SEHSCT Governance and Quality Improvement Lead Band 8A

Job details

• Branch: Lisburn Area (SEHSCT)
• Location: Thompson House Hospital
• Salary: Band 8a (£55,690 - £62,682 )
• Contract Type: Permanent
• Opening Date: 17/07/26
• Closes: Fri, 31 July 2026 @ 5:30 PM
• Interview Dates: TBD

Notes

If you are submitting a manual application, please post it to: Recruitment Shared Services, Rosewood Villa, Longstone Hospital Site, 73 Loughgall Road, Armagh, BT61 7PR. Applications received after the advertised closing date/time cannot be considered, so please allow enough time for postage. A waiting list may be created for similar posts that may arise while the waiting list is live, this may include temporary or part-time posts. This will be managed in line with the updated HSC waiting list principles effective from 1 April 2026. Where a part-time waiting list is required, one part-time waiting list will be created- regardless of any specific hours advertised, this waiting list will cover all future vacancies where part-time posts arise. A part-time post is defined as any post that has less than 37.5 hours per week. Please remember to save or print a copy of the job description before submitting your application, as it will not be accessible afterwards. Flexible Working We welcome flexible working requests from day one. All HSC organisations offer a range of flexible working options. The options available for this post will depend on the requirements of the role. Find out more about flexible working options on our website.

JOB DESCRIPTION

JOB TITLE

Governance & Quality Improvement Lead

BAND

DIRECTORATE

INITIAL LOCATION

8A

Adult Services & Health Care in Prison

Thompson House Hospital

REPORTS TO

Assistant Director, Adult Learning Disability Services

ACCOUNTABLE TO

CONTRACT

HOURS

Director of Adult Services & Healthcare in Prison

Permanent

37.5

SUMMARY

The post holder will promote the delivery of high quality, safe and effective care, governance and quality improvement across Social Work and Social Care Teams within the Adult Learning Disability Service. In doing so the post holder will identify and manage areas of risk relating to care / service delivery.

The post holder will support and facilitate social work and social care teams in achieving tangible improvements in the quality of care and outcomes for service users. They will work closely with the Assistant Director, Heads of Service, the wider multidisciplinary team and other relevant professions within the Learning Disability Service. They will also collaborate with relevant others within both the Adult Directorate and wider South Eastern Trust and where appropriate, regionally across health and social care. The post holder will ensure implementation and application of professional, regional and local standards, policies and procedures, evidence-based practice and research.

The post holder will support Adult Learning Disability Managers in ensuring robust governance structures are in place across services. They will coordinate the implementation of audits across the Adult Learning Disability Service, and other Directorate audits as appropriate, ensuring the outcomes of these are shared and actioned. Where improvement is identified they will support managers and teams to implement quality improvement measures.

The post holder will lead the development of adverse incident and risk management processes and will promote a culture of openness and learning across the Service. They will ensure that effective governance systems and processes are in place at service level in line with the Trust’s Integrated Governance arrangements in order to ensure the delivery of high quality, safe and effective care.

Key Duties / Responsibilities

Support the development of governance in line with strategies such as Quality 2020, the Safety Quality and Experience (SQE) agenda and all local, regional and national documents which apply to the safe delivery of care.

Ensure that services are delivered to the standard and quality expected by the DHSPSS, RQIA and other governing bodies.

Promote an awareness and understanding of the principles of governance across the Service.

Lead the development and implementation of an Annual Governance Plan for the Service to ensure that key priorities are communicated to and implemented by, relevant staff.

Coordinate and manage the governance agenda for Adult Learning Disability Services and ensure the dissemination of learning outcomes.

Provide leadership to staff in matters relating to governance, advising on developments or changes to clinical /professional standards, quality, adverse incident and risk management arrangements.

Maintain the Learning Disability Service risk register and ensure processes are in place to facilitate action and review of the register on a regular basis, including escalation of risks for consideration for the Corporate Risk Register.

Work in collaboration with the relevant Service Leads to ensure that a high standard of evidence-based care is provided to service users through the implementation and adherence to best practice standards.

Ensure adherence to best practice standards through the measurement of care and the monitoring of Key Performance Indicators. This will be achieved through the development of an annual audit plan, which is agreed and delivered by relevant professional groups working within the service.

Work collaboratively with relevant leads to develop, facilitate and implement improvements in practice and patient care which are based on best available evidence and which demonstrate measurable improvement / outcomes in care delivery.

Ensure staff adherence to standards and statutory requirements relating to care delivery.

Work in partnership with other statutory, voluntary and regulatory agencies to develop services and improve outcomes and contract management as required.

