Head of Legal, Risk and Assurance - London, United Kingdom - Westminster School

Westminster School
Westminster School
Verified Company
London, United Kingdom

4 weeks ago

Tom O´Connor

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Tom O´Connor

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Description
Job Introduction

The Head of Legal, Risk and Assurance is a senior role responsible for implementing strategies to develop and maintain systems and operating frameworks to offer clear and pragmatic legal advice whilst monitoring and managing our regulatory risk, compliance with regulatory requirements and internal policies, taking a data-led approach.

This is a new role within the charity which runs Westminster School and Westminster Under School and a new trading business to generate income for the schools, supporting both their expansion and setting the foundations for a new Legal, Risk and Assurance Department.

The role holder will provide professional leadership and advice on strategic issues affecting legal and compliance across the organisation and:

  • develop and prepare regular assurance and compliance reporting to the Senior Management and Board Committees to provide assurance on the management of risks and compliance with policies and procedures,
- develop the incident management and business continuity frameworks and reporting, and,
- lead the management of insurance, licensing arrangements and UK Visas and Immigration for staff and pupils.


The role holder will recruit and line manage the new role of Health and Safety Manager and, as the charity's Data Protection lead, working with the outsourced Data Protection Officer service, they are the primary source of advice and training for staff to ensure compliance with data management legislation.

Main Responsibilities

Main Responsibilities


Responsible to the Bursar and Chief Operating Officer, the key duties and responsibilities of the role holder are detailed below.

This list is not intended to be exhaustive and will be reviewed periodically in line with school and business requirements.

The role holder will also work closely with the Under Master at Westminster School and the Deputy Master at Westminster Under School who maintain the policy suite and have oversight of compliance with the requirements of the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI).


They will also liaise directly with other key stakeholders within the charity, including the Clerk to the Governors, wider leadership teams and Admissions across both schools as well as the Chair of the Audit, Risk & Compliance Committee.


Legal Affairs

  • Ensure secure compliance with all statutory, legal, and policy requirements arising from the charity's activities.
  • Draft, revise, and support the negotiation of contracts (not employment), ensuring that contractual terms provide compliance with relevant regulations and legislation, but also considering commercial factors.
  • Ensure senior management are appraised of legal issues, including new legislation which may have an impact on the charity's activities and objectives.
  • Advise on the mitigation of risk, and on regulatory, compliance, data protection, and all relevant legislation.
  • Handle potential and actual disputes, in coordination with internal and external resources.
  • Develop and implement a tender process to create a panel of lawyers with an agreed pricing structure to provide required professional advice, ensuring value for money and fair pricing.
  • Oversee use of lawyers, maintaining a record of use, fee arrangements and management of legal budget.
  • Act as a central point of contact with the school's legal advisors as required, supporting the leadership across the charity to obtain the legal advice needed.
  • Maintain the charity's contracts database (not including employees).

Risk Management

  • Further develop the charity's risk management framework and policy for the schools and activities across the charity, including the risk appetite.
  • Create a proactive and preventative approach to risk management, effectively communicating and championing risk management across the charity and supporting colleagues to embed the agreed approach in their ways of working and decision making.
  • Constructively challenge assessment of risk on the risk registers and monitor the effectiveness of the risk mitigations and identification of emerging risks.
  • Liaise with Senior Management and Governors to manage and maintain the central Risk Register and associated assurance framework for the charity, updating, monitoring and reporting on organisational risks to the leadership teams and Governors.
  • Develop a rolling schedule of auditing school, fundraising, commercial and operational procedures, practices, and documents to identify possible weaknesses or risks and work with managers and departments to manage those risks.
  • Recruit and Manage the Health and Safety Manager, once inpost, in their daytoday activities and support them to embed a culture of excellent Health and Safety practice and compliance throughout the organisation.

Compliance and Assurance

  • Evaluate business activities to assess regulatory or policy compliance risk and ensure the appropriate escalation, recording, reporting and remediation of issues.
  • Cre
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