Band 8a - Deputy Head of Governance - Gynaecology

Essential

• Educated to degree level in a relevant discipline or equivalent experience of working at a senior level.
• Evidence of relevant ongoing professional development.
• Patient Safety, Governance or Risk Management education.

Desirable

• Registered healthcare professional.
• Relevant Postgraduate qualification.
• Completed Advanced Levels of the National Patient safety syllabus.
• Leadership/management education/training.

Essential

• In-depth knowledge of NHS clinical governance frameworks, including patient safety, risk management, clinical effectiveness and patient experience.
• Advanced understanding of risk management and assurance principles, including risk identification, assessment, escalation, controls, and assurance gaps.
• Strong knowledge of patient safety systems and policy, including the Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF) and incident investigation methodologies.
• Comprehensive knowledge of regulatory and external assurance requirements, including Care Quality Commission (CQC) standards and NHS Resolution requirements.
• Knowledge of evidence-based standards and national guidance, including NICE and relevant national clinical audit and enquiry programmes (e.g. NCEPOD).
• Understanding of complaints, claims and inquest processes, including Duty of Candour and principles of robust and defensible investigations.
• Knowledge of clinical audit and clinical effectiveness frameworks, including how audit findings translate into measurable improvement.
• Understanding of CAS alerts and patient safety alerts, including processes for implementation and assurance.
• Knowledge of governance reporting and assurance requirements, including dashboards, data triangulation, and articulation of risk, assurance and gaps.
• Understanding of policy development, document control and governance processes within an NHS context.
• Knowledge and practical experience of governance information systems (e.g. Datix or equivalent) and data quality requirements.
• Understanding of information governance, confidentiality and GDPR requirements relevant to healthcare settings.

Desirable

• Knowledge of triangulation of intelligence across incidents, complaints, claims, audit, mortality and patient feedback to inform assurance and improvement.
• Understanding of Just Culture principles and approaches to embedding a positive safety culture.
• Awareness of Integrated Care System (ICS) governance arrangements and cross-organisational working.
• Knowledge of quality improvement methodologies (e.g. PDSA, Lean, Model for Improvement) and their application in healthcare settings.
• Understanding of health inequalities and equality, diversity and inclusion principles, and their application within governance and risk management.
• Awareness of national patient safety priorities and emerging best practice, and their implications for divisional governance.

Essential

• Significant experience working within NHS governance, patient safety, or risk management functions at a senior level.
• Demonstrable experience of leading or managing governance teams or functions, including staff supervision, performance management and service delivery.
• Proven experience of implementing and operating clinical governance systems and processes within a complex healthcare environment.
• Experience of risk management, including maintaining risk registers, risk assessment, escalation, and monitoring controls and assurances.
• Practical experience of incident management and investigation, including application of PSIRF (or equivalent methodologies) and development of action plans.
• Experience of managing complaints and/or claims processes, ensuring timely investigation, learning and defensible responses.
• Experience of clinical audit, clinical effectiveness or quality improvement programmes, including translating findings into measurable improvements.
• Demonstrable experience of producing high-quality governance reports and assurance information for senior management, committees or Boards.
• Experience of triangulating complex information (e.g. incidents, complaints, audit, risk data) to identify themes, risks and assurance gaps.
• Experience of supporting regulatory compliance and inspection readiness, including CQC or equivalent external review processes.
• Experience of working effectively with senior clinical and operational stakeholders, providing advice, challenge and influencing decision-making.
• Experience of developing and delivering training or guidance on governance, patient safety or risk management.
• Experience of working collaboratively with patients/service/ stakeholders to improve quality of service by co-design.

Desirable

• Experience of leading or supporting implementation of the Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF) within an organisation.
• Experience of participating in or leading complex investigations (e.g. serious incidents, high-risk complaints, inquests).
• Experience of working at Divisional level in a large acute or integrated healthcare organisation.
• Experience of supporting Board or Committee processes, including paper development, assurance reporting and action tracking.
• Experience of service improvement or transformation programmes, particularly those linked to patient safety or quality outcomes.
• Experience of policy development, review and implementation within a governance framework.
• Experience of working with governance information systems (e.g. Datix) to support reporting, analysis and assurance.
• Experience of cross-organisational or system (ICS) working, including collaboration with external partners.
• Experience of embedding learning and improvement following incidents, complaints or audit, with evidence of impact.