Support managers and service leads to ensure that service users are encouraged to express their preferences for their care and are core to any decisions being made in relation to the planning, delivery and evaluation of care and services through the implementation of effective user engagement and involvement processes.

In collaboration with the service Business Assurance Support Manager, coordinate and manage the complaints procedure within the service, ensuring that all complaints are responded to in a timely and appropriate way.

Ensure that action is taken to address issues arising from complaints and that lessons are learnt and trends and patterns presented at the monthly Senior Management Governance meetings.

Ensure the service complies with the Regional Procedure for reporting SAIs and support the Assistant Director to ensure the investigation of critical incidents, managing the reporting and review of serious adverse incidents and near misses in order to ensure that corrective action is taken and that subsequent learning is disseminated across the Service.

Support the Assistant Director with submission of Early Alerts to the DoH/HSCNI Strategic Planning and Performance group.

Support the Assistant Director and Heads of Service to facilitate all external reviews, inspections and Ombudsman’s reports.

Support the Assistant Director to effectively implement the range of recommendations and requirements prescribed by the DHSSPS, RQIA, the Ombudsman and any other relevant investigating body.

Work collaboratively with Service Leads and team leaders to develop fit for purpose staff induction programmes, training protocols and recording matrices.

In collaboration with the Business Assurance Support Manager collate all statistics in relation to information governance processes, audit activity, risk management, training and development, research, incidents and complaints and present a report at each governance meeting. Monitor any related action / improvement plans.

Prepare reports for the Assistant Director and Heads and Heads of Service on issues impacting on the delivery of safe and effective care.

Develop and maintain a process for measurement and reporting on quality initiatives.

Lead Quality Improvement activities within the remit of the role.

Coordinate a ‘Lessons Learned’ forum to ensure learning and improvement is at the core of Adult Disability services.

Work in partnership with other statutory, voluntary and regulatory agencies to develop services and improve outcomes.

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

The post holder will be required to

Ensure the Trust’s policy on equality of opportunity is promoted through his/her own actions and those of any staff for whom he/she has responsibility.

Co-operate fully with the implementation of the Trust's Health and Safety arrangements, reporting any accidents/incidents/equipment defects to his/her manager, and maintaining a clean, uncluttered and safe environment for patients/clients, members of the public and staff.

Adhere at all times to all Trust policies/codes of conduct, including for example

Smoke Free policy

IT Security Policy and Code of Conduct

standards of attendance, appearance and behaviour

Contribute to ensuring the highest standards of environmental cleanliness within your designated area of work.

Co-operate fully with regard to Trust policies and procedures relating to infection prevention and control.

All employees of the South Eastern Health & Social Care Trust are legally responsible for all records held, created or used as part of their business within the South Eastern Health & Social Care Trust including patients/clients, corporate and administrative records whether paper-based or electronic and also including emails. All such records are public records and are accessible to the general public, with limited exceptions, under the Freedom of Information act 2000 the Environmental Information Regulations 2004, the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. Employees are required to be conversant with the [org name] policy and procedures on records management and to seek advice if in doubt.

Take responsibility for his/her own ongoing learning and development, in order to maximise his/her potential and continue to meet the demands of the post.

Represent the Trust’s commitment to providing the highest possible standard of service to patients/clients and members of the public, by treating all those with whom he/she comes into contact in the course of work, in a pleasant, courteous and respectful manner.

This Job Description will be subject to review in the light of changing circumstances and is not intended to be rigid and inflexible but should be regarded as providing guidelines within which the individual works. Other duties of a similar nature and appropriate to the grade may be assigned from time to time.

It is a standard condition that all Trust staff may be required to serve at any location within the Trust's area, as needs of the service demand.

eHealth

The South Eastern Health & Social Care Trust has invested in eHealth to deliver better, faster, safer care to our community and is committed to supporting staff to utilise associated information systems that directly and indirectly inform care. Trust staff are therefore required to commit sufficient time to ensure that they acquire and/or retain the core technology skills required to support their role.

Personal and Public Involvement (PPI)

Staff members are expected to involve patients, clients, carers and the wider community were relevant, in developing, planning and delivering our services in a meaningful and effective way, as part of the Trust’s ongoing commitment to Personal and Public Involvement (PPI).

Please use the link below to access the PPI standards leaflet for further information. PPI_leaflet.pdf (hscni.net)

PERSONNEL SPECIFICATION

JOB TITLE: Governance & Quality Improvement Lead

DEPARTMENT: Adult Learning Disability Services

DIRECTORATE: Adult Services & Healthcare in Prison

HOURS: 37.5

Ref No: 55788257 July 2026

Notes to applicants

You must clearly demonstrate on your application form under each question, how you meet the required criteria as failure to do so may result in you not being shortlisted. You should clearly demonstrate this for both the essential and desirable criteria.

