Deputy Head of Information Governance (Primary Care)
Job summary
Are you an experienced Information Governance professional looking to take the next step in your career? Do you have the leadership skills, technical expertise, and drive to help shape Information Governance services across both primary and secondary care?
We are seeking a dynamic and motivated Deputy Head of Information Governance to support the Head of Information Governance and Data Protection Officer (DPO) in delivering a high-quality Information Governance service across our primary care partners.
Main duties of the job
A key aspect of this role will be leading and developing our growing Data Protection Officer as a Service (DPOaaS) offering to GP Practices and Primary Care Networks (PCNs). You will act as a trusted advisor to primary care organisations, providing expert guidance on data protection, confidentiality, information sharing, records management, and compliance with UK GDPR and NHS information governance requirements.
Working closely with senior leaders, clinicians, practice managers, digital teams, and external partners, you will help drive compliance, support digital innovation, and ensure information is used safely, securely, and effectively across health and care services.
This is an exciting opportunity to take on a varied and influential role, helping to shape the future of Information Governance within an organisation committed to digital excellence, continuous improvement, and high-quality patient care.
About us
Mersey Care is one of the largest trusts providing physical health and mental health services in the North West, serving more than 1.4 million people across our region and are also commissioned for services that cover the North West, North Wales and the Midlands.
We offer specialist inpatient and community services that support physical and mental health and specialist inpatient mental health, learning disability, addiction and brain injury services. Mersey Care is one of only three trusts in the UK that offer high secure mental health facilities.
At the heart of all we do is our commitment to 'perfect care' - care that is safe, effective, positively experienced, timely, equitable and efficient. We support our staff to do the best job they can and work alongside service users, their families, and carers to design and develop future services together. We're currently delivering a programme of organisational and service transformation to significantly improve the quality of the services we provide and safely reduce cost as we do so.
Flexible working requests will be considered for all roles.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The Deputy Head of Information Governance will be a senior member of the Information Governance (IG) Team and will lead the operational, day-to-day management of the following areas of IG, so they operationally support the clinical and business objectives of the Trust and other partner organisations it provides services to (eg General Practices [GPs]).
Data Protection
Freedom of Information and Environmental Information Regulations
Data Security and Protection Toolkit
Information Risk Management
Information Sharing and Confidentiality (Caldicott Principles)
Access to Records and Subject Access Requests
The post-holder will possess a high standard of interpersonal, influencing and communication skills, have excellent technical skills and a strong desire to improve the quality of IG within the Trust and partner organisations. They will be experienced in writing reports on complex IG issues and in dealing with external stakeholders such as the Information Commissioners Office (ICO).
Please see the job description for further details.
Person Specification
Qualifications
- Educated to degree level within a relevant discipline or equivalent experience
- Evidence of Continuous Professional Development
- Recognised professional qualification (eg ISEB) or equivalent experience
- PRINCE2
Knowledge/Experience
- Experience of working in a senior management position within IG and negotiating and influencing a variety of senior staff
- Specialist knowledge of IG, Sharing and Risk Management and improvement planning
- Extensive expert knowledge of key legislation (eg Freedom of Information Act 2000, Data Protection Act 2018 and UK GDPR, Children's Act 2004, Human Rights Act 1998, Privacy and Electronic Communication Regulations, Common Law Duty of Confidentiality, etc)
- Project and change management methodologies
- Creating and delivering training to staff at all levels
- Data Security and Protection Toolkit
- Creating and undertaking audits, analysing findings and writing reports and action plans
- Ability to work autonomously and make decisions on difficult and complex issues
- Planning over short, medium and long-term timeframes and adjusting plans and resource requirements accordingly
- Able to maintain confidentiality and trust and deal with difficult situations tactfully
- Experience of working in the NHS
- Knowledge of information systems within the NHS
- Knowledge of both the Primary and Secondary Care Sectors
- Professional memberships (eg British Computer Society, IHRIM, etc)
Skills
- Leadership and coaching skills
- Excellent presentation and communication skills
- Organisational, motivational and interpersonal skills
- Ability to analyse and assimilate complex facts and situations and formulate a range of options and plans, both short- and long-term
- