Head of Governance and Risk

• Salary: £54,080 a year
• Hours: Up to 37.5 hours per week, with occasional evening work. Participation in senior manager on call rota
• Location: Barnsley Hospice, 104-106 Church Street, Gawber, Barnsley, S75 2RL.
• Closing date: 06 April 2025
• For more information about the role, please contact

Are you looking for a new interesting and challenging role which utilises your diverse skill set in governance and risk?

We are looking for a Head of Governance and Risk to lead our hospice governance and risk management functions in our CQC rated Outstanding organisation.

Key duties & responsibilities

Governance and Risk

• Lead and manage the hospice’s Integrated risk register, Board Assurance Framework (BAF), policies and systems taking into account organisational strategy and objectives, key risks, external scrutiny and regulatory requirements.
• Actively promote the benefits of effective governance and implement strategies to increase the knowledge of hospice staff of governance and risk processes and regulatory requirements.
• Ensure we have effective systems in place to monitor, audit and continuously improve and, that any shortfalls are identified, understood and mitigated and escalated appropriately.
• Provide a leadership role to support good information governance and support compliance with GDPR, and DPST, and meeting the requirements of NHS Digital and the Information Commissioner’s Office.
• Work with the Head of Clinical Services/Quality Matron to review and analyse clinical risk and quality data and ensure that there are effective data collection systems and evidence of compliance to national policy in all areas of the hospice in order to safeguard high standards of care and service.
• Oversee the systems which ensure all incidents and complaints are recorded and closed in accordance to policy timeframes.
• Ensure incidents are trended and lessons learned are shared across the hospice using a robust process to embed learning and driving a lesson learned culture of continuous learning and patient safety.
• Working closely with the Executive Leadership Team to ensure information systems allow clear and comprehensive reports for staff, managers and Board members to support governance and continuous improvement.
• Provide a focal point for the escalation, resolution and/or discussion of all risk issues with the aim to reduce risks, minimise mistakes and reduce avoidable harm.
• Co-ordinate investigations following serious incidents, near misses and accidents, and lead where indicated, and ensure these are reviewed at the appropriate governance/committee meetings, and shared externally when required, within agreed timescales.

Compliance

• To take a proactive approach to minimising risk and in conjunction with the Head of Clinical Services/Quality Matron prepare the hospice for system regulatory inspections and ensure that the appropriate evidence is in place to meet the inspection requirements.
• In response to any external inspection findings, co-ordinate the formulation of action plans and ensure implementation of these through the appropriate individuals/committees.
• Review and analyse information from a range of external bodies (e.g., NICE, national confidential enquiries, CQC, PHSO) and provide briefings/reports as required to support safe, high-quality care.
• Ensure that improvement plans from investigations/ assessments/ audits are ‘SMART’, and that outstanding actions are monitored through the relevant governance group.
• Ensure there is a robust process for the review, development and archiving of policies, guidelines, protocols and patient information for services within the hospice.

Assurance

• Promote a culture of active benchmarking and seeking to achieve best practice in all aspects of our business and facilitate the provision of trend data.
• Ensure ongoing improvement and active review of outcome data and compliance to hospice policy.
• Facilitate a seamless process for informing patients/ families whose care is subject to an internal investigation, and for sharing the investigation report, ensuring that the hospice’s Duty of Candour responsibilities are maintained.
• Review patient/service-user feedback through complaints and patient satisfaction surveys and develop quality improvement action plans with the Head of Clinical Services/Quality Matron.
• Provide support to hospice managers and staff in the implementation of improvement action plans and creating an environment in which excellence will flourish.
• Support both clinical and non-clinical audits to drive improvements in the quality of care and services.

Finance

• Promote efficiency, demonstrate cost-effectiveness and embed a culture of value-for-money and return on investment.

Leadership/Management

• Promote and facilitate strong, effective leadership engagement in relation to governance and risk across the hospice.
• The post holder will provide education and training for staff within the hospice, related to quality governance and risk management issues, and ensure learning from clinical incidents, complaints and investigations are cascaded to all relevant staff groups.
• The post holder will be the named person for compiling the Annual Quality Account with the support of the Director of Clinical Services and Governance or deputy.
• Deputise for the Director of Clinical Services and Governance as required.
• Participate in the senior manager on call rota.
• Proactively line manage the Corporate Administration and Information Governance Manager, Governance and Quality Officer and Data Analyst and Systems Support Officer.

Other Responsibilities

• To undertake any other duties, commensurate with the role as required by the Hospice.
• To act as an ambassador of the Hospice, maintaining honesty, integrity and trustworthiness at all times.
• The post holder will be expected to maintain strict confidentiality at all times.
• The post holder will ensure that they are aware of and apply health and safety and fire precautions.
• The post holder will ensure that clinical risk management and safeguarding procedures and relevant good practice guidelines are followed at all times.
• The post holder is to ensure data protection is maintained at all times.
• The post holder will be flexible in terms of working hours in order to meet service needs.
• The post holder will support the Hospice as required, across the range of duties as appropriate within the grading of this post. In the context of rapid and ongoing change within the Hospice, the above responsibilities represent the current priorities and requirements for the post. These priorities will develop and evolve over time. Any significant changes will be the subject of full communication and consultation with the post holder.

Organisation summary

Barnsley Hospice is a charity that provides specialist palliative and end of life care to hundreds of local people and those close to them each year. Our main priority is to achieve the best possible quality of life for people living with a life-limiting illness, whilst supporting those close to them during the period of illness and bereavement. As a specialist care provider, the range of skills we offer include, pain and symptom management, emotional support and end of life care. The hospice currently employs about 100 people and has a team of volunteers, based both at the hospice and within our Retail Hub.

We are committed to Equality, Diversity & Inclusion in all that we do and welcome applications from all sections of the community. We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates, LGBTQIA+ candidates and candidates with disabilities because we are committed to increasing the representation of these groups at Barnsley Hospice.

For more information about the role, please contact Human Resources at humanresources@barnsley-hospice.org.