Job summary
An exciting opportunity has arisen to lead the Quality Team at Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust
As the Head of Patient Safety and Learning you will provide support to the Associate Director of Quality in leading the response to patient safety, embedding of the Patient Safety Incident Response Framework and oversee the patient safety team at a strategic level, ensuring learning and improvements are shared across the organisation.
The successful candidate will lead on a broad range of patient safety and clinical governance activities, in liaison with other key professionals within the Trust. You will provide expert support to the organisation and system playing a key role in the development of a patient safety culture, safety systems and improvement activity ensuring that systems thinking, human factors understanding and "just culture" principles are embedded in all patient safety processes across the Trust.
This post will play a key role in supporting the Patient Safety Partners within the Trust to ensure that the patients voice is heard with regards to patient safety activities and championing of patient co-design.
We are looking for an authentic, senior leader to drive patient safety with enthusiasm. A proven background in patient safety and an improvement mindset is essential.
Main duties of the job
Key Focus
1. The Head of Patient Safety and Learning will provide compassionate and collaborative leadership and provides the Trust with expert knowledge and advice on all patient safety matters within the organisation including the development of a patient safety culture and safety systems based on relevant legislation, national and local agreements, and policies and procedures.
2. Provide patient safety expertise and leadership within the organisation; demonstrating compassionate leadership, visibility and supporting the continued development of the patient safety culture. Work with clinicians and Trust Managers in developing patient safety and learning strategies and interventions including local, national and international initiatives to address challenging areas for the organisation.
3. The Head of Patient Safety and Learning will oversee complex patient safety investigations where expert opinion is needed, and will lead on safety improvement/ initiatives, ensuring that systems thinking, human factors understanding and just culture principles are embedded in patient safety processes.
4. Day to day operational management of the patient safety team and the Ulysses systems team, directly managing the team, setting and monitoring objectives, carrying out appraisals and having an overview of all work being carried out, ensuring the organisational objectives are met.
About us
Our people are our greatest asset. When we feel supported and happy at work, this positivity reaches those very people we are here for, the patients. Engaged employees perform at their best and our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) initiatives contribute to cultivate a culture of engagement. We have four staff networks, a corporate EDI Team and a suite of programmes and events which aim to insert the 5 aspirations:
- Improving representation at senior levels of staff with disabilities, from black, Asian, and ethnic minorities background, identify as LGBTQ+ and women, through improved recruitment and leadership development
- Widening access (anchor institution) and employability
- Improving the experience of staff with disability
- Improving the EDI literacy and confidence of trust staff through training and development
- Making equalities mainstream
Job description
Job responsibilities
For further information on the job description and responsibilities, please review the attached Job Description.
Job description
Job responsibilities
For further information on the job description and responsibilities, please review the attached Job Description.
Person Specification
Qualifications, Accreditations, Education
Essential
- Educated to Masters level (in a relevant discipline) or equivalent level, or equivalent experience of working at a senior level
- Post-graduate management, leadership or specialist qualification or previous experience
- Training in safety investigations in line with the PSIRF
- Quality improvement qualification or previous experience
Desirable
- Registered Health Professional
- Post-graduate patient safety qualification or previous experience
Experience
Essential
- Experience of working in a patient safety-related role with an understanding of the principles that underpin approaches to improving patient safety in health systems
- A minimum of 5 years' experience in clinical practice with a minimum of 2 years working at a senior level.
- Experience and knowledge of the components of clinical governance, incident response, risk management and assurance function; current NHS national policies, standards, requirements and directions that relate to measuring and improving the quality and safety of patient care
- Experience of implementing national guidelines and policies with the ability to interpret national advice, guidance and requirements and advise their organisation on how these should be implemented
- Experience in project/change management in a healthcare environment and driving improvement for the safety of patients which can include techniques and tools such as Agile, Prince 2 or Managing Successful Projects
- Experience of working collaboratively with patients/service/ stakeholders to improve quality of service by co-design
- Experience of developing & delivering training programmes
Desirable
- Experience of managing and prioritising a budget with solid working knowledge of financial processes and budget setting
- Experience of working in a strategic leadership role supporting Board Executives (includes voluntary experience)
Knowledge and Skills
Essential
- Knowledge of the NHS patient safety strategy and how it can be implemented
- Knowledge and experience of developments in quality improvement science
- Knowledge of systems thinking, human factors understanding and just culture principles
- Knowledge and understanding of the Equalities Act 2010, including the importance of collecting and analysing data on key protected characteristics.
- Knowledge and understanding of the factors that contribute to healthcare inequalities and access to services
- Ability to interpret complex information (including patient safety incident data, administrative data, mortality data) that may conflict and where expert opinions may differ
- Ability to contribute to the patient safety debate
- Well-developed influencing and negotiating skills at an organisational level and externally with a range of stakeholders
- Sound political judgement and astuteness in understanding and working with complex policy, and the ability to interpret and relay this to a range of audiences
- Ability to develop and communicate a vision, and convert that into plans, objectives and deliverables working to tight and often changing deadlines.
