The successful candidate will be expected to endorse and promote the objectives set out as part of AvMA’s five year strategic plan.
Lawyers Service
- Providing high quality services to our lawyers including identifying and recommending appropriate medical experts to clinical negligence solicitors; maintaining and developing the medical expert database. Routinely considering the Experts’ Protocol and ensuring that it remains relevant and fit for purpose.
Inquest Service
- Assessing cases for eligibility for AvMA’s pro bono Inquest Service according to AvMA’s criteria.
- Preparing cases for the coroner’s court to include sorting medical records; liaising with bereaved families by phone and in writing; researching medical literature; taking and preparing initial statements; liaising with the Coroner’s officer; securing appropriate disclosure documents; instructing counsel; assisting with preparation of bundles of documents for the hearing. Identifying general and specific patient safety issues; considering need for Prevention of Future Death Reports and or Action Plans.
- Attendance at pre-inquest hearings and inquest hearings with counsel and the family. This may involve travel and overnight stays. Out-of-pocket expenses are paid. Although overtime is not payable, time out of the office is recoverable in accordance with AvMA Time Off in Lieu (TOIL) policy. Attendance may also be required to attend partial remote hearings via Teams/Zoom
- Capturing and recording key data from inquests, securing feedback from clients.
- Working with Medico Legal Team Leader to ensure appropriate publicity on case outcomes where appropriate to include obtaining relevant client consents and that the case is written up for potential publication in AvMA’s Lawyer Service Newsletter
Advice & Information Service
- Providing advice, support and information to the public through written casework. This involves helping people affected by medical accidents to obtain an understanding of what has happened to them, their rights and the most appropriate option(s) for resolving their concerns and meeting their needs including referrals to panel solicitors.
Helpline
- Providing advice and assistance to the public on AvMA’s specialist helpline. Training will be given and in due course assisting the Helpline Development Officer to train helpline volunteers.
Other Duties
- To endorse and promote the objectives set out as part of AvMA’s five year strategic plan: AvMA's 5 Year Strategic Plan
- Junior Certification: Promoting the Certificate Competence Scheme (junior lawyer scheme) to include assessing applications received
- Feedback from clients: Working on the direction of ML Director and ML Team Leader to secure maximum feedback from clients on inquest and advice and information services
- Website: Helping to keep AvMA self-help leaflets up to date on the website
- Occasional representation of AvMA at meetings and events
- Conference: To help develop AvMA’s annual conference programme and other conferences as appropriate.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Legal Casework Manager (Helpline)
Are you aware of the significant health inequalities that people with a learning disability face in the UK and levels of avoidable deaths? Are you passionate about access to justice for the families of people with a learning disability who have died avoidably in acute healthcare settings?
We’re looking for a dedicated Legal Casework Manager (Helpline) to join our committed information and advice team covering England at Mencap on a full time (37.5 hours per week) fixed term contract for 2 years.
Here at Mencap we are a leading charity providing advice, support and opportunities to people with a learning disability across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The role will lead on supporting families to get answers about how their loved ones died and change across the healthcare system to prevent future deaths.
The role is flexible in terms of location, which can include home working, using Mencap’s office bases, such as in London and Peterborough, and will include some national travel, for example to inquest hearings or to meet families when needed.
About the Role
As Legal Casework Manager (Helpline), you’ll provide advice, support, and casework assistance to families facing complex legal issues, specifically relating to people with a learning disability who have died in avoidable circumstances across England, mainly within the healthcare system. Working within a small, supportive team, you’ll manage your own caseload, contribute to the body of knowledge about avoidable deaths and help empower families to understand and exercise their rights and get answers through the inquest and other investigations processes.
Key Responsibilities
· Provide clear, accurate, and timely legal advice and casework support for families.
· Work closely with clients, many of whom will be distressed, ensuring a sensitive, trauma informed and professional approach
· Maintain up-to-date case records and comply with quality and regulatory standards
· Support strategic litigation and advocacy efforts where appropriate
· Liaise with other charities, coroners, legal professionals, and agencies to support families to get answers
· Work towards a world where people with a learning disability are no more at risk of death in hospitals, than any other person
· Manage a team of caseworkers working across different areas of advice.