Shortlisting will be carried out on the basis of the essential criteria set out in Section 1 below, using the information provided by you on your application form. Please note the Trust reserves the right to use any desirable criteria outlined in Section 3 at shortlisting. You must clearly demonstrate on your application form how you meet the desirable criteria.

Proof of qualifications and/or professional registration will be required if an offer of employment is made – if you are unable to provide this, the offer may be withdrawn.

ESSENTIAL CRITERIA

SECTION 1: The following are ESSENTIAL criteria which will initially be measured at shortlisting stage although may also be further explored during the interview/selection stage. You should therefore make it clear on your application form whether or not you meet these criteria. Failure to do so may result in you not being shortlisted. The stage in the process when the criteria will be measured is stated below.

Factor

Criteria

Method of Assessment

Qualifications/ Registration

Have a recognised Health and Social Care Professional Qualification or relevant university degree.

To be registered with relevant professional regulatory body eg, NMC, NISCC where applicable.

Shortlisting by Application Form

Experience

At least 3 years’ experience at Management level in a complex organisation* (band 7 or above)

Able to demonstrate the development and application of highly developed specialised knowledge and skills relating to the post eg audit methodology, policy development, knowledge of how to best critique and interpret best practice / guidelines / research.

Contribute to the delivery of key performance targets.

Taking the lead role in a quality initiative which has promoted the delivery of safe and effective care and resulted in improved outcomes.

Be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of clinical and social care governance.

*(“major complex organisation” is defined as one with at least 200 staff or an annual budget of at least £50million and involving having to meet a wide range of objectives requiring a high degree of co-ordination with a range of stakeholders;)

Other

Hold a current full driving licence which is valid for use in the UK and have access to a car on appointment. This criteria will be waived in the case of applicants whose disability prohibits driving but who have access to a form of transport approved by the Trust which will permit them to carry out the duties of the post.

Shortlisting by Application Form

DESIRABLE CRITERIA

SECTION 3: these will ONLY be used where it is necessary to introduce additional job related criteria to ensure files are manageable. You should therefore make it clear on your application form how you meet these criteria. Failure to do so may result in you not being shortlisted

Factor

Criteria

Method of Assessment

Experience

Experience of implementing quality improvement methodologies.

Experience of strategic leadership in and clinical and social care governance.

Demonstrate knowledge of Adult Disability strategic drivers.

Shortlisting by Application Form

Candidates who are shortlisted for interview will need to demonstrate at interview that they have the required competencies to be effective in this demanding leadership role. The competencies concerned are set out in the NHS Healthcare Leadership Model, details of which can be found at http://www.leadershipacademy.nhs.uk/resources/healthcare-leadership-model. Particular attention will be given to the following dimensions:

Inspiring shared purpose

Leading with care

Evaluating information

Connecting our service

Sharing the vision

Engaging the team

Holding to account

Developing capability

Influencing for results.

To access a copy of the Access NI Code of Practice, please Click here

The South Eastern Health & Social Care Trust has guidance on the Recruitment of People with Criminal Convictions. To access a copy of this guidance, please Click Here

Protecting and using your information

To access a copy of the Trust’s Data Protection Policy Statement,

Click Here

As part of the Recruitment & Selection process it may be necessary for The Organisation to carry out an Enhanced Disclosure Check through Access NI before any appointment to this post can be confirmed.

THE ORGANISATION IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES EMPLOYER

Successful applicants

may be required to attend for a Health Assessment

can expect to be placed at the minimum point of the pay scale, although a higher starting salary, within the range of the pay band may be available if the person appointed has experience relevant & equivalent to the post. Request for recognition of previous service with non-direct NHS/HSC organisations towards starting salary and incremental credit must be made via the Retained Recruitment team within 3 months from commencement of employment. Requests made after 3 months will not be considered. If the successful candidate is an existing HSC employee moving to a higher band, AfC Pay on Promotion will apply.

are able to request Flexible Working from the 1st day of their employment. A number of flexible working provisions are offered by all HSC Organisations including Full-time working, Fixed working patterns, Part-time working, Flexi-time, Compressed/elongated hours, Average hours working patterns, Term-time working, Job-share or Homeworking for some or all of the working pattern, depending on the role being undertaken. Successful applicants are encouraged to discuss with their manager what Flexible Working provisions may be available in the role they are taking up, prior to commencing employment, to help them achieve a positive Work/Life Balance

All staff are expected to display the HSC Values at all times