Number of vacancies: 2
Department: Fitness to Practise
Salary: £55,000 – £65,000
Hours: Full Time (35 hours per week)
Contract Type: Permanent
Location: Hybrid working with a minimum of one day a week in our offices in London.
We are recruiting two Fitness to Practise Investigation Lawyers to join our new legal team and lead on the delivery of a new investigating model in house. You will play a central part in developing and establishing our new investigation approach. You will share your sound knowledge of professional regulation, investigations, rules of evidence and disclosure with others.
As we’re currently building our legal team, you may also see our advert for case progression lawyers. We encourage potential candidates to look at both JDs to see which role may be the best match. We welcome applications from candidates who may be interested in both roles. Applications for each role will be shortlisted separately so individual applications would need to be submitted in those circumstances.
This is an exciting time to be joining the team, as we are changing the way we deliver fitness to practise so that we are ready for regulatory reform. This includes developing a more frontloaded approach to our investigations by obtaining final witness statements, expert opinions and reports before the case is considered by our Investigating Committee. Last year we adopted this way of working with our external legal providers, but we now want to build our capability and capacity to do this in-house. Our focus is on delivering better quality and more timely investigations, with our ambition to be a compassionate regulator at the centre of what we do.
You will join us at time when we deliver a programme to embed sustainable improvements to the way we work, establish a learning and development culture, and cultivate a human centred approach to regulation. Our priority for the coming year is to deliver a new operating model for our fitness to practice process so that we are ready for regulatory reform. This means gathering all the required evidence, such as witness statements and expert reports, earlier in the investigation process.
Your role will be to:
- Work as part of a legal team and wider Fitness to Practice department to ensure the HCPC conducts timely, quality, proportionate and fair investigations.
- Plan, investigate and prepare fitness to practise investigation to our quality and timeliness standards. Determine the evidence required accurately and proportionately.
- Lead on the development of key policies and guidance that develop our case investigation approach, including the development of a frontloaded investigation approach.
- Analyse information and make sound, evidence-based decisions on the progression or conclusion of cases, ensuring any changes in risk are quickly identified as the case progresses and develops.
- Build good relationships and work constructively with relevant internal and external stakeholders to ensure that cases are proactively progressed in line with policies, guidance and key performance indicators.
- Ensure that you adopt a compassionate approach to the regulation of our professions by adapting your communication method and frequency and using a compassionate tone when communicating with parties to a case.
- You will be a strong team player with the ability to coach and support colleagues as they begin to frontload their investigations.
This role will suit professionals who have some experience of working within professional regulation. We welcome applications from lawyers more junior in PQE than set out in the person specification if you have relevant pre-qualification experience. We also welcome applications from lawyers who may have transferrable skills from other areas of practice, who can show a keen interest in professional regulation.
Closing Date: Monday 03 June 2024 (All vacancies will close at 1pm)
Interview Date: w/c 17 June 2024
For further information or if you wish to apply for this role, please visit our website or click on this link:
https://www.careers.hcpc-uk.org/job/investigation-lawyer
The HCPC welcomes applicants from all sections of the community and we promote equality of opportunity, diversity and inclusion.