Director of governance, assurance & quality
Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust is seeking an exceptional leader to strengthen ward‑to‑board quality governance, risk and assurance across our multi‑site organisation. You will lead the Trust Risk Strategy and the Corporate and Divisional Risk Registers, supporting the Board Assurance Framework and clear escalation of risk. You’ll oversee the annual Quality Account, clinical audit and effectiveness, and help deliver PSIRF and the national patient safety training syllabus. Working with executive colleagues, you’ll embed consistent incident investigation and learning, improve reporting by triangulating patient safety intelligence, and lead governance, risk and assurance training. You will line‑manage and hold budget responsibility for Patient Safety, Risk Management, the Medical Examiner’s Office, and Clinical Audit & Effectiveness. We’re looking for a values‑led senior NHS leader (Master’s level or equivalent) with expert knowledge of quality governance, risk and assurance and a strong track record of leading change.
Main duties of the job
* The post holder will be responsible for developing and maintaining a clear ward‑to‑board line of sight for all Divisional quality governance, assurance and risk structures, ensuring standardisation of systems and processes across a multi‑site organisation.
* Champion and promote a culture of openness, transparency, psychological safety, and continuous improvement to drive excellence in clinical care.
* The post holder will oversee production of the annual Quality Account and ensure alignment with the development of the Trust’s Quality Strategy and adherence to national priorities.
* Responsible for the clinical audit and effectiveness assurance framework and ensure compliance with national audit programmes, and deliver the Trust clinical effectiveness and audit programme, and associated quality improvement projects, in line with NHS best practice.
* Lead on the delivery of the Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF), including the development of approaches for identifying and sharing learning.
* Lead on the delivery of the National Patient Safety training syllabus across the Trust.
* Coordinate and deliver a robust and consistent approach to investigations and learning from serious incidents/adverse events. Liaise with external bodies regarding incidents as appropriate.
About us
Visa Sponsorship: This position is not eligible for Skilled Worker visa sponsorship. Applicants must already hold the right to work in the UK for the full duration of the contract.
Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust is committed to being an inclusive and disability confident employer and has been awarded the Gold for the Armed Forces Employment Recognition Scheme. We provide first‑class development opportunities for all staff and have a wide range of professional, management and leadership, and clinical skills training available.
Here at Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust, we know how important it is to have a healthy work life balance; this benefits not only individuals but the patients we care for too.
We encourage applications from people who wish to work on a flexible basis, recognising that flexibility may mean a range of different working patterns and hours; we do our utmost to work with our staff to meet their needs and the needs of our service and its users.
Job responsibilities
* Develop and maintain a clear ward‑to‑board line of sight for all Divisional quality governance, assurance and risk structures, ensuring standardisation of systems and processes across a multi‑site organisation.
* Champion and promote a culture of openness, transparency, psychological safety, and continuous improvement to drive excellence in clinical care.
* Oversee production of the annual Quality Account and ensure alignment with the development of the Trust’s Quality Strategy and adherence with national priorities.
* Responsible for the clinical audit and effectiveness assurance framework and ensure compliance with national audit programmes, delivering the Trust clinical effectiveness and audit programme, and associated quality improvement projects, in line with NHS best practice.
* Lead on the delivery of the Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF), including development of approaches for identifying and sharing learning.
* Lead on the delivery of the National Patient Safety training syllabus across the Trust.
* Coordinate and deliver a robust and consistent approach to investigations and learning from serious incidents/adverse events. Liaise with external bodies regarding incidents as appropriate.
* Develop integrated reporting to ensure understanding of the patient safety profile through analysis and triangulation of data, including but not limited to clinical informatics; incident reporting; complaints and PALS; mortality; excellence reporting; Freedom to Speak Up; whistleblowing; external reviews; inspections; and other sources working with relevant Trust leads.
* In collaboration with the Chief of Nursing and Midwifery and Chief Medical Director, lead the planning and servicing of the Trust’s Quality Assurance Committee, a subcommittee of the Trust Board.
* Provide written reports and attend relevant Ward‑to‑Board meetings as required.
* Lead the development of training programmes in quality governance, risk and assurance, ensuring all staff are equipped to meet good governance standards.
* Ensure quality governance, risk and assurance structures support effective decision‑making, accountability, and optimal use of resources to respond to national directives and patient needs.
* Work in collaboration with the Chief of Nursing and Midwifery and Chief Medical Officer to improve patient safety and clinical outcomes for our local communities.
* Lead and continually monitor the delivery of the Risk Strategy to uphold the Board Assurance Framework and ensure alignment of the Trust Strategy, working closely with the Director of Corporate Affairs.
* Ensure Trust quality, clinical and other risks are identified, understood at all levels, mitigated and managed through standardised Divisional and Corporate risk processes and registers.
* Work in close collaboration with the Director of Corporate Affairs to ensure alignment between Divisional and Corporate Risk Registers, and the Board Assurance Framework to provide a robust internal control environment for the organisation, supporting the clear escalation and management of risks across the organisation.
* Provide expertise and assurance to the Trust Board regarding the management of risks and clinical regulatory compliance.
* Work in close collaboration with the Director of Corporate Affairs to highlight any gaps for quality and risk within the programme of external visits, accreditations and inspections.
* Provide written reports and attend relevant Board sub‑committees and Board meetings as required.
* Develop effective relationships working with clinical teams and divisional leadership teams to improve patient care and contribute to the delivery of the Trust strategy.
* Lead and develop improvement strategies in the areas of quality governance, risk and assurance, including compliance with Care Quality Commission fundamental standards and legal regulations.
* Provide specialist advice to the Board and organisation to develop and improve the safety culture of the organisation. Oversee implementation of the patient safety policy and plan in line with the National Patient Safety Strategy and Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF) principles.
Qualifications
* Expert knowledge of quality governance, risk and assurance frameworks.
* Master’s degree level or equivalent, highly experienced senior manager/clinician within the NHS.
* Registered healthcare professional (e.g. medical, registered nurse, midwife or allied health professional).
Experience
* Development and implementation of quality governance, risk and assurance frameworks.
* Experience collaborating and working with senior stakeholders, including Board, presenting, reporting and influencing planning and decision making.
* Experience as a senior professional manager/clinician in the NHS.
* Demonstrable experience of supporting an open learning culture with psychological safety.
Skills & Knowledge
* Experience delivering quality governance, risk and assurance functions within a complex organisation.
* Ability to author complex reports for internal and external assurance forums, including the presentation and interpretation of data sets to inform and influence the improvement of patient care.
* Demonstrate mature levels of political and organisational awareness.
* Demonstrable experience of supporting an open learning culture with psychological safety.
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 to check for any previous criminal convictions.
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