About You
We’re looking for someone:
· Legally qualified in the UK or similar jurisdiction with at least 3 years post qualification, working in either clinical negligence, inquests or inquiries. Or similar number of years working as a senior case worker in an inquest/clinical negligence/inquiries advice role.
· Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with a non-judgemental and empathetic approach
· Ability to manage a varied workload, prioritise effectively, and work independently
· Ability to travel effectively to support families at inquests, and to attend meetings
· A clear understanding of the importance of professional boundaries and in maintaining their emotional wellbeing in distressing situations
· Strong management skills and ability to supervise, coach and mentor colleagues.
· Experience of accurately recording client case records and use of CRM/client database system
What We Offer
· A meaningful role supporting families and delivering change in a values-driven organisation
· Supportive and collaborative team environment
· Professional supervision
· Flexible working arrangements
Please see attached the full job description for further information on the role.
Closing date: Monday 18th August 2025
Interview date: Thursday 4th September 2025
We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and are committed to creating an inclusive workplace.
Benefits
Here at Mencap, we offer an impressive range of benefits designed to support and reward our employees to ensure that our teams feel valued and appreciated.
Our benefits package offers 32 days of paid holiday (including bank holidays, pro rata), along with a range of perks such as discounts at leading high-street retailers, access to health cash plans, interest-free loans, and many more exciting offerings.
For more details on what we have to offer, please see the attached document outlining all the fantastic benefits available to you as a member of our team!
About Mencap
Our vision is for the UK to be the best place in the world for people with a learning disability to live happy and healthy lives. We're here to support people with a learning disability, their families and their carers. We fight for a kinder, fairer and more inclusive society for people with a learning disability to live in.
At Mencap, everyone works with people with a learning disability either providing support or advice, or alongside one another as colleagues. Belonging at Mencap is for everyone, every day, everywhere.
· Everyone is expected to treat people well and make Mencap an inclusive organisation.
· Every day we grow and learn. It’s okay to make mistakes but we learn from them and make changes
· Everywhere people will feel respected, valued, and safe to be themselves.
We have Belonging network groups that meet online and are open to all colleagues. The groups include people who identify as Black and Asian, LGBTQIA+, disabled or with a long- term health condition, women, parents and carers, and their allies. We want to encourage everyone to apply to work at Mencap and we offer a variety of different contract types and working patterns. We’re not looking for specific experience. It is your personality and values that will make you a great colleague. We will train and develop you to succeed in the role you’re applying for.
The Estate Officer will ensure the delivery of the regional maintenance programme, comprising routine, periodic, planned and urgent works, and the delivery of time limited maintenance consultancy and estate management projects. Working alongside the Conservation Projects Manager, the post holder will ensure regional estate compliance with CCT policies.
The post holder will be the main contact for all maintenance related matters and will maintain the property management records for the estate, develop volunteer projects and training on maintenance reporting and conservation cleaning and will assist with fundraising.
If you would like to apply for this role, please visit our recruitment portal to begin your application. You will be asked to submit a CV and a short supporting statement (max 2 sides A4) outlining why you’d like to apply and how you fulfil the person specification for this post, so you’ll need to refer to the job description.
The closing date for receipt of applications is 8am on Monday 11th August 2025.
The interviews will take place in Birmingham on Tuesday 19th August 2025. Please note that the interview date and location have been specifically chosen according to the availability of the panel.
We are a Disability Confident Committed Employer. Candidates who declare that they have a disability and who meet the essential criteria for the job will be offered an interview.
If you have any queries about this role, or if you have a disability and wish to request a reasonable adjustment at any stage of the recruitment process, please contact us.
We are an inclusive employer and offer equal opportunities to all regardless of an individual’s age, disability, gender identity, marriage or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation.
We are not a licensed sponsor at this time. Any offer of employment will be made subject to valid right to work in the UK being provided.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.