Head of Legal Services As Head of Legal Services, you will provide expert legal advice across a broad range of healthcare‑related matters, including clinical negligence, coroners' inquests, personal injury claims and complex ethical issues. You will act as a trusted advisor to the Trust's Executive Team, senior clinicians and operational leaders, ensuring legal compliance and supporting continuous improvement in patient safety and governance. You will lead the legal management of inquests, including advocacy and witness support, and oversee the conduct of claims and litigation. You will also play a key role in identifying organisational learning from legal processes and contribute to policy development and internal training. Are you an experienced legal professional with a passion for healthcare law and a commitment to improving patient safety and organisational governance? South East Coast Ambulance NHS Foundation Trust (SECAmb) is seeking a dynamic and highly skilled Head of Legal Services to lead our Legal Services team. Responsibilities

Independently manage and advocate in coroners' inquests. Provide expert legal advice on healthcare law, patient consent, capacity, confidentiality and more. Lead the management of clinical negligence and personal injury claims. Support staff across the Trust with legal guidance and training. Collaborate with governance, safety and clinical teams to embed learning and improve practice. Line manage legal services staff and oversee the department's budget. Act as a confident advocate, examine and cross‑examine witnesses, present evidence, make submissions to coroners on relevant law, understand medical complexities in collaboration with senior clinicians and identify problematic areas for further investigation. Provide advice on the preparation and content of witness statements, liaise with the coroner and officers to meet court requirements, and instruct counsel where necessary. Ensure close liaison with the patient safety team and divisional quality and clinical leads, highlighting areas of risk identified in inquest investigations so lessons are implemented within the Trust. Provide prompt and accurate legal advice on matters including patient consent, withdrawal of life‑sustaining treatment, end‑of‑life decisions, capacity, confidentiality, patient information access, medical ethics, mental health law, trust law, contract law, criminal law, police dealings, child protection, occupier’s liability, legislation interpretation, legal principles and case law. Participate in Trust working groups and committees to develop and implement policy, ensuring compliance with relevant legal frameworks.

Qualifications

Qualified solicitor or barrister. Extensive experience in healthcare law, litigation and inquest advocacy. Strong leadership, communication and analytical skills. Ability to manage complex caseloads and provide clear, strategic legal advice. Experience working within the NHS or public sector is desirable. Excellent written and oral communication, able to convey contentious information in a challenging atmosphere. Experience taking evidence from witnesses and submissions in court or tribunal. Good interpersonal skills, able to work with a range of professionals. Experience developing and delivering training programmes; degree in Law (or relevant degree with completion of conversion course). Masters level qualification or demonstrable experience as a senior expert specialist solicitor or barrister; knowledge of NHS specific legal provisions, structures and social care policies. Advanced theoretical and practical knowledge within the specialised field of health law, including litigation, inquests and general advice on protection of interests of medical staff and organisations. Inquest advocacy experience. Experience managing staff and budgets. Experience using the NHSLA Extranet and Claims Wizard.

Benefits

Option to join NHS pension scheme. Minimum 27 days' holiday each year, increasing after 5 years' service. Personal and professional development and training opportunities. Salary sacrifice schemes for cars or push bikes. Access to occupational health and counselling services. Award‑winning wellbeing hub. Access to NHS discounts, offering employees a range of money‑saving deals. Other than in exceptional circumstances, the starting salary for staff new to the NHS will be the bottom point of the band to which they have been appointed.

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