Detailed job description and main responsibilities

2. KEY RESULT AREAS

2.1 Service Delivery & Development

2.1.1 Oversee the operational management and recruitment of the Patient Safety Team to ensure effective and efficient working whilst also ensuring service delivery needs and annual Patient Safety Team objectives are met.

2.1.2 Lead the development and improvement of a systems learning approach and cultural changes associated with the introduction of the Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF) through collaboration with Trust colleagues.

2.1.3 Lead in continuously reviewing and improving various elements of the Trust’s incident review process to ensure that systems and processes encourage continuous improvement in quality and patient safety; exploring the themes, trends and patterns arising from incident reviews to support the Trust’s organisational learning. Managing and escalating concerns as appropriate.

2.1.4 Support, and lead as needed, proportionate and timely responses and reviews, end to end, to patient safety incidents and facilitate own team, Specialty, CMG and Corporate colleagues to do so using a variety of different learning response tools including, triangulation of data, After Action Reviews, MDT table-top reviews and Immediate Safety huddles ensuring robust and sustainable improvement action plans are devised, maintained and delivered.

2.1.5 Support, and lead as needed, with the development and implementation of the Patient Safety Strategy and to support the development of patient safety improvement initiatives and cultural change by providing safety expertise and professional support to the identification of best practice in patient safety and shared learning to support reduction in patient harm.

2.1.6 Responsible for ensuring thematic reviews and Patient Safety Incident Investigations (PSIIs) undertaken align to the Trust’s local priorities with the aim of identifying improvements to current systems and processes.

2.1.7 The post holder will also work in conjunction with subject matter experts and CMG colleagues from all professions and levels of seniority, escalating any identified risks and immediate safety actions to the Head of Patient Safety.

2.1.8 To process enquiries and correspondence that may be required in a timely and accurate manner, including drafting of letters, and writing of incident review reports where a high-level of attention to detail is required.

2.1.9 To prepare and organise material for meetings, interviews, training and educational sessions.

2.1.10 Monitor themes, trends and clusters within case load and inform the Clinical Director, Deputy Head of Nursing, Head of Nursing Deputy Head of Midwifery, Head of Midwifery and Head of Operations communicating issues of concern.

2.1.11 Discuss sensitive and contentious information with staff of all grades and disciplines maintaining confidentiality and integrity at all times.

2.1.12 Ensure all communication with patients, relatives and carers are open, honest and that investigations are transparent and independent.

2.1.13 To ensure responses and reports are factual, well written and clearly identifying learning and actions.

2.1.14 Actively support the development of the team through appraisal, personal development, planning, coaching and mentoring.

2.1.15 The postholder will work in close collaboration with the Perinatal Safety Improvement Team to ensure that emerging themes and trends from incidents, reviews, and audits are effectively triangulated with ongoing safety improvement initiatives, supporting a proactive and data-informed approach to quality and safety.

2.1.16 The postholder will work in close collaboration with the Perinatal Mortality Review Tool (PMRT) Lead, providing clinical support and coordination for the PMRT process. They will be expected to provide appropriate cover and leadership in the PMRT Lead’s absence to ensure continuity of review processes and timely progression of case reviews

2.1.17 Ensure compliance for the Maternity Incentive Scheme- Clinical Negligence for Trusts on the required safety standards.

2.1.18 Lead investigations, (wherever they originate) ensuring the use of Patient Safety Investigation tools and write findings/report identifying achievable actions that transfers into individual and organisational learning.

2.1.19 Support the referral of relevant patient safety incidents to external organisations, including collation and provision of relevant documents to these organisations, liaising within and outside of the Trust and ensuring that robust action plans are developed in response to reports received.

2.2 Governance

2.2.1 Accurately maintain and implement incident management systems and processes including incident quality assurance, check and challenge of grade, levels of harm, further actions or escalation needed, closure etc to ensure good governance and support the collation of data for reporting purposes.

