Head of Governance

Job summary

The Head of Governance role within our South West Provider Collaborative represents a pivotal opportunity to contribute to the transformation of mental health, learning disability, and autism services across the region. As the Lead Provider, Devon Partnership NHS Trust spearheads this collaborative effort, driving forward an agenda focused on integrated care and improved outcomes for our communities.

This role is instrumental in ensuring that governance, compliance, and assurance standards are of the highest calibre, supporting our collaborative's vision of delivering high-quality, person-centred care in the least restrictive settings.

Reporting to our Assistant Director of Strategic Planning, the successful candidate will play a central role in fostering collaboration, building dynamic relationships, and providing expert strategic advice to our Senior Leadership Team.

With autonomy commensurate to the role's seniority, the Head of Governance will be integral to shaping and implementing our collaborative's governance framework, ultimately contributing to the realisation of our collective vision for healthcare excellence.

Main duties of the job

As Head of Governance, your pivotal role revolves around establishing and supervising robust governance frameworks tailored for our Collaborative. This involves ensuring that these frameworks not only meet the stringent requirements set forth by NHSE but also adhere to national procedures, fostering a culture of compliance and adherence to best practices.

You will be instrumental in guiding and supporting members of governance groups, ensuring they fully understand and fulfil their respective duties and responsibilities. Collaborating closely with our Programme Director, you will play a key role in prioritising the business activities of these governance groups, aligning them with the overarching objectives and strategic direction of our Collaborative.

Your responsibilities extend to maintaining meticulous records and documentation, such as our Collaborative's Governance Compendium, which serves as a comprehensive repository of governance-related information and procedures.

You will take the lead in preparing our Collaborative's annual report, consolidating key achievements, challenges, and insights to provide stakeholders with a comprehensive overview of our governance practices and performance.

As the primary point of contact for regulatory and legal matters, you will be tasked with ensuring that the Collaborative operates within the bounds of applicable laws, regulations, and contractual obligations.

About us

About Devon Partnership Trust

We provide mental health, learning disability and neurodiversity services, as well as a range of specialist & secure services for the wider south west region & nationally. We are passionate about promoting good mental health & wellbeing. We strive to use the expertise & resources within our organisation, and through our partnerships, to deliver high quality services that are safe & focused on people's recovery.

We are committed to developing a culture of coproduction, involving patients, families & carers in everything we do

Our values

We not only recruit based on qualifications & experience - we recruit individuals who possess & demonstrate the behaviours which underpin our Trusts core values. These include such attributes as showing a commitment to quality of care, improving lives of others, giving respect, dignity & compassion. We can bring those values to life in our everyday tasks by giving a smile; making time for people; challenging ourselves & others, & being open to new ideas.

We are committed to being an inclusive employer & applications are encouraged & welcomed from all sections of the community, regardless of any protected characteristics as governed by the Equality Act 2010. Part time & flexible working applications will be considered & supported, where possible. We particularly encourage applicants with lived experience of mental health conditions, neurodiversity or learning disabilities. We are a Disability Confident Leader.

Job description

Job responsibilities

JOB PURPOSE

This is a critical and integral role within the South West Provider Collaborative and its leadership team, reporting to the Assistant Director of Strategic Planning. All members of the Senior Leadership Team will take collective responsibility for working together to ensure the Provider Collaborative and regional partners are well led, successful and managerially supported, enabling integration and delivery through the collaborative structures. All senior leaders are required to lead, support and influence complex transformation and improvement, through collaboration and mature partnership working. Within this, the post holder will provide expert strategic governance advice and leadership supporting the Programme Director and Senior Leadership Team of the South West Provider Collaborative to develop and maintain a gold standard of governance, compliance and assurance.

The post holder will play a key role in driving value through engagement, building and maintaining dynamic relationships across the collaborative to ensure that the right people get the right information, at the right time, in the right place and in the right format.

This is a senior level role, and therefore the post holder will have a commensurate level of autonomy. They will be expected to work in a supportive and collaborative manner with the leadership team, under the direction of the Programme Director, Clinical Director and Assistant Director of Strategic Planning.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The primary duties and responsibilities of the post holder are summarised below.

Collaborative Governance

Lead on the design, implementation and oversight of high quality governance arrangements for the whole of the South West Provider Collaborative, ensuring that these are fully replicable to new services and programmes of work.

Ensure that delineated governance arrangements are in place and operate as intended to ensure objectivity of governance and decision making within the Lead Provider and across the Collaborative as a whole. Develop and maintain effective systems for ensuring that the Lead Provider is compliant with the requirements as set out in the Lead Provider Roles and Responsibilities document, which forms part of the contract with NHSE. Ensure that the South West Provider Collaborative Governance Board discharges its responsibilities and reporting requirements to the Lead Provider. Ensure that all relevant national standard operating procedures are taken into account and adhered to within the governance arrangements, and to contribute to their design at a national level where appropriate. Ensure that members of all governance groups are fully cognisant of their duties and responsibilities and effectively discharge their responsibility as set out in the terms of reference. Work with the Programme Director to determine priorities for the business of the Oversight Group, Governance Board and other supporting committees. Establish and maintain a comprehensive forward plan to help plan and manage the core activities of the governance groups within the Collaborative. Maintain the Collaboratives Governance Compendium ensuring that it is regularly updated and consistently applied in the conduct of the Collaboratives business. Lead the production of an annual report for the South West Provider Collaborative.

