Head of Risk and Assurance

Job overview

• The successful post holder will be required to commence with the Trust on 1st September 2026. The Trust’s Head of Risk and Assurance is a senior post within the organisation and leads on the effective management of risk across the Trust, being responsible for developing and maintaining the Trust's risk management process.  They are responsible for the development and implementation of the Trust's Quality and Equality Impact Assessment (QEIA) process ensuring this complies with national guidance and best practice.  In addition, they manage the Adverse Incident and safety alerts function.

Main duties of the job

Be the Trust's risk management specialist and lead on the effective management of risk across the Trust, both clinical and non-clinical and overseeing all corporate level risk management activities. The postholder is responsible for developing, implementing and embedding the Trust’s Risk Strategy and establishing the Risk Management architecture of the organisation.

Lead the Trust's QEIA process ensuring a robust, standardised and evidenced based approach is embedded across the Trust.

Lead the Trust’s Risk and Assurance functions, including the risk management and the incident systems and safety alert teams, ensuring that processes within those separate functions are managed effectively in accordance with legislation and best practice.

Develop and prepare qualitative and statistical assurance reports of a very high standard on the implementation of the Trust’s risk and assurance framework, including those required for external organisations, Trust Board, committees and various groups, as required.

Be the System Owner of the Trust’s web-based risk and assurance management information system Local Risk Management System, holding responsibility for the design, development, improvements, maintenance and testing of the system.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Be the Trust’s Head of Risk and Assurance, setting strategic direction for risk management, Quality and Equality Impact Assessments (QEIAs) and incident management across the organisation. Lead on the effective management of risk across the Trust, both clinical and non-clinical and overseeing all corporate level risk management activities. The postholder is responsible for developing, implementing and embedding the Trust’s Risk Strategy and establishing the Risk Management architecture of the organisation. Design, lead and manage the Trust’s end-to-end process for QEIAs, ensuring a robust, standardised and evidence-based approach is embedded across the organisation. This includes developing and maintaining the Trust’s QEIA framework, providing expert guidance to operational and corporate teams, assuring the quality and consistency of assessments, and ensuring that potential impacts on quality, safety, patient experience and equality are systematically identified, evaluated and mitigated. The postholder will work closely with senior leaders to ensure QEIAs inform decision‑making, support compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements, and contribute to the Trust’s overall assurance and governance arrangements. Be the Trust’s subject matter expert, providing highly developed specialist advice and guidance on all aspects of the role, particularly relating to risk and assurance management, assessing and monitoring assurance, and hold management skills to develop and maintain strong assurance performance; working with leads across the organisation to enable the Trust to demonstrate compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements. This will be based on theoretical knowledge and experience, legislation, national, international and local guidelines and best practice. The post-holder is responsible for leading, developing and promoting effective risk management and assurance across all areas of the organisation; establishing processes and procedures that meet and exceed the Trust’s statutory responsibilities and standards required by regulatory authorities such as the Care Quality Commission (CQC). The post-holder is also responsible for ensuring that there are effective processes in place to identify risks and that these are monitored and appropriate actions put in place to mitigate risk of harm to patients, colleagues and the public and bring about improvements in practice. Lead the Trust’s Risk and Assurance functions, including the risk management, and the incident systems and safety alert teams, ensuring that processes within those separate functions are managed effectively in accordance with legislation and best practice. The postholder will build an effective risk culture and will ensure that the Trust’s overall approach promotes an open and positive risk management culture in which staff pro-actively identify, assess and prevent risks and hazards, supporting the delivery of high quality care to patients. Develop and prepare qualitative and statistical assurance reports of a very high standard on the implementation of the Trust’s risk and assurance framework, including those required for external organisations, the Board of Directors, Audit and Risk Committee, Quality Committee, Executive Directors Group and other groups, as required. Be the System Owner of the Trust’s web-based risk and assurance management information system Local Risk Management System, holding responsibility for the design, development, improvements, maintenance and testing of the system.