Duty of Candour Officer

NHS; Nottingham; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 48,000; Part time

Job summary

Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust seeks a Duty of Candour Officer to join the Family Liaison team, guiding staff on applying the Duty of Candour and supporting openness after patient safety incidents.

The role requires managing governance, recording outcomes and analysing data for board and stakeholder meetings, while delivering bespoke training to enhance learning and safety across the Trust.

Qualifications

• Experience of working at a senior administrative level or equivalent to Band 4 or above in the NHS.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office packages
• Experience of overseeing and coordinating complex administration systems including data filing systems, reports and shared drives
• Experience in writing detailed reports / ability to assimilate, analyse and develop narratives based on data, service user feedback and staff experience
• Able to present at a senior level to other professionals and work across systems
• Developing and delivering training and coaching with innovation and compassion
• Experience of dealing with people, to maintain a high level of customer care
• Experience of working with families impacted by mental illness or personal lived experience
• Experience of working with Incidents

Responsibilities

• Provide a point of contact for staff and senior managers following a patient safety incident to advise, guide and coach staff regarding the application of Duty of Candour including providing appropriate signposting to other services.
• Devise and deliver a training package in applying Duty of Candour, coaching colleagues in best practice and key skills in having difficult but open and honest conversations with patients, families and carers.
• Provide a robust governance process which oversees, records and reports the application of professional and statutory Duty of Candour.
• You will coach and train staff to have greater confidence in knowing when, why and how to apply Duty of Candour leading to improved learning and safety for the organisation.

Skills

Communication skills

Training & coaching

Data analysis

Problem solving

Organisational skills

Education

RSA III / NVQ 4 or equivalent experience

Training or coaching qualification

Job description

Main area Duty of Candour Officer Grade NHS AfC: Band 6 Contract Fixed term: 12 months (Ends 30/11/2027) Hours

• Part time
• Flexible working

30 hours per week (Monday to Friday 9am-5pm) Job ref 186-1010-26-CS

Employer Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site Duncan Macmillian House Town Nottingham Salary £39,959 - £48,117 per annum (pro rata for part time) Salary period Yearly Closing 23/11/2026 23:59

Duty of Candour Officer

NHS AfC: Band 6

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Job overview

This role is an exciting opportunity to be part of an established, compassionate and dynamic Family Liaison team. You will have a solid understanding of Duty of Candour and how to apply this in practice. The post would suit someone who understands the NHS Patient Safety processes.

You will provide guidance and support to staff so that the Trust adheres to the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. You will have excellent communication skills and the ability to build relationships with staff following a patient safety incident to ensure they are supported to be open and transparent with those harmed by incidents.

This position will provide a governance system to accurately record the application of Duty of Candour and you will become an expert in both the professional and regulatory processes for staff to use as a resource. You will need to maintain accurate records and be able to analyse and present data and information at Trust professional meetings including the board and wider stakeholders.

You will coach and train staff to have greater confidence in knowing when, why and how to apply Duty of Candour leading to improved learning and safety for the organisation.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will be required to:
Provide a point of contact for staff and senior managers following a patient safety incident to advise, guide and coach staff regarding the application of Duty of Candour including providing appropriate signposting to other services.

Devise and deliver a training package in applying Duty of Candour, coaching colleagues in best practice and key skills in having difficult but open and honest conversations with patients, families and carers.

Provide a robust governance process which oversees, records and reports the application of professional and statutory Duty of Candour.

Working for our organisation

#TeamNottsHC comprises over 11,000 dedicated colleagues who #MakeADifference every day. We deliver intellectual disability, mental health, community health, forensic, and offender healthcare services across Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, and South Yorkshire. Our care is provided from over 200 sites, spanning community locations, acute settings, and secure environments, including prisons.

We are one of the largest mental health and community Trusts in the East Midlands and one of Nottinghamshire's biggest employers. We also host national and regional services, such as the National High Secure Deaf Service and the Nottingham Centre for Transgender Health.

We offer a variety of employee-led staff networks, including Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) groups, the Green Champions network, the Freedom to Speak Up network, the Health and Wellbeing Champions network, and the Menopause Champions network. These networks play a vital role in supporting our diverse workforce and promoting a culture of inclusivity.

The health and wellbeing of colleagues is a top priority. We invest significantly in this through our in-house occupational health and staff counselling services, supported by a dedicated Health and Wellbeing team.

