Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust
Job Description
Job title: Governance Officer
Band: Band 6
Directorate: Trust Management
Site:Maidstone Hospital (but will need to work cross-site, and from home, as required)
Hours: 37.5 per week
Reports to: Deputy Trust Secretary
Accountable to: Trust Secretary
Job summary:
The Governance Officer will support the Deputy Trust Secretary and the Trust Secretary in delivering the highest standards of corporate governance in the Trust, ensuring compliance with the regulatory framework, Trust licence, relevant legislation and Trust Constitution. The role will ensure that meetings of the Board Sub-committees are run efficiently and effectively by providing comprehensive administrative support including minute taking and being a key contact for Committee members.
The postholder will provide comprehensive administrative service to the Board Sub committees as required. The postholder will be expected to work on their own authority andinitiative, prioritising their own time to ensure that deadlines are met, and work in collaboration with the Chair, Non-Executive Directors, Chief Executive and Executive Directors of the Trust, Executive Assistants supporting the Executive Team, and partnership organisations.
The post holder must be able to embrace working in a dynamic and demanding office environment, while maintaining a high level of focus and attention to detail on specific tasks.
Working relationships:
Work as a team member with personal, telephone, virtual and e-mail contact on a daily basis with the Trust Management office team, and all persons with working relationships with the Executive Directors, other NHS organisations’ representatives, as well as patients and members of the public, as required.
Budget responsibilities:
To support the Trust Secretary in ensuring expenditure is within the department’s budget.
Key result areas:
Communication and Relationship Skills
* Provide high quality and effective methods of communication across the Trust including the Trust Board members ensuring effective arrangements are in place for the Board to communicate and engage effectively with Key stakeholders.
* Ensure that there is appropriate information flow within and between the Trust Board, its Sub-committees and other stakeholders.
* Ensure that reports, supporting papers, minutes and action logs are available as required using advance keyboard skills in the compilation of these documents for each Committee.
* Build and maintain positive working relationships within and outside the Trust to support the effective functioning of the Corporate Services office.
* Required to deal with a diverse range of difficult and distressing situations on a regular basis, requiring resilience and emotional effort.
Knowledge, Training and Experience
* Ensure that the Trust Board Sub-committee meetings are managed effectively to provide good governance; administering of these meetings including the collation of papers; minuting of the meetings; drafting agendas; producing action trackers and other related matters supporting each Committee chair as required.
* Ensure that sound procedures are followed for the management and control of documentation across the Trust for reporting to Sub-Committees and onwards to the Trust Board.
* Review and reprioritise workload independently in line with unplanned changes and conflicting priorities.
Analytical Skills
* Produce high quality written material including presentations, reports, letters, and papers for governance reporting through the Trust Board Sub-committees.
* Assist with information returns to external organisations such as the external auditors.
* Ensure Sub-committee papers are prepared and coordinated in line with best practice governance principles.
* Sense and accuracy check high level and detailed reports prior to publication in meetings packs.
* Ensure meetings are organised and run in accordance with the constitution and provide advice on the conduct of meetings.
* Use autonomous discretion as to when to involve Executive Directors, senior managers, including the Chair and Chief Executive, in service-related issues.
Planning and Organisational Skills
* Organise and plan the workload of the Trust Board Sub-Committees ensuring that the arrangements for meetings are managed effectively. This can include complex matters which require adjustment according to changing situations. Ensure that relevant meeting material is available, and that workflow is scheduled to ensure deadlines are met. Organise complex activities across Departments within the Trust and other external Agencies.
* Produce forward planning documentation such as Trust Board Sub-Committee annual work plans in line with statutory requirements, the constitution, reservation of powers and scheme of delegation, and committee terms of reference.
* Support the development of administrative arrangements that support the business of the Board Sub-committees allowing them to function efficiently and effectively.
* Assist with required reporting to the Board and Sub-Committees.
* Assist with the producing of the Trust Annual Report and the organisation of the Trust Annual Member/General Meeting.
* Provide cover (annual leave and other absence) for other members of the Trust Secretary team.
Quality Governance Structure
* To support the Deputy Trust Secretary; Trust Secretay and Director of Quality Governance with the development and administration of the Quality Governance stcuture, including the providing the secretariat for the meetings contained therein and ensuring appropriate escalation to the ‘main’ Quality Committee
Physical Skills
* Physical skills obtained through standard practice keyboard skills.
Responsibility for policy/service development
* Will adhere to all trust and departmental policies and procedures in relation to data quality. Where managing staff, will ensure team’s adherence to policy and monitor compliance.
Physical effort
* Some physical capability is necessary to set up committee rooms. Some level of fitness is required as the role involves walking between departments across the three hospital sites. Occasional bending and lifting is required.
Mental and emotional effort
* Prolonged mental effort is required on a frequent basis requiring periods of significant concentration when transcribing minutes or preparing complex documents for the Board. There are likely to be frequent interruptions throughout the working day
Working conditions
* The post-holder may receive complaints or concerns intended for the Deputy Trust Secretary / Trust Secretary, via their direct contact with the Trust Board. This may involve exposure to unpleasant, distressing or emotive situations / conditions. Such exposure is likely to be variable, but it may be frequent
* Flexible working options will be avaiallbe, as long as service demands / requirements are maintained.
Statement:
1. This job description is a broad reflection of the current duties. It is not necessarily exhaustive and changes will be made at the discretion of the manager in conjunction with the post holder.
2. Time scales for achievement and standards of performance relating to the duties and responsibilities identified in this job description will be agreed via the annual appraisal process with the post holder.
