AI Job Summary

Significant clinical negligence or personal injury expert witness experience, with high-quality reports and a record of meeting deadlines.
Experience mentoring, providing quality assurance, and training less experienced expert witnesses.
Clinical professional background.

Role Type

Anywhere • Permanent • Full-time • Mid-level Senior

Description

Somek and Associates Limited’s (S&A) main function is to provide expert witnesses and professional reports for medico-legal purposes. 

Our mission is: 

To ensure courts have the best expert evidence with which to deal with cases justly 
To ensure lawyers litigating cases (and other case workers instructing us) have supreme confidence in their decisions based on our quality expert input 
To ensure our expert input is seen as excellent value for money

POSITION 

Hours: Minimum of 30 hours a week but full time (37.5 hours) preferred 

Location: Remote working, office or hybrid 

Accountable to: Quality Assurance and Training Lead (Quantum) 

ROLE OVERVIEW 

The role overview in this document is intended as a guide to describe the main duties.   

The Associate Trainer is required to provide quality assurance / mentoring and training to less experienced associates (expert witnesses) throughout all aspects of their role and particularly to ensure a high-quality standard of reports being submitted.  

The Associate Trainer will undertake and be involved in training associates and clients, in person and via webinars, and be involved with peer and associate reviews. 

 The Associate Trainer will have a clinical professional background and have significant experience working as an expert witness in clinical negligence / personal injury cases. 

Primary Role: 

To mentor experts on assigned cases, particularly regarding initial report submission. Support for experts will vary depending on their experience.  

Specific tasks may include (as appropriate to the level and expertise of the expert): 

Quality Assurance: 

To be aware of case details by reading relevant documents (Letters of Instruction, pleadings and any other relevant document if appropriate) 
To discuss the case with the expert in preparation for assessment and the first report draft depending on associate level 
To be available to discuss case queries with the expert 
To review initial reports, discuss and advise on training issues, provide feedback, and liaise with the expert to ensure the report is at an acceptable level for submission 
To provide training for the experts on other aspects of case work, including case conferences, Civil Procedure Rule part 35.6 questions, expert meetings and trial plus supplementary reports 
To notify their Team Leader where there are concerns about the proficiency of the associate or the quality of their work

  Support to other S&A teams

To support the reports proofreading team who are responsible for the accuracy of formatting and costing tables 
To support the Expert Witness Enquiry Team to triage cases effectively, ensuring that the correct expert is proposed in all cases.

  Report review will include the following  

To ensure relevant clinical issues have been included as identified in the Letter of Instruction / Letter of Claim  
Respond to instructions and identify if instructions are unclear or inappropriate 
Ensure reports are professionally written within field of expertise demonstrating an understanding of the medico-legal environment 
Ensure reports demonstrate good English / grammar and are generally well written with no colloquial language (unless quoted) 
Ensure the reports are logical and have a clear approach 
Appropriate approach / style about Claimant / Defendant / Single Joint Expert instruction 
Counterpart’s report commented on if appropriate 
Monitor and provide training on the use of reasonable restitution and the legal principle to take with a range of reports e.g. Loss of Service, matrimonial reports 
Facilitate the expert to work in accordance with deadline policy

  Associate Development 

To liaise with their Team Leader and Head of People and Culture regarding expert performance  
To provide updates on associate’s progress and provide feedback for the bimonthly expert meeting with the Team Leader 
To identify associate training needs and feedback to Team Leader.   
To give feedback to associates as and when necessary 
To deliver and evaluate structured training days, workshops, webinars, peer review and peer support sessions 
To assist associates to progress through the associate levels in line with the rate review criteria  
To be involved in the organisation of Somek & Associates’ annual conference 
To assist with the review of the Associates’ manual  
Provide relevant information for the monthly associate’s briefing as required

Other Roles 

Development of Associate Trainer Team 

Assist the Team Leader with the development of the Associate Trainer manual  
To participate in and assist with the Associate Trainers’ meeting 
To be aware of the impact of notable judgements in relation to quantum expert opinion.  
To keep updated with changes in the expert witness field through participation in Expert Witness events such as the Bond Solon and Expert Witness Institute annual conferences

Promotional Activity 

Identify opportunities for and provide any training or information sessions for solicitors 
Represent and promote Somek & Associates at conferences, client networking opportunities and other related events

Other 

As an experienced expert witness to be available, along with other internal senior expert witnesses, to provide clinical and expert witness related advice and support to associates and internal staff where required  
To attend the monthly Somek & Associates’ staff meeting

  Training & Expert Work 

The successful candidate will have a proven track record of providing robust reports and meeting deadlines in their own expert witness practice. 
The post holder will be required to maintain their own continued professional development in the expert witness field, such that they continue to keep abreast of changes that affect experts and their practice 
CPD is supported by Somek & Associates Ltd. Training needs will be identified through appraisal and supervision and funded by S&A. Applications, relevant to your work should be made to the team Leader

Confidentiality 

The nature of the work of Somek and Associates is highly confidential and the post holder will be expected to maintain full confidence.   

All staff are part of the “Somek team” and may be required to assist any other team members when required