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About the Organisation:
National Services Scotland (NSS) is a national NHS Board operating right at the heart of NHSScotland (NHSS) providing invaluable support and advice at a strategic and operational level. NSS supports NHSS to deliver their services more efficiently and effectively and we offer shared services on a national scale using best-in-class systems and standards. Our priority is always the same – to improve the health and well-being of the people of Scotland. We do this by working in partnership with colleagues across Health and Social Care to deliver fit for purpose solutions and systems, delivering high quality services that help our stakeholders to free up resources so they can be re-invested into essential services. Supporting the join-up of Health and Social care through digitisation and inter-operability is an important part of the role.
The Post:
Central Legal Office (CLO) provides legal advice and support to the 22 NHS Boards in Scotland on all legal matters.
As the professional lead for legal services and legal professionals in NHS Scotland, this role will provide strong and effective leadership, expert legal advice and assurance on all legal matters and related governance issues to the NSS Board, NHS Scotland Boards, other stakeholders and staff in order to achieve the optimal balance between governance activities and business performance across NSS.
You will work effectively across the NHS Scotland with a wide range of Executive and Senior Managers, clinicians and non-clinicians to provide expert legal advice. In addition, you will provide strategic direction and leadership in planning, management and provision of high quality legal services to NHS Scotland.
Reporting directly to the Business Unit’s Director, you will be responsible for providing professional leadership and direction to 132 staff and you will oversee a total operational revenue budget of £11m for a range of budgetary areas.
In addition, you will be accountable to the Court of Session for all NHS Litigation across the whole of NHS Scotland.
The Candidate:
You should be hold a Law degree and poses the Law Society Practicing Certificate. In addition, you will require to have extensive post qualifying experience in practicing law, preferably in litigation with demonstrable Court of Session experience.
You will be required to have considerable experience of leading and managing a significant fee earning law practice, ensuring quality of client service, managing competing workloads and priorities and delivering commercial return through services and activities while managing risks.
Ideally you will have extensive knowledge and experience of public section, NHS experience is desirable.
The successful candidate will be required to undergo a Disclosure Scotland check. Any candidate who have lived/worked overseas for more than 12 months in the preceding 5 years will also be required to provide a criminal record check from the appropriate overseas agency.
Location and Working Pattern:
This post is based at Anderson House, Edinburgh however we are currently working in a Hybrid model with the exact details of this still to be confirmed.
Benefits:
Our benefits package includes pension scheme, comprehensive range of work life balance policies, occupational health services, learning resource centres and discounted leisure, financial and shopping benefits
Further Information:
For an informal discussion on the post, please contact Carolyn Low, NSS Finance Director on Carolyn.Low@nhs.scot
Further information on NSS is available from: www.nhsnss.org
Closing date for completed applications is 15 August 2022.
Please note that the majority of correspondence is sent by e-mail only, so please check your e-mail regularly (including junk folders).
NHS National Services Scotland is an equal opportunities employer and as committed participant in the disability confident scheme, guarantees to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for our vacancies