3. As an employee of Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust, the post holder will have access to confidential information. Under no circumstances should this be disclosed to an unauthorised person within or outside the Trust. The post holder must ensure compliance with the requirements of the Data Protection Act.
4. As an employee of the Trust, the post holder will be required to adhere to all Trust policies including Equal Opportunities where all employees are expected to accept individual responsibility for the practical implications of these policies.
5. The post holder is required to take reasonable care for the health and safety of themselves and others that may be affected by what they do while at work.
6. This post may require the post holder to travel across the Trust sites in the course of fulfilment of their duties.
7. The Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust has a no smoking policy
8. Clinical Governance: You will be expected to take part in the processes for monitoring and improving the quality of care provided to patients. This includes risk management and clinical audit. If you engage in clinical research you must follow Trust protocols and ensure that the research has had ethical approval. You will be expected to ensure that patients receive the information they need and are treated with dignity and respect for their privacy.
9. All staff should be aware of their responsibilities and role in relation to the Trust’s Major Incident Plan.
10. INFECTION CONTROL AND HAND HYGIENE - All Trust employees are required to be familiar with, and comply with, Trust policies for infection control and hand hygiene in order to reduce the spread of healthcare-associated infections. For clinical staff with direct patient contact, this will include compliance with Trust clinical procedures and protocols, including uniform and dress code, the use of personal protective equipment policy, safe procedures for using aseptic techniques, and safe disposal of sharps. All staff are required to attend mandatory training in Infection Control and be compliant with all measures known to be effective in reducing healthcare-associated infections.
11. All staff are required to fully participate in learning and development opportunities and ensure they remain compliant with statutory and mandatory training requirements throughout their employment with the Trust
12. All staff are required to fully comply with the NHS Code of Conduct.
13. SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN - Everyone employed by the Trust regardless of the work they do has a statutory duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. When children and/or their carers use our services it is essential that all child protection concerns are both recognised and acted on appropriately. You have a responsibility to ensure you are familiar with and follow the child protection procedures and the Trust’s supplementary child protection guidance which is accessed electronically on the Trust's Intranet site. You have a responsibility to support appropriate investigations either internally or externally. To ensure you are equipped to carry out your duties effectively, you must also attend child protection training and updates at the competency level appropriate to the work you do and in accordance with the Trust's child protection training guidance.
14. SAFEGUARDING ADULTS - Everyone employed by the Trust regardless of the work they do has a duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of vulnerable adults. When patients and/or their carers use our services it is essential that all protection concerns are both recognised and acted on appropriately. You have a responsibility to ensure you are familiar with and follow Trust policies in relation to safeguarding vulnerable adults. You have a responsibility to support appropriate investigations either internally or externally. To ensure you are equipped to carry out your duties effectively, you must also attend vulnerable adult protection training and updates at the competency level appropriate to the work you do and in accordance with the Trust's vulnerable adult protection training guidance.
15. All staff are required to provide the highest levels of service in their work and to adopt the highest standards of behaviour as stated and implied in the Trust Values of PRIDE.
Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust
Governance Officer (Band 6)
Person specification
AREA
ESSENTIAL
DESIRABLE
(for grading purposes this information is not taken into account)
Qualifications
* Educated to degree level or with a comparable work experience
* Evidence of continuous professional development
* Membership of Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (ICSA), or equivalent
* Currently undertaking ICSA qualification
Experience/ Knowledge
* Experience in a corporate governance role and minute taking at Board/Committee level
* Awareness of best practice in relation to the organisation and conduct of high-level meetings
* A proven track record of building personal and professional credibility, maintaining confidence and establishing highly effective relationships with a range of stakeholders including Board and Committee members, management and staff
* Experience and knowledge of regulatory matters, NHS compliance and corporate governance and experience in their application in an NHS Trust settings
* Knowledge/understanding of confidentiality issues.
Skills and attributes
* Strong evidence of experience in handling complex arrangements to a high degree of accuracy, timeliness and effectiveness, including managing multiple deadlines.
* Producing accurate and professional committee level minutes for corporate organisations
* Reporting accurate, complete and timely reports
* Excellent communication skills with sensitive information, including the ability to communicate information/agreement with individuals at all levels in the
Organisation
* Understanding the relationship between the Trust Chair, Chief Executive, Executive and Non-Executive Directors
* Ability to offer constructive and well thought through feedback to the Committee Chairs in order to support them effectively
* Ability to exert influence to ensure objectives and deliverables are met
* Excellent problem-solving skills
* Exceptional interpersonal skills
* Excellent written and oral communication, attention to detail and the ability to write fluently with a high level of accuracy
* Highly developed presentation skills, IT literate, email and MS Office functions
* Experience of using web-based portal software or tools supporting Boards (e.g. Admin Control)
* Use of Microsoft Teams
* Use of Webex meetings
Additional requirements
* Ability and willingness to work with a high degree of flexibility in approach and attitude
* Self-motivated with the ability to motivate others
* Team player while able to work independently
* Able to learn from experience and adapt to changes and new challenges
Date written ………………..
Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust
Job Descriptions – Data Quality Content
Please consider what responsilbilities this role will have in relation to data quality using the grid below. Once you have identifies the appropriate wording., please copy and paste this under the ‘Responsibility for policy/service development’ headingabove.
Key Result Areas
B6
Data Quality
Will adhere to all trust and departmental policies and procedures in relation to data quality.
Where managing staff, will ensure team’s adherence to policy and monitor compliance.
Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust
Governance Officer
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