Job overview
University Hospitals Sussex is the subject of an important Independent Maternity Review (IMR), commissioned by the Department of Health on behalf of the Secretary of State. This Is due to commence in October 2026 and is expected to last at least 3 years. The review will examine approximately 1,000 cases of stillbirths, neonatal deaths, maternal deaths, neonatal harm due to severe brain injury and severe maternal harm dating back to at least 2018 to understand what happened, reach conclusions on the care provided, provide answers for families and identify learning for the organisation and wider NHS. The review is, by its’ very nature, extremely sensitive and politically charged. The impact is expected to be significant for the families at the heart of the review, current and past staff and the wider organisation.
The two Quality Leads will be recognised as experts in their field, with deep understanding of best practice in investigating and responding to incidents of potential or actual harm or poor patient experience, current clinical best practice, regulatory and professional standards for nurses and midwives. They will have led investigative work in their specialty and been involved in providing sensitive, potentially challenging and emotionally demanding debriefs for families suffering healthcare harm.
Main duties of the job
They will work as part of a new central team which manages the response to the review, attending daily huddles and the weekly Expert Panel to advise the Trust on how best to meet the diverse range of requests and escalations coming into the contact centre from the IMR team, families, staff and external bodies. They will be expected to lead responses to individual requests such as conducting clinical case reviews and conducting debriefs with families, working alongside medical colleagues in Obstetrics & Gynaecology and Neonatology. They are also expected to support Perinatal Services to take emergent learning from the IMR, embed it in the improvement programme for the services and demonstrate the benefits to our stakeholders. As well as their depth of knowledge and experience, the ability to remain calm whilst working under pressure and with high levels of scrutiny are critical attributes for the Quality Leads. The posts require significant attention to detail, skills in problem solving and a level of maturity to foresee and pre-empt risks. The roles should demonstrate compassionate leadership and restorative principles in communicating with our families and our staff. Commitment to the highest standards of professionalism and the sensitive handling of confidential information are essential.
- Leadership
- Quality & Safety
- Care of Patients and Families
- Information Management
- Human Resources
- Financial and Physical Resources
- Learning and Development
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
This role is eligible for visa sponsorship under the UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker route however sponsorship can only be provided where applicants meet the specific requirements set by UKVI, including the relevant skill and salary thresholds (£25000), and any role-specific criteria.
Key Working Relationships
Internal: IMR & Bramber Core team, Perinatal Directorate leadership team, Women Children and CSS Divisional Leadership Team, Maternity and Neonatal governance leads, Clinicians and managers working in Perinatal Services, Digital and IG Team, Legal Team, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer Team, Professional Standards and HR, Professional Midwifery and Nurse Advocates in Perinatal Services.
External: IMR team, NHSE Maternity and Obstetric Improvement Advisors, CQC, NMC, Families.
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Person specification
Skills
Essential
- Able to communicate complex and sensitive information verbally to families and staff from diverse backgrounds, including discussing episodes of death and harm.
- Able to analyse maternity or neonatal clinical, outcomes and experience data, critically appraise it and draw robust conclusions
- Able to manage own time and reprioritise tasks to meet the needs of a programme of work
- IT literate – able to navigate clinical data systems, patient records, imaging, pathology and statements from multiple professionals to inform judgements about cases.
- Ability to engage and influence senior staff on a course of action, policy or strategy
- Proven leadership and influencing skills with the ability to enthuse, motivate and involve individuals and teams, including those operating with low morale
- Acts independently & able to work under pressure and meet deadlines
- Evidence of strong analytical skills; critical reasoning ability and effective problem solving
- Ability to be able to analyse highly complex processes and translate these into measurable initiatives
- Ability to collaborate constructively with internal and external partners to create the conditions for successful partnership working
Freedom to Act
Essential
- Identify and adhere to best practice
- Use judgement and discretion to determine the most appropriate way to meet the demands of the review
- Responsible for own professional actions and have sufficient autonomy for the delivery of the role
- Able to interpret national and local guidance and to develop local policies to reflect these standards
Desirable
- Remains calm and boundaried under pressure
Specific Requirements
Essential
- Strong political instincts – able to foresee issues and risks and either take action or escalate as appropriate.
