Associate Director of Governance

West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust; Watford; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working options

Staff wellbeing program

Career development opportunities

Job summary

West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is seeking an experienced Associate Director of Governance to provide strategic leadership for governance, quality, patient safety and risk management across Gynaecology and Paediatrics.

You will lead the governance agenda, ensure robust assurance processes, support regulatory compliance and drive continual quality improvement across two high-profile specialties.

Qualifications

• Proven track record leading governance, safety and quality programmes in a complex healthcare environment.
• Experience with incident investigation, risk management and learning culture.
• Ability to lead across divisions and engage senior stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Lead the governance, patient safety, quality and risk management agenda across Gynaecology and Paediatrics.
• Provide expert advice and assurance to divisional and corporate leadership teams.
• Oversee implementation of PSIRF and development of a strong learning culture.
• Lead governance reporting to divisional, Trust and external committees.
• Develop divisional assurance frameworks and risk registers.
• Manage governance teams and support compliance with NHS standards.

Skills

Governance leadership

Patient safety

Quality improvement

Risk management

Strategic leadership

Education

Master's degree in a relevant field

Tools

PSIRF framework

Regulatory compliance systems

Job description

Are you an experienced governance leader with a passion for patient safety, quality improvement and delivering exceptional care for women, babies ,children and young people?

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an enthusiastic and forward-thinking Associate Director of Governance (Band 8c) to join the Women's and Children's Division at West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, providing strategic leadership for governance, quality, patient safety and risk management across both Gynaecology and Paediatrics Services.

Working closely with the Deputy Directors of Nursing, Clinical Directors, Head of Midwifery, senior clinicians and operational leaders, you will lead the governance agenda across two high-profile specialties, ensuring robust governance systems support the delivery of safe, effective and compassionate care.

This is a pivotal leadership role with responsibility for developing and embedding a strong culture of patient safety, continuous improvement and organisational learning. You will provide expert leadership in patient safety investigations, risk management, complaints, claims, assurance processes, regulatory compliance and quality improvement, driving improvements that make a real difference to patients, families and staff.

As Associate Director of Governance, you will provide strategic and operational leadership for governance and patient safety across Gynaecology and Paediatrics.

You will:

• Lead the governance, patient safety, quality and risk management agenda across both specialties.
• Provide expert advice and assurance to divisional and corporate leadership teams.
• Oversee implementation of the Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF) and development of a strong learning culture.
• Lead the management of serious incidents, complaints, claims, inquests and litigation processes.
• Ensure effective governance systems are in place to monitor quality, safety and patient experience.
• Develop and maintain divisional assurance frameworks and risk registers.
• Lead governance reporting to divisional, Trust and external committees.
• Drive quality improvement programmes and ensure learning from incidents, audits and patient feedback is translated into measurable service improvements.
• Manage and develop governance teams across Gynaecology and Paediatrics.
• Support compliance with national standards, regulatory requirements and NHS best practice.

The successful candidate will be an experienced governance professional with a proven track record of leading quality, safety and governance programmes within a complex healthcare environment.

With a new hospital planned for Watford, work underway to update theatres at St Albans City Hospital and plans for a neighbourhood healthcare centre in Hemel Hempstead, this is an exciting time to join us.

We are building on the success of our award-winning virtual hospital and re-imagining models of care, working closely with partners and making the most of advances in digital healthcare.

Staff wellbeing and development are a priority, as is the role of innovation in improving clinical care, outcomes and patient experience.

Our vision is Excellent patient care, together and our values are to be empowered, compassionate, professional and inclusive. They capture an important balance across what we must all do as individuals and to support others.

We offer a variety of flexible working options as we recognise the importance of a good work life balance. www.westhertshospitals.nhs.uk/flexibleworking

If you have a disability or long-term health condition and require support or guidance please contact [e-mail]

We reserve the right to close this advert early due to the volume of applicants.

If you do not hear back within 3 weeks of your application, please assume you have been unsuccessful on this occasion.

The Associate Director of Governance will provide senior leadership and professional expertise to ensure effective governance arrangements are embedded across Gynaecology and Paediatrics.

The post holder will:

• Lead the development and delivery of the divisional governance strategy.
• Provide leadership for governance, quality improvement, patient safety and risk management teams.
• Ensure effective systems are in place for incident reporting, investigation, action tracking and organisational learning.
• Oversee the management of complaints, claims, coronial matters and external reviews.
• Maintain oversight of divisional risks and assurance processes.
• Ensure effective governance reporting arrangements to support Board and Committee assurance.
• Work collaboratively with clinical, nursing and operational leaders to improve patient outcomes and experiences.
• Lead implementation of PSIRF and promote a just and learning culture.
• Monitor quality performance indicators and provide expert analysis and recommendations.
• Support regulatory inspections, accreditation programmes and external assurance reviews.
• Develop governance capability across the division through education, coaching and leadership.
• Represent the Division at Trust-wide governance and quality forums.

The role requires an experienced and credible leader who can influence across organisational boundaries, manage complexity and inspire teams to deliver continuous improvement in patient safety and quality.