Official Solicitor and Public Trustee



Grade 7 Lawyer - Healthcare and Welfare Team



Job Title

Lawyer - Healthcare and Welfare Team

Band

Grade 7

Business Group

ALB: Official Solicitor and Public Trustee

Location

National

Last Updated

1 July 2026



We have 2 Grade 7 Lawyer vacancies in our Healthcare and Welfare lawyer team. Both posts will be on a fixed term contract for a period of 12 months in the first instance. It is hoped that the contract will be extended for a further 12 months or become permanent, but this cannot be guaranteed at this stage.



Background



The Offices of the Official Solicitor and Public Trustee (OSPT)

The office is an Arms’ Length Body of the Ministry of Justice and combines the duties and responsibilities of two separate independent statutory office holders - the Official Solicitor to the Senior Courts and the Public Trustee. It is a small niche office with around 135 staff who support the work of the Official Solicitor and Public Trustee, including lawyers, lay case managers and administrators; The Official Solicitor promotes access to justice for the most vulnerable members of our society who might otherwise be unable to use the services offered by the justice system due to their lack of mental capacity or because of their young age. We are committed to providing the best level of service we can for our clients.

In the majority of her cases, the Official Solicitor acts as last resort litigation friend for adults who lack mental capacity and in some cases solicitor, or for children (other than those who are the subject of child welfare proceedings).

The Official Solicitor has responsibility for four Litigation teams: Healthcare and Welfare (Court of Protection), Family Litigation, Civil Litigation and Property and Affairs (Court of Protection).

The Official Solicitor and Public Trustee also has responsibility for a Trusts and Estates Team, managing Trust & Estates as last resort. The Official Solicitor also has administrative responsibility for the International Child Abduction and Contact Unit (ICACU) and the Reciprocal Enforcement of Maintenance Orders (REMO) team, front line operational teams conducting work on behalf of the Lord Chancellor in civil justice and cross border co-operation work in the family law context under a number of international instruments.


The Healthcare and Welfare Post



Job Purpose and Summary

The Official Solicitor’s Healthcare and Welfare team manages healthcare and welfare cases in the Court of Protection in which the Official Solicitor acts as litigation friend. In a limited number of cases, she is also called upon to act as Advocate to the court. In welfare cases the Official Solicitor retains external solicitors to act for the vulnerable client, and the lawyer will be required to provide instructions as to the client’s best interests and the relevant law, practice, and procedure. In serious medical treatment cases, the work is conducted in house, and the cases are fast moving and time critical and the lawyer will be expected to instruct specialist counsel as well as independent experts. He or she will also liaise with the client and family and friends to ascertain wishes and feelings and to report back to the court. The lawyer will also be required to provide guidance and supervision to non-legally trained case managers and advise the Official Solicitor herself when called upon to do so. The work of the team is specialised, and the cases are fast paced and can be high profile. Many are before High Court Judges and reported. The post holder will manage a personal caseload of both welfare and serious medical treatment cases.



Essential Criteria

We are looking for highly motivated qualified lawyers eligible to conduct reserved legal activities within England and Wales, that must include proceedings issued in the Court of Protection. You will be able to work efficiently in a dynamic work environment. You will need strong communication skills, good self-awareness and a commitment to role model positive behaviours and to use feedback to learn and develop as a professional. You will be expected to make confident and informed decisions within your own casework, while also escalating risks and seeking guidance from senior colleagues where appropriate. You must be able to demonstrate specific professional skills, knowledge, or qualifications. You must also be qualified at the point of making the application for this post.



SKILLS & QUALITIES: describe the skills and qualities the applicant should be able to demonstrate



The vacancy will give a lawyer the opportunity of involvement in a challenging and rewarding caseload of healthcare and welfare matters. The post holder must be a qualified lawyer and will be expected to demonstrate Civil Service success profile behaviours and specialist legal knowledge and in particular will need to be able to deliver high quality legal work in the best interest of the vulnerable party, maintaining effective relationships with the judiciary, legal profession, and other external bodies.


The post holder will be expected to have litigation experience and experience of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and practice and procedure in Court of Protection welfare work including the relevant court rules. Knowledge of the Mental Health Act 1983 would also be of assistance but is not essential.


Knowledge of civil litigation practice and procedure would be helpful but is not essential.


If you would like to discuss the role, or work of the office in more detail you can do so by contacting the Senior Healthcare and Welfare Lawyer, Damian Cullen by email damian.cullen@ospt.gov.uk or by phone 07980 744966



Qualifications 


It is essential that you have experience of using Microsoft computer packages.



Application and Selection Process

The Civil Service Success Profile will be used to assess suitability.

As part of the application process, we are inviting applicants to submit behaviour examples as detailed below. In addition, a statement of suitability of no more than 1000 words outlining previous employment, and the experience and skills you have gained which are relevant to the role, in particular, the “Skills & Qualities" section of this job description. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

There will be a technical exercise administered at interview by way of case study.

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the lead behaviour, Making Effective Decisions. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to interview.

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

You will be required to provide evidence of the following behaviours under the success profile

Interviews will be held virtually, using the MS Teams platform.



We can offer.


The OSPT is based at 102 Petty France, London, but the successful candidate does not have to be London-based. We currently operate a hybrid working arrangement. This means that as a minimum 40% of the working week is office based, subject to further notice. Nationally based workers will be appointed to their nearest Justice Collaboration Centre or Justice Satellite Office.

This is an exciting and interesting area of work which offers unique challenges and provides great openings for continuous learning.

We welcome and encourage applications from everyone who meets the eligibility criteria, especially, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce and pride ourselves as being an employer of choice. To find out more about how we champion diversity and inclusion in the workplace, visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/equality-and-diversity