Data Protection Facilitator

NHS National Services Scotland; Kelso; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare organization in Kelso is seeking a motivated individual to act as a specialist in data protection within the NHS Borders region. You will offer guidance to General Practices regarding Information Governance, assist in compliance audits, and develop training materials. The ideal candidate will have excellent communication skills and be educated to degree level or possess equivalent experience. This position requires travel across the Borders, so a valid driving license is essential. Competitive pay and career development opportunities are offered.

Qualifications

• Understanding of data protection legislation, including Caldicott Principles.
• Experience providing specialist support on Information Governance issues.

Responsibilities

• Provide support and expertise on Information Governance to General Practices.
• Conduct internal audits and manage compliance with data protection legislation.
• Prepare guidance for GP Contractors and deliver practical training.

Skills

Excellent communication skills

Organisational skills

Time-management skills

Decision-making skills

Education

Degree level education or extensive experience in data protection

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Teams

Microsoft PowerPoint

Job description

Our Values in Action: Care and Compassion • Quality and Teamwork • Dignity and Respect • Openness, honesty and responsibility

Role Overview

The post holder will be closely involved with General Practice, acting as the topic specialist and main point of contact on behalf of the Board’s Data Protection Officer.

You will:

• Provide specialist support, advice and expertise on all Information Governance issues to up to 23 General Practices within the NHS Borders area.
• Act in an advisory capacity to General Practices, guiding them in complying with current legislative requirements and national guidelines; this will include guidance on completion of the Information Asset Register, maintenance of Privacy Notices, provision of staff training material and delivery of practical training as necessary, etc.
• Prepare guidance and a template for the GP Contractors to maintain a record of their processing activities.
• Conduct internal audits of processes and procedures relating to processing personal information; analysing and checking compliance of processing activities for the wider NHS Borders organisation.
• The post holder is expected to plan, manage and coordinate the audit and monitoring function across all Practices, helping to demonstrate compliance with data protection legislation.
• As part of the Information Governance team, the post holder will also provide specialist support to the wider NHS Borders organisation.

Candidate Profile

We are looking for an enthusiastic and motivated person with excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, combined with excellent organisational, influencing and time‑management skills. You will need good decision‑making skills and must have a very good understanding of data protection legislation, including the Caldicott Principles.

PC Software proficiency

You will also be very conversant in general PC software including Microsoft Office products, in particular Excel, Word, Teams and PowerPoint.

Education

You will be educated to degree level or have extensive experience working in a data protection environment.

Reporting & Workload Management

The post holder will work under the direction of the Information Governance Lead but will be responsible for managing their own workload.

Travel

The post holder will require to visit locations around the Borders, so a valid driving licence is essential.

Contact

For an informal discussion please contact Ian Merritt – [e-mail]

Due to legislative changes from 1 April 2025, this post may require a different level of criminal records check than is currently the case. If the post is assessed as a "regulated role", your appointment will be subject to joining the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme. If there is any change to what is currently required, this will be confirmed by either the Hiring Manager or the Recruitment Team. For more details on these changes please visit Disclosure Scotland Changes.

To work in the United Kingdom, there is a legal requirement for an individual to demonstrate that they have the relevant permission to work in the country. This permission is, without exception, granted by the UK Visa and Immigrations Service.

As part of the pre‑employment checks for a preferred candidate, NHS Scotland Boards will check your entitlement to work in the UK. It can be evidenced through a number of routes including specific types of visa as well as EU settled and pre‑settled status. To find out more about these routes of permission, please refer to the GOV.UK website here.

For specific types of post, if you do not have the necessary eligibility to work in the UK, it might be possible (though not guaranteed) to secure sponsorship via a UK Skilled Worker/Health & Care Worker Visa. However, this is only possible if the employer is a licensed Sponsor, and if the post does not fall below the current minimum salary threshold or "going rate". Further information on these criteria can be found here.

It is ESSENTIAL that you have checked that you either already have an appropriate right to work in the UK or that the post would be eligible to be sponsored BEFORE submitting your application form

PLEASE NOTE: We cannot accept late applications so please ensure your application is submitted early

NHS Scotland is committed to encouraging equality and diversity among our workforce and eliminating unlawful discrimination. The aim is for our workforce to be truly representative and for each employee to feel respected and able to give their best. To this end, NHS Scotland welcomes applications from all sections of society.