Head of Mental Health Law

Norfolk & Suffolk Foundation NHS Trust

Job summary

Are you ready to shape how mental health law directly improves patient care across a whole NHS Trust?

Can you bring clarity, confidence and leadership to complex, high-stakes legal and ethical decisions?

Do you thrive in environments where your expertise influences Board-level thinking and frontline practice alike?

Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT) is seeking an exceptional and forward-thinking Head of Mental Health Law to join us in this pivotal Band 8C leadership role.

This is far more than a compliance role. As our Trust-wide strategic lead for mental health law, you will sit at the heart of decision-making, working alongside Executive leaders, clinicians and system partners to ensure care is not only safe and effective, but lawful, ethical and person-centred at every stage.

You will lead the development of a modern, high-performing Mental Health Law function, shaping how the Trust responds to evolving legislation, case law and regulatory expectations, while strengthening governance, assurance and consistency across services.

From supporting complex clinical decisions and tribunal processes, to influencing digital systems, workforce capability and organisational strategy, your impact will be tangible and far-reaching. You will play a critical role in ensuring patients understand and can exercise their rights, while empowering staff to deliver care with confidence within robust legal frameworks.

Main duties of the job

In this senior leadership role, you will:

Provide strategic leadership and direction for mental health law across the Trust, ensuring compliance with the Mental Health Act, Mental Capacity Act and wider legal frameworks

Lead and manage the Mental Health Law Department, developing a high-performing, responsive and expert service

Act as the Trust’s principal advisor on complex legal, ethical and governance matters relating to patient care

Develop and implement Trust-wide strategy, policy and assurance frameworks, aligned to organisational priorities and Board assurance requirements

Oversee legal risk management, audit, performance metrics and reporting to ensure robust governance and continuous improvement

Lead on training and workforce capability, ensuring staff are confident and competent in applying mental health law in practice

Represent the Trust at regional and national forums, and build strong relationships with regulators, tribunals, and partner organisations

Support and influence Executive and senior clinical leaders, enabling informed, lawful and high-quality decision-making

You will operate with a high degree of autonomy, providing visible and credible leadership in complex, high-stakes situations, including tribunals, investigations and patient-facing matters.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Educated to Masters level or equivalent in medico-legal subject
  • Substantial training in mental health law matters

Experience

Essential

  • Successful track record of managing or assisting to manage a mental health law department.
  • Sound experience of developing systems demonstrated by the ability for creative thinking and problem solving.

Skills

Essential

  • Ability to assimilate and understand the work of the Trust in relation to mental health law, including its policy, operational issues and challenges.

Knowledge

Essential

  • Expert knowledge of the Mental Health Act 1983, Mental Capacity Act 2005, associated domestic and European legislation, relevant statutory guidance and case law.

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

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).

Closing Date: 15 July 2026

To apply for this job please visit apps.trac.jobs.