Job summary
Band 6
Full Time - 37.5 hours
Are you ready for a new challenge in the evolving world of Information Governance?
An opportunity has arisen for the right candidate to join the Information Governance Team in the role of Senior Information Governance Officer at Mersey and West Lancashire NHS Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (MWL).
Main duties of the job
We are looking for an ambitious, motivated and experienced Information Governance (IG) individual who will play a key role in ensuring that the organisations we support meet all legal requirements in connection with confidentiality and security of personal information and the management of organisational information.
You will:
- Have a degree level qualification and /or equivalent working experience gained in an Information Governance role /Governance role or equivalent working experience in an area related to Governance within the NHS or similar organisation
- Need to be able to demonstrate a good understanding of the main requirements of the Data Protection legislations, Freedom of Information Act and the Data Security & Protection Toolkit (DSPT)
- Have experience in developing and delivering training packages as on site staff training will be a part of your remit
- Provide support to staff of all levels, in all aspects of Information Governance, by providing advice and guidance in all aspects related to Information Governance and Data Protection
- Have the ability to support and contribute to information related incidents and investigations
- Be confident with all requests for information such as Subject Access Requests (SAR) and Freedom of Information (FOI) requests by supporting the IG and FOI Administrator and operational teams
About us
Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust serves a population of over 600,000 with a workforce of over 10,500 dedicated and skilled staff across 21 sites.
Our services:
Acute Care
Providing emergency and maternity services at Whiston, Southport and Ormskirk hospitals, and medical and surgical specialties across all our sites.
Primary Care
Providing primary care services at Marshalls Cross Medical Centre situated in St Helens Hospital.
Community Services
Providing adult community services for St Helens and a wheelchair service in Chorley, South Ribble, and West Lancashire. Our inpatient unit at Newton Community Hospital is where patients needing acute hospital beds can continue rehabilitation. We also provide urgent care at our Urgent Treatment Centre located in St Helens town centre.
Specialist Regional Services
We provide the Mersey Regional Burns & Plastic Surgery Unit at Whiston Hospital and the Spinal Injuries Unit at Southport Hospital to more than 4 million people across the whole of Merseyside, West Lancashire, Cheshire, Isle of Man and North Wales.
Achievements:
- Rated Outstanding by CQC Inspection August 2018
- Top 100 places to work in the NHS (NHS Employers & Health Service Journal)
- National Preceptorship Accreditation (2023) for Nursing & AHP Preceptorship Programme
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please ensure you have read through the attached Job Description and Person Specification before submitting your application.
Advertising date: 18th March 2026
Closing date: 12th April 2026
Shortlisting date: 14th April 2026
Proposed Interview date: 29th & 30th April 2026
Please note, this post may close earlier than advertised if a sufficient number of applications are received.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please ensure you have read through the attached Job Description and Person Specification before submitting your application.
Advertising date: 18th March 2026
Closing date: 12th April 2026
Shortlisting date: 14th April 2026
Proposed Interview date: 29th & 30th April 2026
Please note, this post may close earlier than advertised if a sufficient number of applications are received.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- First degree or equivalent experience of working in an Information Governance role in the public sector or similar
- Evidence of recent and ongoing professional development.
Desirable
- Data Protection Practitioner Certificate level 1 and 2
- BSC Practitioner Certificate in Data Protection
Knowledge & Experience
Essential
- Experience of working in the field of information Governance or similar governance/compliance area.
- Demonstrable experience of expert and specialist knowledge of the Information Governance agenda in the NHS
- Experience of practical implementation of the Data Protection Act and Freedom of Information Act.
- Knowledge and understanding of the NHS Data Security and Protection Toolkit
- Specialist knowledge of Data Protection and Freedom of Information and other relevant legislation
- Sound knowledge of standards, guidelines and NHS Codes of Practice to support compliance with Confidentiality and Caldicott.
- Experience of incident and risk assessment management
- Sound knowledge of operational records management issues
Desirable
- Good understanding of the NHS Digital agenda, specifically around the Electronic Care Record.