2.2.2 Responsible for ensuring that all internal and external reporting requirements and timescales are adhered to for the management of reported incidents.

2.2.3 Oversee and support the preparation for and collation of evidence in relation to the relevant areas of patient safety for any internal or external review.

2.2.4 Ensure that Duty of Candour is carried out and National Patient Safety Alerts actioned in accordance with Trust and National Policy, and audit data is available to demonstrate compliance.

2.2.5 Lead, critically review and analyse incidents which are referred to our Integrated Care System, Coroners and CQC to reflect learning and enable provision of timely responses. To ensure that learning following review is shared and adopted within services.

2.2.6 Liaise with Corporate Risk Team and CMGs to identify and flag emerging and actual risks in terms of patient safety, utilising intelligence and data available from complaints and incidents apply skills and knowledge to react to unplanned situations relating to patient safety.

2.2.7 Support the Head of Patient Safety to ensure the integration of safety and learning governance arrangements, ensuring that leadership, accountability and practices are in place to deliver organisational assurance on patient safety and learning and are integrated within the wider organisational quality strategy and quality improvement approach.

2.2.8 Advise and support on the development and strengthening of SMART improvement action plans in response to learning from incidents. Advise, develop, and audit systems for monitoring these actions to provide assurance and inform continuous quality improvement.

2.2.9 Collate learning identified through learning responses to the Head of Patient Safety and CMG leads to provide evidence of progress changes in training, development, and policy to improve the quality of care provided by the Trust.

2.2.10 Accountable for own professional actions, acting as a specialist for patient safety.

2.2.11 Work with the senior leadership team in the delivery of the Trust’s
Commissioning for Quality and Innovation (CQUIN), Maternity and Neonatal Improvement Plan and all programmes in relation to patient safety.

2.2.12 Lead and actively engage with the preparation of CQC inspections.

2.2.13 Ensure the progress to conclusion of action plans, identifying to the Clinical Director, Deputy Head of Nursing, Head of Nursing, Deputy Head of Midwifery, Head of Midwifery, Head of Operations any concerns regarding compliance.

2.3 Patient/Customer Service

2.3.1 Support and guide the CMG senior team in identifying and developing patient safety initiatives which reflect the overall Trust’s Patient Safety Priorities and the particular needs of their individual CMG.

2.3.2 Provide senior, highly specialised advice related to patients and/or families involved in incidents and accountable for the development, refinement and programme of delivery of patient safety training to clinical and non-clinical colleagues to allow them to manage incidents and risk.

2.3.3 Be highly visible and provide expert advice and support to the Clinical Management Groups (CMGs) and others on issues relating to patient safety. Assist healthcare professionals across the Trust to deliver safer care through an understanding of the effects of work systems and culture on human behaviour and identify contributory factors when incidents occur and make recommendations for system improvements.

2.3.4 Oversee and provide assurance of timely post-incident to members of the Trust, patients and families.

2.3.5 Proactively involve, support and develop Patient Safety Partners as part of the overall approach to improving patient safety and the quality of patient safety reviews.

2.3.6 Use highly developed interpersonal skills to sensitively manage the expectations of key stakeholders in reviews and achieve a way forward when there are conflicting views in emotionally charged and difficult circumstances.

2.3.7 Lead work to support compassionate engagement, continued communication and involvement of patients, families, carers and staff affected by a patient safety incident when undertaking Patient Safety Incident Investigations (PSIIs), in line with NHS guidance based on national and internationally recognised good practice.

2.3.8 Create and foster psychologically safe environments of a strong patient safety culture,in line with a Just and Restorative Learning Culture, when interacting with individuals or groups of people to maximise the effectiveness of learning and improvement arising from patient safety incident reviews.

2.4.8 Maintain a watching brief on developments across the wider patient safety, learning and improvement, and risk management landscapes in healthcare, both nationally and internationally.

2.4.9 Responsible for ensuring that patients and families are communicated with in a timely manner and in accordance with national requirements (including Duty of Candour.

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