Band 8c - Associate Director of Quality & Patient Safety

Job overview

Quality is a key priority for the trust, this post holder will have a key role in ensuring patient safety and will have direct line management responsibility for the harm free care team.

With a clinical leadership focus for all aspects of patient safety and clinical risk management and clinical governance; the post holder is expected to be one of the named patient safety specialists in line with the Patient Safety Response Framework.

Key workstreams which form part of the day-to-day responsibilities are:

• Patient Safety Incident Response Framework
• Support the development and operational translation of the patient safety/quality strategy, infrastructure and culture across the organisation
• Patient Safety Specialist
• Ward accreditation scheme
• Harm Free Care
• Quality Account
• Duty of Candour
• To provide quality assurance, ensuring the fundamentals of care are delivered effectively and efficiently against recognised best practice
• Support the Deputy Director of Nursing – Quality and Safety in working with external stakeholders to implement the governance framework relating to clinical quality and safety in the HCP and wider linking in with the ICB. This includes working across boundaries with health and social care organisations to ensure the best possible outcomes for patients

Main duties of the job

The post holder will be skilled and have expertise as a qualified healthcare professional with NHS patient safety syllabus training. They must have knowledge of the Patient safety incident response framework as well as the function of the harm free care team; this includes falls prevention, pressure ulcer prevention, nutrition and hydration, continence management and VTE.

Experience in working in a patient safety, quality, risk management or clinical governance in addition to harm free care and ward accreditation.

Working for our organisation

With a new hospital planned for Watford and work underway to update theatres at St Albans City Hospital, this is an exciting time to join us.

We are building on the success of our award-winning virtual hospital and re-imagining models of care, working ever more closely with partners and making the most of advances in digital healthcare.

Our vision is Excellent patient care, together and our values are to be empowered, compassionate, professional and inclusive. They capture an important balance across what we must all do as individuals and to support others.

We offer a variety of flexible working options as we recognise the importance of a good work life balance.

www.westhertshospitals.nhs.uk/flexibleworking

If you have a disability or long-term health condition and should you require support or guidance please contact [email protected]

If you are a Service Leaver, Veteran, Military Reserve, Cadet Force Adult Volunteer, or partner/spouse of those serving please tick "Member of the Armed Forces Community" on the application form.

We reserve the right to close this advert early due to the volume of applicants. Please apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

If you do not hear back within 3 weeks of your application, please assume you have been unsuccessful on this occasion.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Core hours will be Monday to Friday.

The job responsibilities are to lead, enable and facilitate change on quality initiatives to support the delivery of key objectives and strategic goals driving quality and improvement.

The post holder will deputise for the Deputy Director of Nursing, Quality & Safety.

Day to day line management of the Harm Free Care Matrons.

Clinical input into the implementation and delivery of the PSIRF related activities and leading on learning responses to patient safety incidents as assigned.

Person specification

Education

• Qualified healthcare professional, with current professional registration
• Evidence of relevant ongoing professional development with relevant experience gained through education, training, and work experience.
• Level 1 and 2 NHS patient Safety syllabus training completed or in progress
• Willingness to commit to and complete Level 3 and 4 NHS patient Safety syllabus training

• Qualification in a governance-related discipline.
• Level 3 and 4 NHS patient Safety syllabus training
• Masters level education or equivalent experience
• Training in systems approach to learning from patient safety incidents
• Management qualification
• Training qualification
• Formal qualification in advocacy or mediation
• Quality Improvement qualification

Knowledge

• Knowledge of the patient Safety Incident Response Framework.
• Knowledge of the Harm Free Care team function - falls prevention, pressure ulcers education and management, nutrition and hydration, continence management & managing VTE.
• Knowledge of quality governance. Demonstrable track record of working effectively and successfully at corporate level.
• Consistent effective management of staff, financial accounts, organisation development and service delivery
• Evidence of leadership role in a complex environment
• Evidence of managing complex clinical governance issues
• Evidence of robust change management skills in a changing and complex environment
• Evidence of autonomous decision making

Experience

• Experience of working in a patient safety, quality, risk management or clinical governance area.
• Experience of harm free care improvement
• Experience of ward accreditation
• Ability to prepare Board reports and other reports at short notice and under pressure
• Ability to present complex data in an understandable format
• Track record of delivering set objectives and achieving key organisational targets within an agreed timeframe
• Experience of line managing staff
• Experience of operating in a professional autonomous and risk based decision making environment
• Significant experience of working at a senior level within the health service (or equivalent).

• Experience of complex budgetary management
• Experience of line management within complex structures