Job Description

The aim of the role is to ensure a robust, clear and supportive approach to developing a positive safety culture across perinatal services and key related services including Gynaecology.



This role is a key role within perinatal services to support the delivery of national and regional safety and quality requirements in addition to ensuring and monitoring a continuous high standard of clinical governance quality improvements within the service.



In collaboration with the perinatal leadership team, the Head of Perinatal Clinical Governance and Assurance will support the Director of Midwifery on the strategic quality governance development.



To act as the divisional lead for the development, coordination and implementation of effective Quality Governance framework within the Perinatal Service to ensure an integrated approach to patient safety and embedding a safety culture and early escalation of risks and issues.

This will include an approach to:

Quality and Safety, Risk Management, Patient Experience and will include a specific remit to ensure robust processes are in place to meet the service's requirements for providing excellence in the delivery of care.



To have a responsibility for the line management and performance of identified members of the perinatal governance team.



This is a key role within the perinatal service at WHTH and will offer the postholder the opportunity to continually develop and gain an increasing depth and breadth of experience across the strategic governance platform. This will involve the sustained system partnership working and the opportunities within the role will take into consideration the postholders personal development plan in alignment with the changing governance landscape.



The Head of Perinatal Clinical Governance and Assurance will deputise, for the Director of Midwifery at forums as required.



Actively participate in the delivery of the strategic corporate agenda on risk management alongside the Clinical Directors and Director of Midwifery to ensure that processes within Perinatal services align.



Oversight of the incident reporting within perinatal services, the support provided to staff to investigate thoroughly in a timely way, and responsibility for the approach to identification and management of themes and trends across the perinatal service



Enable and support the implementation of processes to ensure that all staff receive feedback following submission of incident forms, involvement in serious incidents and complaints, and that the opportunity for personal and team learning is optimised.



Drive improvements to quality and safety within perinatal services ensuring compliance with Trust and national policies, guidelines and legislation.



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.



Staff wellbeing and development are a priority at our Trust, as is the role of innovation in improving clinical care, outcomes and patient experience.

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 westherts.recruitment@nhs.net



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.



Oversee the implementation of clinical audit and other clinical effectiveness processes as a mechanism for improving quality, risk and safety. This will include development of a clearly defined annual audit programme along with the obstetric, neonatal, midwifery and nursing leads for quality improvement.



Support the perinatal services in meeting its statutory requirements and clinical governance objectives by overseeing, monitoring and reporting on the progress of national drivers such as risk management, infection prevention and control, Care Quality Commission standards and regulations, regulatory initiatives and in particular maintain oversight of Saving Babies Lives Care Bundle V3.2 (SBLCBv3.2), NHS Resolution Maternity Incentive Scheme (including the Maternity Incentive Scheme and the Early Notification Scheme), Maternity 3 year single delivery plan, Maternity Core Competency Framework, National Maternity Preceptorship Framework, Clinical audit agenda, MBRRACE and the Perinatal Mortality Review Tool, MatNeoSip, and the national maternity reports relating to Ockenden, Kirkup and Nottingham service reviews.



Collaborate with the Director of Midwifery to support the progress the consolidated improvement plan, supporting the governance procedures to be embedded into the structure of the approach to the risk management strategy.



Provide guidance and support to the team with external reviews, quality assurance visits and ensure processes and support in place for on-going monitoring and quality improvement methodology applies to action plans.



Experienced and strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret data, and to use measures to influence key decisions on priorities and drive a systematic, accurate approach for reporting and improvements.



Act as representative for the specialities at governance and assurance framework groups within the Trust.



Oversight of the divisional relationship with the Trust claims team to ensure eligible Early Notification cases are reported to NHS Resolutions



Implement agreed systems and processes to provide assurance of the delivery of patient safety and prevention of harm in line with national and local standard of care.