- Ability to develop and maintain collaborative relationships and deal confidently with staff at all levels of an organisation
- High level analytical skills and the ability to draw qualitative and quantitative data from a wide range of sources draw appropriate conclusions and present in a clear concise manner
- Ability to horizon scan and research for the latest changes to the regulatory and governance environment
Personal Abilities
Essential
- Adhere to the Trust values and behaviours
- Ability to use established networks and create new ones to share good practice and facilitate engagement with regional colleagues and the national patient safety team
- High level of self-motivation and organisational skills
- Able to negotiate and influence at an organisational level and externally with a range of stakeholders
- High quality presentation skills and ability to provide and effectively communicate highly complex, sensitive and contentious information to staff, patients and relatives/carers, particularly where a potentially antagonistic or highly emotive atmosphere may present significant barriers to acceptance
- High level critical thinking skills and attention to detail
- Show credibility and enthusiasm for patient safety
- Show enthusiasm and interest in ensuring others are trained and developed in patient safety, as appropriate.
- Self-awareness with effective coping strategies
- Ability to work to deadlines and produce a high caliber of work under pressure
- Ability to remain calm, controlled and polite in a busy and pressurised environment
Person Specification
Qualifications, Accreditations, Education
Essential
- Educated to Masters level (in a relevant discipline) or equivalent level, or equivalent experience of working at a senior level
- Post-graduate management, leadership or specialist qualification or previous experience
- Training in safety investigations in line with the PSIRF
- Quality improvement qualification or previous experience
Desirable
- Registered Health Professional
- Post-graduate patient safety qualification or previous experience
Experience
Essential
- Experience of working in a patient safety-related role with an understanding of the principles that underpin approaches to improving patient safety in health systems
- A minimum of 5 years' experience in clinical practice with a minimum of 2 years working at a senior level.
- Experience and knowledge of the components of clinical governance, incident response, risk management and assurance function; current NHS national policies, standards, requirements and directions that relate to measuring and improving the quality and safety of patient care
- Experience of implementing national guidelines and policies with the ability to interpret national advice, guidance and requirements and advise their organisation on how these should be implemented
- Experience in project/change management in a healthcare environment and driving improvement for the safety of patients which can include techniques and tools such as Agile, Prince 2 or Managing Successful Projects
- Experience of working collaboratively with patients/service/ stakeholders to improve quality of service by co-design
- Experience of developing & delivering training programmes
Desirable
- Experience of managing and prioritising a budget with solid working knowledge of financial processes and budget setting
- Experience of working in a strategic leadership role supporting Board Executives (includes voluntary experience)
Knowledge and Skills
Essential
- Knowledge of the NHS patient safety strategy and how it can be implemented
- Knowledge and experience of developments in quality improvement science
- Knowledge of systems thinking, human factors understanding and just culture principles
- Knowledge and understanding of the Equalities Act 2010, including the importance of collecting and analysing data on key protected characteristics.
- Knowledge and understanding of the factors that contribute to healthcare inequalities and access to services
- Ability to interpret complex information (including patient safety incident data, administrative data, mortality data) that may conflict and where expert opinions may differ
- Ability to contribute to the patient safety debate
- Well-developed influencing and negotiating skills at an organisational level and externally with a range of stakeholders
- Sound political judgement and astuteness in understanding and working with complex policy, and the ability to interpret and relay this to a range of audiences
- Ability to develop and communicate a vision, and convert that into plans, objectives and deliverables working to tight and often changing deadlines.
- Ability to develop and maintain collaborative relationships and deal confidently with staff at all levels of an organisation
- High level analytical skills and the ability to draw qualitative and quantitative data from a wide range of sources draw appropriate conclusions and present in a clear concise manner
- Ability to horizon scan and research for the latest changes to the regulatory and governance environment
Personal Abilities
Essential
- Adhere to the Trust values and behaviours
- Ability to use established networks and create new ones to share good practice and facilitate engagement with regional colleagues and the national patient safety team
- High level of self-motivation and organisational skills
- Able to negotiate and influence at an organisational level and externally with a range of stakeholders
- High quality presentation skills and ability to provide and effectively communicate highly complex, sensitive and contentious information to staff, patients and relatives/carers, particularly where a potentially antagonistic or highly emotive atmosphere may present significant barriers to acceptance
- High level critical thinking skills and attention to detail
- Show credibility and enthusiasm for patient safety
- Show enthusiasm and interest in ensuring others are trained and developed in patient safety, as appropriate.
- Self-awareness with effective coping strategies
- Ability to work to deadlines and produce a high caliber of work under pressure
- Ability to remain calm, controlled and polite in a busy and pressurised environment
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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
Additional information
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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