- Project management experience
- Experience of undertaking audits
- Experience in the development and delivery of training materials
Skills
Essential
- Demonstrates the capacity to quickly develop productive relationships
- Excellent organisational skills including time management, record keeping and upholding exceptional attention to detail
- Autonomous and self-managing, the ability to time manage and organise own workloads
- Embodies N.H.S. values and be flexible to the needs of the service/staff and role
- An ability to communicate with a wide range of individuals at all levels across organisations
- Highly developed oral and written communication skills including report writing and presentation skills.
- Ability to translate strategic concepts into measurable indicators
- Well-developed persuasive, influencing / negotiations skills
- Excellent computing skills with Microsoft Office products or equivalent. Including word processing, spreadsheets, databases, and presentational software
- Ability to develop, implement and deliver training to a wide range of staff
- The ability to select and apply improvement methodologies dependent on situation
- Ability to assemble, interpret and present information to a wider audience
- Ability to prioritise and deliver on time against a background of changing demands
- Excellent policy, guidance and support writing skills
- Strong planning and organisational skills
Other
Essential
- Ability to work at a desk with a computer for extended periods of time
- Advanced keyboard skills, accuracy important, inputting and manipulating data and information in complex database environments
- Physically capable of undertaking the requirements of the role which involve presenting training sessions and papers and traveling across departments and sites in order to conduct audits
- There is a requirement for significant periods of concentration in order that accuracy of information can be maintained at a high level
- Ability to cope with sensitive patient data which may be discussed from time to time
- Assist patients/ clients during incidental contact
- Ability to work in a typical office environment which can be noisy at times
- The post requires the use of display screen equipment throughout each working day
- Duties will require visits to all areas of Trust sites including controlled environments
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- First degree or equivalent experience of working in an Information Governance role in the public sector or similar
- Evidence of recent and ongoing professional development.
Desirable
- Data Protection Practitioner Certificate level 1 and 2
- BSC Practitioner Certificate in Data Protection
Knowledge & Experience
Essential
- Experience of working in the field of information Governance or similar governance/compliance area.
- Demonstrable experience of expert and specialist knowledge of the Information Governance agenda in the NHS
- Experience of practical implementation of the Data Protection Act and Freedom of Information Act.
- Knowledge and understanding of the NHS Data Security and Protection Toolkit
- Specialist knowledge of Data Protection and Freedom of Information and other relevant legislation
- Sound knowledge of standards, guidelines and NHS Codes of Practice to support compliance with Confidentiality and Caldicott.
- Experience of incident and risk assessment management
- Sound knowledge of operational records management issues
Desirable
- Good understanding of the NHS Digital agenda, specifically around the Electronic Care Record.
- Project management experience
- Experience of undertaking audits
- Experience in the development and delivery of training materials
Skills
Essential
- Demonstrates the capacity to quickly develop productive relationships
- Excellent organisational skills including time management, record keeping and upholding exceptional attention to detail
- Autonomous and self-managing, the ability to time manage and organise own workloads
- Embodies N.H.S. values and be flexible to the needs of the service/staff and role
- An ability to communicate with a wide range of individuals at all levels across organisations
- Highly developed oral and written communication skills including report writing and presentation skills.
- Ability to translate strategic concepts into measurable indicators
- Well-developed persuasive, influencing / negotiations skills
- Excellent computing skills with Microsoft Office products or equivalent. Including word processing, spreadsheets, databases, and presentational software
- Ability to develop, implement and deliver training to a wide range of staff
- The ability to select and apply improvement methodologies dependent on situation
- Ability to assemble, interpret and present information to a wider audience
- Ability to prioritise and deliver on time against a background of changing demands
- Excellent policy, guidance and support writing skills
- Strong planning and organisational skills
Other
Essential
- Ability to work at a desk with a computer for extended periods of time
- Advanced keyboard skills, accuracy important, inputting and manipulating data and information in complex database environments
- Physically capable of undertaking the requirements of the role which involve presenting training sessions and papers and traveling across departments and sites in order to conduct audits
- There is a requirement for significant periods of concentration in order that accuracy of information can be maintained at a high level
- Ability to cope with sensitive patient data which may be discussed from time to time
- Assist patients/ clients during incidental contact
- Ability to work in a typical office environment which can be noisy at times
- The post requires the use of display screen equipment throughout each working day
- Duties will require visits to all areas of Trust sites including controlled environments
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).