- Remains calm and boundaried under pressure
- Preserves confidentiality and acts with discretion
- Champions excellent patient care and compassionate treatment of those suffering healthcare harm
Experience and Knowledge
Essential
- Experience of working as a midwife or neonatal nurse in multiple NHS organisations, influencing and achieving improvements in quality, safety and patient experience
- Previous senior experience in Maternity or Neonatology including leading investigations into complaints, incidents and near misses, development of clinical guidelines and SOPs and providing debriefs to staff and patients on the outcomes.
- Thorough understanding of good maternity and neonatal governance - PSIRF, Systems thinking/SEIPS, NICE guidelines relevant to the specialty, national audits relevant to the specialty, CQC fundamental standards of care and RCN/RCM professional standards
- Experience of partnership working both within and across organisations and professional boundaries eg ICB, MNVP, RCN/RCM
- Developed understanding of the NHS and current policy and recommendations of previous Maternity and Neonatal reviews
- Evidence of leading difficult conversations with families including dealing with bereavement and healthcare harm
- Evidence of leading difficult conversations with staff, including concerns about practice, wellbeing and behaviours
- Demonstrable previous success in leading and delivering change and performance with and through clinical teams, by engaging them in the strategic direction and delivery plans, establishing clear work priorities with them, delegating effectively, ensuring a capability to deliver, monitoring performance and giving feedback
- Achievement of challenging deadlines whilst maintaining quality and professional standards.
- Understanding of the provision and delivery of healthcare services and of Government strategy for modernising healthcare.
- Knowledge of the structure, functions, culture and values of the NHS and its interrelationship with other agencies.
Desirable
- Leadership role within Maternity-Neonatology governance
- Familiarity with Badgernet IT systems and other clinical systems used to hold patient information
- Previous experience of working on a major external quality and safety review of Maternity or Neonatology
Professional Registration
Essential
- Clinical qualification and registration with a professional body
- Educated to masters level or equivalent level of experience
Desirable
- Leadership qualification
- Governance qualification eg investigator training
- Trained in Restorative facilitation
- Clinical supervision training
Equality Diversity and Inclusion
Essential
- Evidence of having undertaken own development to improve understanding of equalities issues
- Evidence of having championed diversity in previous roles (as appropriate to role).
People Management and Development
Essential
- Ability to build constructive, trusting relationships with families who may have had poor experiences in or responses from the Trust and be mistrustful of the service and organisation
- Be able to understand the viewpoints of other professionals and work to resolve differences in understanding or approach
- Able to build confidence amongst staff who may feel discouraged by the outputs of case reviews or by the IMR in general
- Able to manage time of others and support staff to prioritise appropriately
- Able to coach and develop others in their area of expertise and enable transfer of skills and confidence
- Ability to confidently constructively challenge practice or behaviours and support others to change, including those from more senior grades
WhatsApp job alerts
Get instant WhatsApp alerts for Band 8 Manager and Corporate roles in Worthing Hospital
Create your Job Clerk account first. We'll collect your alert preferences during onboarding and help you turn on WhatsApp notifications for matching healthcare roles.
Applying for this NHS job
This advert is for Quality Lead - Independent Maternity Review with University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust in Sussex Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. It is listed as a Band 8 Manager and corporate role. The advertised salary is £57,528 - £64,750 per annum. The contract type is Fixed term: 3 years (3 year FTC in line with IMR). The application deadline is 26 Aug 2026.
Before you apply, compare the job description with the person specification and mirror the employer's essential criteria in your supporting information. Use the vacancy title, employer, location, salary, contract type, closing date and posted date (12 Aug 2026) to decide whether this role fits your current NHS job search. If the employer can close applications early, prepare the application before the stated deadline rather than waiting for the final day.
For more context, review related Job Clerk pages for the same profession, band or location where they exist, then use the application-support guides to tailor your statement and prepare for interview.