Pupillage Vacancy Information
Fixed salary plus all other benefits offered to NMC employees e.g. equipment to work from home.
Equality Diversity and Inclusion
Please see details on the NMC’s website: https://www.nmc.org.uk/about-us/equality-diversity-and-inclusion/
For accessibility information, please contact equality@nmc-uk.org
How to Apply
If you wish to apply for this position, please visit the Careers page on the NMC website. You will be able to access the application to complete on the NMC website from 9am on Wednesday 4 January 2023 in accordance with the Bar Council Pupillage Gateway timetable. If you have any queries, please email recruitment@nmc-uk.org and mark the subject heading “Pupillage 2023 Application”.
Closing date for applications: applications must be completed by 11:59pm on Wednesday 8 February 2023.
About AETO and Structure of Pupillage
About us
The Nursing and Midwifery Council (‘NMC’) is the independent regulator for nurses and midwives in the UK, and nursing associates in England. We are the largest healthcare regulator in the UK.
Our core role is to regulate. First, we promote high education and professional standards for nurses and midwives across the UK, and nursing associates in England. Second, we maintain the register of professionals eligible to practise. Third, we investigate concerns about nurses, midwives and nursing associates; we believe in giving professionals the chance to address concerns, but we’ll always take action when needed.
To regulate well, we support our professions and the public. We create resources and guidance that are useful throughout people’s careers, helping them to deliver our standards in practice and address new challenges. We also support people involved in our investigations.
Regulating and supporting our professions allows us to influence health and social care. We share intelligence from our regulatory activities and work with our partners to support workforce planning and sector-wide decision making. We use our voice to speak up for a healthy and inclusive working environment for our professions.
Fitness to Practise
Being fit to practise requires a nurse, midwife or nursing associate to have the skills, knowledge, health and character to do their job safely and effectively. The Code sets out the professional standards that nurses, midwives and nursing associates must uphold to be registered to practise in the UK. We will investigate whether someone on our register is fit to practise if an allegation is made that they do not meet our standards for skills, education and behaviour. The NMC’s fitness to practise work sits within the larger Professional Regulation directorate.
Case Preparation and Presentation (‘CPP’) team
The pupil will mostly be based within the directorate’s CPP team, which has the largest number of Lawyers and Paralegals within the NMC. The legal team review, prepare and present fitness to practise cases before the NMC’s practise committees. The hearings are very varied, and include new interim orders, interim order reviews, substantive hearings and substantive order reviews. The team also files applications to the High Court in each of the UK’s jurisdictions in relation to interim order extensions requiring Court approval as well as conducting the advocacy before Judges. Finally, the team also advises on appeals brought by registrants and the Professional Standards Authority, and again the lawyers conduct the advocacy.
The NMC is authorised by the Bar Standards Board as a pupillage training organisation.
Pupillage structure
The pupil will be employed by the NMC on a fixed term contract for 12 months. In advance of the end date, we will explore with the pupil the possibility of continuing their employment with the NMC. We have an excellent track record of pupils staying with us once the pupillage has been completed.
The pupil will undertake the NMC’s standard induction, as well as specialised induction to the CPP team and the work of other legal teams across the directorate. The pupillage will be conducted and assessed in accordance with the Pupillage Handbook and the NMC’s bespoke pupillage programme.
During the course of the pupillage, there will be the opportunity to spend periods of time with other legal teams across the NMC.
It is likely the pupil will have two different supervisors during the course of the pupillage to reflect the difference in work between the first six and the second six.
During the first six, the pupil will undertake a wide range of NMC legal work under supervision. Within the CPP team, this includes:
- Legal research, advice, and drafting;
- Reviews of cases which have been referred to Fitness to Practise Committee;
- Preparation for hearings; and
- Assisting with the management of cases in the High Court.
The pupil will be expected to attend all types of hearings to observe advocacy by the pupil supervisor and other advocates.
In the second six, the pupil will continue to work on cases as well as undertake advocacy under supervision in both substantive and non-substantive matters.
Any Other Relevant Information
Applicants must either have their BPTC results at the time of application or will receive them by the pupillage start date. In addition, applicants with more than a 5 year gap between completion of their vocational Bar training course and the start of this pupillage must set out the legal experience they have gained during this period and have gained a BSB exemption. The key person specification criteria is as follows:
- Good academic record (we will review all mitigating circumstances)
- Commitment to a career at the Employed Bar
- Confident advocacy skills obtained through experience outside of compulsory studies
- Excellent written and presentation skills (legal and non-legal)
- Excellent legal research and analytical skills
- Good interpersonal skills and ability to develop a rapport and obtain client confidence
- Solid understanding of principles of evidence
- Excellent organisation, time management and record keeping skills
- Ability to maintain high standards of professional conduct and presentation
- Ability to work under supervision and respond positively to direction, instruction and advice
- Good IT skills
- Highly motivated and flexible
- A good team player
- Able to travel and work out of office hours as required
It would also be desirable for applicants to have experience of/interest in regulatory law (and preferably healthcare), an understanding of the professional regulation framework as well as have experience of already having worked in a legal capacity in an organisation outside of mini-pupillages.
