An exciting new role has been created within the NEMS Governance Team for a Clinical Governance Lead. We are seeking a qualified Healthcare Professional, ideally a qualified ACP, with significant experience in a senior clinical role.
You will bring expertise in clinical practice, risk management, education, and service delivery, and demonstrate the ability to work in a supportive, collaborative, and solutions-focused manner. The post holder will play a pivotal role in ensuring that NEMS services remain safe, compliant, and high quality, embodying our commitment to Providing the Best Care, Because We Care. You will support the organisation to embed quality improvement, promote shared learning, and demonstrate a culture of continuous improvement across all clinical areas.
This role requires strong interpersonal skills, professional credibility, and the ability to work closely with clinical, operational, and managerial teams. You will be instrumental in supporting a positive safety culture, overseeing key governance processes, and ensuring NEMS meets regulatory, legislative, and internal standards related to quality and safety.
Main duties of the job
Main Duties and Responsibilities Clinical Governance & Quality Assurance
* Provide assurance that NEMS services remain safe, compliant, and responsive, and that high standards of clinical care are maintained.
* Work with the Head of Governance to ensure robust governance systems are embedded and operational across all services.
* Support services to comply with all clinical governance, quality, and safety requirements, including CQC regulatory standards.
* Foster strong working relationships across NEMS to promote a culture of openness, shared learning, and continuous improvement.
Patient Safety, Risk & Incident Management
* Lead and support the management of clinical complaints, patient safety incidents and service‑to‑service enquiries, ensuring timely investigation and appropriate actions.
* Ensure effective implementation of the Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF), including prompt identification of incidents, immediate safety actions, and escalation where required.
* Support and mentor staff who undertake incident investigations, ensuring high quality Patient Safety Incident Investigation (PSII) reports.
* Ensure compliance with CQC Regulation 20 (Duty of Candour) and support staff to deliver open, transparent communication with patients and families.
* Liaise with external stakeholders, service users, and families where appropriate to support the Medical Director and Head of Governance.
About us
Values & Commitment to NEMS Vision
At NEMS, we are driven by our vision of Providing Best Care, Because We Care. The successful post‑holder will embody these values, promoting a culture of safety, learning, and excellence in clinical care.
Job responsibilities
Learning, Improvement & Culture Support the identification and theming of patient safety incidents, complaints, feedback, and quality data to inform learning and improvement activities. Produce high‑quality analysis and reports to demonstrate trends, themes, and learning that drive improvements and reduce patient harm. Promote and facilitate the embedding of quality initiatives, ensuring sustainability and demonstrable positive impact. Champion the development of a learning, supportive, and just culture across all NEMS sites. Professional Responsibilities Exercise independent judgment, initiative, and decision‑making within the scope of the role. Work collaboratively with the Medical Director, Head of Governance, and multidisciplinary teams across clinical and operational settings. Maintain professional registration and comply with relevant professional standards. Provide professional leadership and act as a role model for best practice in governance, safety, and quality. Embedding the Quality Assurance Framework The post holder will play a key role in embedding the NEMS Quality Assurance Framework across all services to ensure a consistent, organisation‑wide approach to delivering safe, effective, and patient‑centred care. Working with the Head of Governance and Medical Director, you will support the translation of the Framework into daily practice and ensure that teams understand and apply its principles. Key responsibilities include:
* Operationalising the Quality Assurance Framework by supporting services to integrate its standards, processes, and expectations into routine clinical activity.
* Promoting a shared single view of quality, ensuring staff understand the organisational priorities relating to patient safety, clinical effectiveness, patient experience, and Getting It Right from the Patients Perspective.
* Supporting governance architecture and reporting, ensuring robust lines of accountability from point of care to Board level, including accurate and timely escalations of emerging themes, risks, and quality concerns.
* Facilitating quality monitoring activities, including audit, quality reviews, patient experience initiatives, IPC self‑assessments, and compliance checks aligned to the Frameworks requirements.
* Ensuring staff engagement with quality, helping embed quality discussions into daily practices, such as safety huddles, team meetings, clinical supervision, and learning events.
* Promoting an organisational culture of improvement, supporting the use of quality improvement methodologies (e.g., PDSA cycles, thematic learning, systems‑based approaches) to address themes identified through incidents, complaints, feedback and audits.
* Ensuring evidence alignment with statutory and regulatory requirements, including CQC quality statements, health and social care regulations, safeguarding, and national best practice guidance.
* Supporting the triangulation of data and intelligence across patient safety incidents, complaints, audits, operational KPIs, and patient feedback, enabling proactive identification of risk and opportunities for improvement.
* Championing transparent, compassionate leadership behaviours consistent with fostering psychological safety and promoting a learning, not blaming, culture.
* Contributing to the development of quality dashboards and reporting, informing senior leaders of progress, outcomes, themes, and areas requiring action.
* Supporting readiness for external review and regulatory inspection, ensuring services can clearly demonstrate compliance, quality assurance, and continuous improvement in line with the Quality Assurance Framework.
Person Specification
Qualifications
* Registered Healthcare Professional
* Evidence of continuous professional development.
* Post‑registration training or experience in risk management, patient safety, or
* Significant experience in a senior clinical role within healthcare.
* Demonstrable understanding of clinical governance, quality improvement, risk management, and patient safety.
* Experience undertaking or leading investigations in line with PSIRF or similar frameworks.
* Experience working collaboratively across multidisciplinary teams.
* Experience producing clear, concise reports for clinical or governance purposes.
* Strong understanding of clinical practice, education, and service delivery.
* Knowledge of regulatory requirements including CQC standards and Duty of Candour.
* Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to foster positive relationships.
* Strong analytical and report‑writing skills.
* Ability to mentor and support staff at all levels.
* Able to work independently, demonstrate initiative, and manage competing priorities.
* Compassionate, patient‑focused, and committed to improving quality of care.
* Confident, supportive, and able to challenge constructively.
* Professional integrity and ability to maintain confidentiality.
* Flexible, adaptable, and responsive to changing organisational needs.
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.
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