individual with high personal and professional standards, and strong attention to detail. Ideally you will be someone who is adaptable and responds well to a fast-paced environment, with a readiness to learn and develop within the team. You should be calm, professional and able to liaise with a variety of external and internal stakeholders.
The successful candidate will support the day-to-day operation of the Legal Services and be responsible for processing disclosure requests made in contemplation of litigation and by the Police and Local Authorities, as well as seeing to office administration.
It is envisaged that as the successful candidate settles into the role, there will be an opportunity for them to maintain their own claims caseload.
If you would like to have an informal discussion about the role, please contact:
Rebecca Swinton-Bland
Head of Legal Services
rebecca.swinton-bland@nhs.net
(N.B Please note that CVs will not be accepted unless they are submitted through the application process).
Main duties of the job
The Paralegal will work within the Legal Services Department and provide comprehensive administrative support.
In addition, the post holder will process requests for disclosure of medical records and other documents, including requests made by the Police and local authorities.
About us
Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is one of England's top-performing and safest trusts. We operate two main acute hospital sites--Chelsea and Westminster Hospital and West Middlesex University Hospital--along with award-winning clinics across North West London.
Our nearly 7,500 staff care for a diverse population of 1.5 million, providing full clinical services, including maternity, A&E, and children's services, plus specialist HIV and sexual health clinics. The Care Quality Commission rates us 'Good' in safety, effectiveness, care, and responsiveness, and 'Outstanding' in leadership and resource use.
We continually invest in our facilities, including a £30m expansion of critical care at Chelsea and Westminster and an £80m Ambulatory Diagnostic Centre at West Middlesex.
We are committed to equal opportunities and believe that diversity drives innovation and excellence. As part of our dedication to equity, we actively welcome applications from individuals from the global majority, veterans and underrepresented communities. We value the unique perspectives and experiences that diverse teams bring and are committed to creating an environment where all voices are heard, respected, and empowered to succeed."
If you haven't heard from us within three weeks of the closing date, your application was likely unsuccessful. Employment is subject to a six-month probationary period.
Some roles may require weekend shifts at multiple sites.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Administrative and Legal Support
- To provide a high quality administrative service to the Legal Services Department, including but not limited to managing the shared Legal Services mailbox, departmental diary management and room bookings.
- To ensure efficient and effective contact for external and internal callers to the Legal Services, including taking messages.
- To prepare bundles for inquest hearings where required, and to clerk at inquest hearings held remotely from the Trust.
- To scan and process documents received by post.
- To operate Datix Claims Module ensuring that information held on it is accurate and up to date, and new matters are logged in a timely manner.
- To produce reports, documents and presentations using an appropriate level of IT skill, using packages including Word, PowerPoint, Excel and other databases as relevant to the office.
- To provide administrative support to meetings as required including producing agendas, taking minutes, collating papers and ensuring actions are being followed up.
- To organise internal events, book venues, and ensure that equipment is available throughout to ensure smooth running.
- To maintain office stock supplies and to order replacement supplies as required.
- To respond to all queries (within the competence remit), correspondence and telephone calls in a timely and professional manner; initiating action where appropriate.
Office Administration
- Work with other colleagues to ensure that cover is maintained in the Department and in sharing collective tasks such as archiving and decluttering, keeping the office in a neat, functional and efficient state.
- To attend to IT issues relating to the systems used by the Legal Services.
- Be responsible for day-to-day filing of correspondences and notes to the paper and electronic files and maintaining both paper and electronic files appropriately, and to maintain all filing (current and archived), including appropriate systems for the ready location of records, correspondence, and reports, and maintain systems for identification and retrieval of files and other records.
- To set up new files electronically as necessary and file in an efficient manner.
- Use all available IT packages, including but not limited to Datix, Cerner, Evolve, Symphony, ICE, K2, PACS, Word, Excel, Outlook and eProc.
- Contribute to the continued training of new members of staff within the department, as required.
- To update their manager and colleagues within the team when required of workload and workflow for each of their respective areas.
- To carry out other relevant duties when required.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Administrative and Legal Support
- To provide a high quality administrative service to the Legal Services Department, including but not limited to managing the shared Legal Services mailbox, departmental diary management and room bookings.
- To ensure efficient and effective contact for external and internal callers to the Legal Services, including taking messages.
- To prepare bundles for inquest hearings where required, and to clerk at inquest hearings held remotely from the Trust.
- To scan and process documents received by post.
- To operate Datix Claims Module ensuring that information held on it is accurate and up to date, and new matters are logged in a timely manner.
- To produce reports, documents and presentations using an appropriate level of IT skill, using packages including Word, PowerPoint, Excel and other databases as relevant to the office.
- To provide administrative support to meetings as required including producing agendas, taking minutes, collating papers and ensuring actions are being followed up.
- To organise internal events, book venues, and ensure that equipment is available throughout to ensure smooth running.
- To maintain office stock supplies and to order replacement supplies as required.
- To respond to all queries (within the competence remit), correspondence and telephone calls in a timely and professional manner; initiating action where appropriate.
Office Administration
- Work with other colleagues to ensure that cover is maintained in the Department and in sharing collective tasks such as archiving and decluttering, keeping the office in a neat, functional and efficient state.
- To attend to IT issues relating to the systems used by the Legal Services.
- Be responsible for day-to-day filing of correspondences and notes to the paper and electronic files and maintaining both paper and electronic files appropriately, and to maintain all filing (current and archived), including appropriate systems for the ready location of records, correspondence, and reports, and maintain systems for identification and retrieval of files and other records.
- To set up new files electronically as necessary and file in an efficient manner.
- Use all available IT packages, including but not limited to Datix, Cerner, Evolve, Symphony, ICE, K2, PACS, Word, Excel, Outlook and eProc.
- Contribute to the continued training of new members of staff within the department, as required.
- To update their manager and colleagues within the team when required of workload and workflow for each of their respective areas.
- To carry out other relevant duties when required.
Person Specification
Application form
Essential
- Demonstrable exprience of working in an administrative role with admin systems
Desirable
Person Specification
Application form
Essential
- Demonstrable exprience of working in an administrative role with admin systems
Desirable
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.