Regulatory Compliance

Establish and monitor procedures to ensure that the South West Provider Collaborative complies with any and all requirements which may be determined by regulatory bodies such as NHS England / Improvement (NHSE/I).

Establish good working relationships with the regulators being the first point of contact on all regulatory matters, informing and advising the Assistant Director of Strategy and Programme Director of any key issues. Ensure that the Provider Collaborative has robust assurance processes in place for undertaking self-assessments and evidencing compliance with regulatory requirements. Work closely with the Head of Quality & Contracts to ensure that there is an effective system in place to oversee compliance.

Statutory Compliance

Provide independent advice and guidance on legal and constitutional matters, ensuring that Collaboratives business is conducted in accordance with statutory requirements.

Act as the Collaboratives key contact for all legal matters. Ensure that arrangements are in place for the provision of appropriate legal advice and support to the Provider Collaborative. Commission and manage any external providers of legal advice.

Risk and Assurance

Ensure that a robust and dynamic approach to risk and risk management is in place which reflects best practice and is embedded at all levels of the South West Provider Collaborative.

Promote a risk aware culture by working closely with teams across the Collaborative to identify and manage risks proactively. Develop and maintain a comprehensive Assurance Framework which reflects the Provider Collaboratives long-term strategic plans and provides clear and timely assurance. Provide monthly assurance reports to both the Oversight Group and the Governance Board on the key risks facing the Collaborative, the current level of assurance and advice on any further actions required to mitigate risks to an acceptable level. Develop and provide appropriate risk management training, education and support to teams across the Collaborative.

Service Line Governance

Ensure that all Service Lines have robust and effective systems of governance in place to manage their service and escalate any issues of concern.

Oversee the governance arrangements established within each Service Line, providing governance specific direction and support to the Head of Service as required. Periodically review the effectiveness of governance arrangements within each service, and report any issues of concern to the Deputy Programme Director. Support Clinical Directors and Head of Service to continually review and develop their service line governance arrangements.

Corporate Administration

Lead on the management of an effective and high quality administrative support function for the whole of the South West Provider Collaborative.

Ensure that appropriate administrative support is provided to the Directors, Assistant Director of Strategy; Deputy Directors and Clinical Directors for the Collaborative. Ensure that meetings for all governance groups within the Collaborative are properly planned, organised and coordinated. Ensure that papers and minutes for all governance groups within the Collaborative are presented in a clear, timely and professional manner. Manage a team of administrators

Information Governance

Ensure compliance with Information Governance requirements.

Establish and maintain effective arrangements for meeting national information governance requirements and maintaining compliance with best practice. Establish and maintain an effective system for meeting Freedom of Information requirements. Ensure that robust arrangements are in place to secure high standards of data quality in all of the Collaboratives business. Establish arrangements for the development and management of suitable policies and procedures and ensure that these are complied with. Person Specification

Experience

Essential

Experience of working in a governance environment. Experience of using risk management systems. Evidence advanced report writing skills.

Knowledge

Essential

Knowledge of key governance frameworks within the NHS. Knowledge and understanding of risk management and escalation processes. Able to understand the risk environment with knowledge as to how to mitigate strategic and operational risks. Understanding of health and care, and experience of commissioning or providing. Able to understand and analyse complex issues and balance competing priorities in order to make difficult decisions.

Qualifications

Essential

Educated to degree/ postgraduate diploma level or demonstrable evidence of working at masters level. Evidence of post qualifying and continuing professional development. Specialist knowledge over more than one discipline, to include finance, performance and corporate governance.

Desirable

Professional qualification in relevant area such as finance, legal or company secretary.

Experience

Essential

Experience of working in a governance environment. Experience of using risk management systems. Evidence advanced report writing skills.

Skills & Abilities

Essential

Collecting, analysing and evaluating highly complex data to support the management of clinical commissioning for a wide range of applications including resource, planning and target setting. High level analytical skills and the ability to draw qualitative and quantitative data from a wide range of sources and present in a clear concise manner. Excellent ability to analyse numerical and written data, assess options and draw appropriate conclusions High level critical thinking skills. Ability to develop, maintain and monitor information systems to support innovation initiatives. Demonstrates sound judgement in the absence of clear guidelines or precedent, seeking advice as necessary. Planning & Organisational Skills Proven ability to prioritise and respond professionally to extremely tight timescales, while under pressure. Leadership, vision, strategic thinking and planning with highly developed political skills. Physical Skills Standard keyboard skills. High level of flexibility, with the ability to travel to various sites and locations in the South West.

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