Regulatory and Disclosure Support Officer

Job description

Job responsibilities

The Experience and Regulatory Team is a friendly and professional front facing team who provide a service supporting a number of regulatory functions.

As a Regulatory and Disclosure Support Officer, your primary areas of the role are responding to Freedom of Information (FOI) and Environmental Information Regulations (EIR) requests, processing and responding to Subject Access Requests (SARs) and supporting the disclosure of information as part of the Continuing Healthcare (CHC) Local Resolution Meeting and Independent Review Panel processes.

Within the role you are responsible for facilitating the day to day provision of the Humber and North Yorkshire (HNY) ICBs FOI and SAR functions, to support the Disclosure and Regulatory Manager in establishing, developing, and managing systems and processes to ensure compliance with the FOI Act 2000, the EIR, the General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018. This includes maintaining systems to respond to FOI, EIR and SAR requests, drafting response letters, setting up electronic folders, advising on exemption requirements, maintaining an FOI request log, a SAR log and assisting with admin tasks.

You will also support the CHC Teams across the HNYICB with the disclosure of information for any Local Resolution Meetings and subsequent Independent Review Panels. This will include ensuring that the appropriate documentation is being shared, the relevant redactions and exemptions applied and quality checked for accuracy.

As part of the Regulatory and Experience Team, you will work closely with your colleagues managing the concerns and complaints function for the HNYICB and will act as resilience in the event of high volumes of activity, a significant event or periods of absence. This involves responding to public contact via the dedicated telephone line and managing queries raised through the public inbox.

Key Relationships

The post holder will be required to maintain constructive relationships with a broad range of internal and external stakeholders for example:

Members of the public

Individual patients, their carers and families

Executive and Place Directors

Relevant Managers / Officers within the ICB

FOI and SARs leads within other NHS organisations, including NHS England

Information Governance Leads

Records Management Leads

Information Security Officer(s)

Participate in relevant internal ICB working groups and also external working groups/projects, services, and initiatives.

Work with members of the team and wider ICB to maintain data collection systems that will provide accurate and timely data.

Core Functions

To ensure that appropriate systems and processes are established and maintained to respond to FOI, EIR and SAR requests, providing support and advice when requested.

Liaise with a wide range of staff (including senior staff) and other key stakeholders, providing specialist advice and guidance to ensure that the response fully answers the request, meets the requirements of the legislation and that deadlines are met at all times, escalating complex or deadline concerns to the Disclosure and Regulatory Manager in a timely manner.

Monitor the FOI and SAR email inbox, co-ordinating the retrieval of information from a variety of sources which may include the ICB, support services and other providers.

Consider and advise on exemption and/or exception requirements and redactions, liaising with the Disclosure and Regulatory Manager as appropriate.

Manage the day-to-day processes and ensure high-quality letters are appropriately written in response to requests for information under the FOI Act for Director approval.

Advise staff on the organisations FOI and SAR policy and procedures, as appropriate.

Assist the Disclosure and Regulatory Manager in ensuring all relevant staff across the organisation are aware of, appropriately trained and follow procedure in relation to the FOI Act, EIR and SARS. Deliver FOI and SAR training to all appropriate staff across the ICB and support services.

Ensure that all requests for information made to the ICB under the FOI Act, EIR or SARs are responded to effectively and within the statutory deadlines.

Produce work in a range of formats, working at an advanced level in Word, Power Point, Excel, Outlook etc.

Maintain administrative and information resources.

Support the Disclosure and Regulatory Manager with preparing quarterly progress reports, as required.

Support with the development of the FOI and SARs pages on the HNYICB website.

Assist the Disclosure and Regulatory Manager in reviewing the HNYICB Publication Scheme on the HNYICB website, providing advice and assistance to the HNYICB to ensure it is compliant with the FOI Act. Identify trends in relation to information requested and proactively include documents in the organisations FOI Publication Scheme, if appropriate.

Maintain a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of services covered by the HNYICB in relation to potential FOI, EIR and/or SAR requests.

Respond to ad hoc requests for information from ICB colleagues.

To ensure that all relevant information is retrieved from clinical and non-clinical systems to support the disclosure of information for the purposes of a Local Resolution Meeting or Independent Review Panel.

To ensure that, for the purposes of a Local Resolution Meeting or Independent Review Panel, the appropriate documentation is being shared, the relevant redactions and exemptions applied, and quality checked for accuracy.

In the event of supporting the Experience Function, act as the first contact point for both the HNYICB and all public contacts through the Experience Team. Providing responses ranging from the provision of information through to assistance with diverse, complex and / or sensitive issues/concerns.

Ensure performance information is accurate and capable of satisfying appropriate audit procedures.

Person Specification

Skills and competencies

Essential

• Clear communicator with excellent writing skills, data entry and presentational skills; capable of constructing and delivering clear information/instructions to staff and service users.
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to work on own initiative and organise own workload with minimal supervision working to tight and often changing timescales.
• Advanced keyboard skills, use of a range of software and data analysis skills.
• Skills for effective communication of complex information and administrative matters, requiring developed interpersonal and oral/ written communication skills.
• Confidence to work and negotiate with people at all levels.
• Ability to manage situations with sensitivity, insight and empathy.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and trust.
• Professional, calm and efficient manner.
• Positive and flexible approach to work.
• Problem solving skills and ability to respond to sudden unexpected demands.
• An understanding of Root Cause Analysis (RCA).
• Understanding of and commitment to equality of opportunity and good working relationships.
• Ability to work as an integral part of a small team within a wider directorate.
• Have an eye for detail.

Desirable

• Ability to pull together comprehensive draft reports.
• Negotiating, networking and persuasive skills
• Ability to deliver training to staff groups.
• Skills for supporting project management.
• Skills for manipulating information.

Qualifications

Essential

• 5 GCSEs grade C or equivalent, including English and maths.
• Knowledge and understanding of confidentiality.
• Knowledge of administrative procedures, project management or information analysis.
• Intermediate knowledge of IT systems and software programmes such as Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Access.
• Awareness of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and the ICBs obligations in this regard.
• Awareness of the Subject Access Request (SAR) Processes and the supporting General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018
• Understanding the workings of Social Services, Health Authorities/NHS Trust/Primary Care/independent sector.

Desirable

• Previously worked in similar position within the public sector.
• Knowledge of the National Framework for NHS Continuing Healthcare and NHS funded nursing care

Experience

Essential

• Significant experience in a customer orientated environment dealing with sensitive and confidential information.
• Demonstrable experience in dealing with the public and dealing with sensitive and confidential information.
• Experience at senior admin level.
• Experience of working with a range of different professionals.
• Experience of effective communication with staff and members of the public in respect of potentially difficult situations.
• Experience in fact finding, meeting organisation and report writing.
• Experience of influencing and negotiation.

Desirable

• Experience of minute taking.

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.

Employer details

Employer name

Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (857)

Address

Health House

Grange Park Lane

Willerby

HU10 6DT

Employer's website

https://humberandnorthyorkshire.icb.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)