The Trust is committed to reducing its carbon emissions, with a specialised Energy and Environmental team working to ensure compliance with environmental legislation, enhance our environmental performance, and achieve our net-zero commitment.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The successful candidate will need to be highly motivated, conscientious and be able to work on your own initiative. You will have experience of working at a senior administrative level and understand the NHS Patient Safety processes. You will prioritise competing demands and be resilient when dealing with distressing information and circumstances. You will have excellent interpersonal and communication skills building relationships with a wide network of staff. You will be engaging and facilitating learning for staff to ensure they understand when, why and how to apply Duty of Candour. You will be responsible for a robust governance process which oversees, records and reports the application of professional and statutory Duty of Candour.

Please note applicants will be required to pay for their DBS check. Costs are deducted from salary following appointment. The cost of the DBS application is £20.00 (standard) or £41.00 (enhanced), this cost will be deducted from your salary over the first 2 months of employment.

You are encouraged to enrol for the DBS Update Service. An annual fee of £15 per year applies.

Person specification

Physical requirements

• Has the ability to perform the full range of duties.
• As part of the role candidates will be involved in hearing, reading and processing distressing information and it is important to have emotional resilience to manage this and to engage in regular supervision sessions.
• Requirement for sitting in a restricted position for a considerable part of the working day.
• Requirement for travelling to other sites several times a week.

Experience

• Experience of working at a senior administrative level or equivalent to Band 4 or above in the NHS
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office packages
• Experience of overseeing and coordinating complex administration systems including data filing systems, reports and shared drives
• Experience in writing detailed reports / ability to assimilate, analyse and develop narratives based on data, service user feedback and staff experience
• Able to present at a senior level to other professionals and work across systems
• Developing and delivering training and coaching with innovation and compassion
• Experience of dealing with people, to maintain a high level of customer care
• Experience of working with families impacted by mental illness or personal lived experience
• Experience of working with Incidents

Knowledge

• Understanding of how to compassionately engage with those affected following a patient safety incident
• In depth knowledge of the principles of Duty of Candour and how to apply this in practice
• Understanding of Being Open and Just Culture Frameworks
• Knowledge and experience of working to the NHS Patient Safety agenda
• Excellent analytical and presentation skills using information technology
• Ability to provide advice and guidance to staff on disclosure of patient information in accordance with current legislation
• Undertaking surveys and audits as necessary

Skills

• Ability to work on own initiative
• Motivated and conscientious
• Flexible
• Excellent organisational and office management skills
• Excellent communication and Interpersonal skills, including ability to engage and interact at a sensitive level
• Ability to develop an audit trail to ensure that Lessons Learned from Patient Safety incidents have been disseminated across the Care Groups and actions implemented
• Ability to write briefings following an incident
• Ability to deliver bespoke training to underperforming teams/managers in relation to Governance processes
• Ability to collate and respond to Commissioners queries
• Ability to prioritise workload in a busy office environment
• Ability to work with changing agendas and differing priorities
• Advanced keyboard skills

Values and Behaviours

• All colleagues are expected to demonstrate that they act in line with Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust Values: Trust Honesty Respect Compassion Teamwork
• All colleagues are expected to demonstrate an understanding of and commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) and how it applies to their role. The Trust’s expectations are highlighted within our EDI Policy, and associated EDI and Human Rights legislation

Qualifications

• RSA III / NVQ 4 or equivalent experience
• Training or coaching qualification

Contractual requirements

• A full UK driving licence and vehicle for business use is required for this post; however reasonable adjustments will be made for disabled individuals in line with the Equality Act 2010.
• Ability to work to meet the needs of the services
• Ability to travel across all Trust sites across a wide geographical area

Additional Information

• We reserve the right to close the post early once we have received a sufficient number of applicants.
• The Trust believes in treating everyone with dignity and respect and encourages applications from all sectors of the community. We guarantee an interview to candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum essential criteria.
• In submitting an application form, you authorise Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust to confirm from your previous or current NHS employer and other prior employers; previous NHS service details and personal data held about you. This data will be transferred using NHS Electronic Staff Record and third party systems via an automated process and only used for the purposes of obtaining and maintaining accurate employment records, should you be appointed to the post. Should you require any further information please refer our Privacy Policy shown on the Trust website, please click here for more information.
• For eligible posts, DBS disclosures are mandatory before commencement of employment. If you are in a position that is deemed a regulated adult and/or child care role, you will not be able to start your employment until we have received a satisfactory DBS Disclosure. The Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Convictions which would otherwise be considered as 'spent' will also be checked as part of an Enhanced DBS Disclosure.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.