Director of Security Services

Job overview

To direct the security agenda; operational, training and governance, across Nottinghamshire Healthcare Forensic Care Group, which includes High, Medium and Low Secure inpatient services and Community placed services across a large geographical location. The post-holder will direct a department of clinical and non-clinical staff that provides a wide range of services both across the breadth of forensic operations but also operational security services within the High Secure estate at Rampton Hospital and our Medium and Low secure facilities. The post-holder will perform the role of Director of Security as identified within the High Secure Hospitals Safety and Security Directions. The regime at Rampton Hospital is such that the tolerance for error in risk management is minimal.

The Director of Security Services will set the security services strategic development and delivery agenda, including the Forensics Security Strategy, as agreed by the Care Group Director of Forensic Services and the Trust Board and will support with guidance for the wider trust estates.

The post-holder has an essential leadership role during major incidents, with responsibility directly to support the Emergency, Preparedness, Response and Resilience when required, to ensure and preserve the security integrity of Trust services.

The Director of Security reports to the Care Group Director of Forensic Services and has a direct line of report and accountability to the Trust Chief Executive.

Main duties of the job

The Director of Security Services role requires a professional educated to Masters degree level or equivalent who has prior executive/senior level general management experience within healthcare provision. The post-holder much have operational management experience of working within and across Forensic Mental Health healthcare services and have a sound operational and development understanding of the Security Management Service arrangements for the NHS.

The post-holder will be an integral member of the senior leadership team within the Forensic Care Group and support Rampton Hospital and Care Group management teams, and will take leadership of projects, schemes and defined work-streams as agreed with the Care Group Director of Forensic Services, that may or may not be reflected within the job description.

Knowledge of specialist security systems and general security principles together with an excellent knowledge base of mental health law will be essential. Strategic and operational leadership to an executive level is essential. There will be a need to direct, lead, develop and motivate a team of senior clinical and non-clinical managers responsible for providing consistent and comprehensive security services and security advice to clinical teams.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Direct, develop, lead and motivate a team of clinical and non-clinical managers including recruitment, performance management and personal development
• Development of strategic and procedural frameworks for the delivery of services compliant with the High Secure Hospital Directions, and the pursuance of the role and authorities of the Director of Security as defined by the Safety and Security Directions
• To ensure a framework is in place to learn lessons and share across the Forensic Care Group and wider Trust
• Development, implementation and review of training standards and requirement for the Forensic Care Group
• To provide direction, advice and support to project teams carrying out both new and rebuild developments ensuring that these are safe; including appropriate security features that meet required standards and are value for money
• To support development of medium and secure services, providing security guidance and oversight
• Direct resources and ensure there are comprehensive programmes of security training that meet and exceed the standards and specification outlined within the Safety and Security Directions and the Clinical Security Framework
• To ensure medium, low and community services have the correct training and development programmes to meet the needs of the staff to support safe services
• To support and provide specialist advice to the wider Trust when required
• Working with the Trusts EPRR Lead to ensure the Care Group has training, development and governance to support EPRR. To represent the Care Group at internal and external meetings
• Incorporation of the Trust Values of Honesty, Trust, Compassion, Respect and Teamwork within all training. Use of the principles of Relational Security throughout the curriculum
• Direct, lead and contribute to the formulation of proposals for the development and amendment of governing legislation, nationally agreed standards for security within high, medium and low secure health environments
• Direct and report against the introduction of amendments to the Secretary of State's Security Directions for High Security Hospitals
• Direct and lead of interface and collaboration developments with MoJ and HMPS, where prisons policy and procedure will influence and impact on the provision of services by the Trust
• Direct and ensure effective arrangements exist to manage Ground Access and employment of patients in restricted work placements including the chairing of the Grounds Access Committee
• Provide the final authorising signatory for all planned leaves of absence, ensuring that leaves and absence are appropriately risk assessed and that clinical teams have appropriate support in developing risk management plans and associated arrangements
• To support development and reviews of intelligence to inform clinical teams of security related incidents and intelligence
• Direct, develop and maintain an effective electronic security intelligence system (SIS), providing regular intelligence summaries and report. To manage the electronic SIS as per the Directions and accounting for the requirements of information and data legislation of the day
• Direct the provision of a contemporary Security Services intranet site that provides security information, advice, and security forms for staff. The site will also host the Security Services Strategy for the Trust, the Violence Reduction strategy and the training strategy, as well as providing the portal for the National Clinical Security Framework, and the local Rampton Hospital Clinical Security Framework.
• To be the lead for Health and Safety for the Forensic Care Group ensuring governance and compliance standards are met
• The Director of Security Services has responsibility for the direction, development, application and implementation of all security-focussed research and development
• To work with the clinical teams to ensure patients have the least restrictive care possible alongside maintaining safe and secure standards of care