Mental Health Law Assistant

£24,937.00 to £26,598.00 per year, £24937.00 - £26598.00 a year

Contract Type:

Permanent

Hours:

Full time

Disability Confident:

No

Closing Date:

07/03/2026

Take responsibility in assisting the Mental Health Law Administrator to provide an efficient and effective administration of Mental Health legislation.

Ensuring through the appropriate application of office standards, policies, procedures, protocols, checklists, associated Codes of Practice and the Reference Guide that the requirements of the Act are met and the interests of the patient are safeguarded.

Assist in ensuring that patients are only detained as the Act allows; that their treatment and care accords fully with its provisions and that they are fully informed of, and are supported in exercising their statutory rights.

In the absence of the Mental Health Law Administrator, responsible for all Mental Health Law administration duties, including the co-ordination and processing of Mental Health Tribunals and all Hospital Managers reviews of detentions and appeals within their relevant timescales.

Be able to work autonomously under the direction of the MHL Administrator, taking responsibility for the prioritisation of own work tasks and schedules, ensuring high level attention to detail and accuracy throughout all work tasks undertaken.

Key responsibilities as Mental Health Law Assistant Complying with day to day office standards protocol and checklists at all times Ensuring that all Mental Health Law related documentation is carefully and fully scrutinised and processed within the relevant timescales dictated by the Act and Trust Policies.

To carry out day to day administration of the Act under the direction of the MHL Administrator and to ensure that all appropriate procedures required by staff within the Trust have been communicated effectively and monitored for completion/action.

Escalating any concerns in a failure to complete the procedures within the team and under the direction of the MHL Administrator to other team/ward managers as required and within a timely manner.

To receive and administratively scrutinise all MHA paperwork on behalf of the Trust which includes both statutory and non-statutory forms.

To ensure that section papers are all legally acceptable and to bring any possible irregularities or legal deficits to the attention of the Mental Health Law Administrator/ Co-ordinator/Mental Health Law Manager for action.

This includes using/completing locally identified tools and checklists to complete this and returning paperwork to the relevant professionals for amendments under Section 15 of the MHA. Ensuring a record is maintained of all scrutiny issues to inform MHL processes within the Trust and monitor and track individual papers.

To ensure timely notification of detention dates/expiries/legal requirements to all appropriate professionals and the patients nearest relative as appropriate.

Registration on Paris, Mental Health Act recording systems and registers of information on all detained patients, cross referencing and updating files/data for total accuracy and recording any changes in legal status across the required systems.

To ensure all office procedures and standards in relation to reminder systems in place are followed to ensure all relevant professionals are provided with timely reminders to meet relevant statutory requirements including but not limited to

• expiry of detention, renewal of detention, nearest relative, patient rights, consent to treatment due dates, referrals to the Mental Health Tribunal (MHT)/Hospital Managers etc.
  
  Organising transfers (section 19) to and from the Trust and ensuring that the relevant documentation accompanies the patients.
  
  To maintain an effective and safe system for storage of all MHA section papers which meets the local requirements and ensure accessibility and archiving procedures are in place for the Trust.
  
  To ensure there is an adequate supply of statutory and non-statutory paperwork and rights leaflets and to order supplies when necessary for staff Dealing with general queries from staff in relation to detained patients.

Taking details of legal queries for the Mental Health Law…