Maternity Governance Officer

VerseOne Group; Chelmsford; On-site; GBP 36,000 - 44,000; Full time

Job summary

Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a Maternity Governance Officer to support clinical governance, risk management, and incident handling across site-based divisions.

The role requires NHS experience, Datix proficiency, and strong data analysis skills to generate timely reports for leadership and regulatory requirements.

Qualifications

• This role requires a degree-level education or equivalent and training in incident management/PSIRF.
• Experience with governance or risk management is essential.
• Proven NHS experience and ability to analyse data are required.

Responsibilities

• Facilitate timely review of incidents and escalation of significant events.
• Support staff to meet duty of candour and communicate with patients and families.
• Use Datix to draw reports, assign actions, and track completion.
• Provide data and reports for divisional and regional meetings.
• Support escalation of risks via risk register and governance processes.
• Provide expert input to incident investigations for lessons learned.
• Coordinate incident learning tools and ensure final reports are submitted.

Skills

NHS experience

Datix knowledge

Data analysis

Microsoft Office

Risk management

Incident management

Communication

Education

Degree or equivalent

Incident management/PSIRF training

Governance/risk management degree

Tools

Datix

Job description

Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust

Maternity Governance Officer

The closing date is 27 October 2026

This role involves providing support to divisional staff in the delivery of an effective Clinical Governance Assurance Framework and risk management strategy for the site based divisions to enhance the quality and safety of the services provided. The post holder will work in such a way as to help promote a culture that actively improves clinical safety and quality.

Specifically the role will include facilitating the effective and timely review of incidents and their management, escalation of significant incidents, risk review and reporting and supporting the regulatory compliance agenda. An expert knowledge of the incident and risk management systems will ensure regular reports can be provided to the team and the service leadership teams.

The role also includes supporting key governance groups within the Hospital Division to ensure these work effectively to recognise and address risks.

This post involves working and liaising with the multi-disciplinary teams, including the MSE Patient Safety and Risk and Compliance Teams, clinicians, managers and other governance staff across MSE. Working collaboratively to deliver on national, CQC and local service standards, through the delivery of the annual plan and strategic objectives, through role modelling the values and behaviours set out in our Leadership and Management Behaviour Framework.

Main duties of the job

• To facilitate the effective and timely review of incidents and their management, escalating significant incidents.
• Support staff in meeting the duty of candour requirements and to communicate with patients and their families who have been involved in a patient safety incident ensuring there is robust and ongoing communication.
• Use the Datix system to draw reports and manage incidents, including assigning actions and ensuring their completion.
• Provide data and reports for divisional and regional meetings
• To provide reports for discussion at relevant meetings and when required by divisional triumvirate and to support the escalation of new risks via the MSE Risk and Compliance process to the divisional risk register.
• To provide expertise to investigators of incidents to ensure appropriate lessons learned are identified and action taken is documented.
• To proactively monitor and coordinate all incident learning response tools/investigations to ensure the timely submission of final investigation reports to the designated meeting/group through the Patient Safety Team or divisional Senior Leadership Team as appropriate.
• Disseminate the lessons learnt from adverse events.
• To ensure the incident quality assurance process is effective and that prior to closure the entry of the incident management system is reviewed and that the level of harm is accurately recorded.
• Maintain the divisional sub Risk Register

About us

Our ambition is to deliver excellent local and specialist services, to improve the health and well being of our patients, and provide a vibrant place for staff to develop, innovate and build careers.

We aim to make the most of our skills and experiences so we can become the best we can be. As one organisation we will recruit the finest and retain more specialist staff due to more employment opportunities across our Trust.

Job responsibilities

For full details about this varied and rewarding role, please see attached job description.

Unfortunately, there is no Visa Sponsorship available for this role. Whilst we are able to employ candidates on a graduate Visa, we are unable to offer sponsorship once the graduate visa expires. for some roles i.e. roles for band 2 to 4, inclusive.

Qualifications

• Education to Degree level or equivalent
• Training in incident management/PSIRF
• Educated to degree level in governance /risk management

Knowledge and Experience

• NHS Experience
• A good working knowledge of the administrative aspects of an electronic risk management system
• Experience of working in a demanding and fast paced environment
• Able to analyse and interpret data.
• A good knowledge of Microsoft office packages
• Ability to collate and interpret statistical information
• Experience in use of Datix

Communication

• Able to work co-operatively as part of a team and to communicate and work effectively with staff at all levels of the organisation
• Proven ability to meet deadlines and targets
• Ability to manage own time and work with minimal supervision and deal with queries independently where possible
• Able to process sensitive information whilst maintaining confidentiality

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer name

Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust

£39,959 a yearPer Annum (Pro Rata for Part Time)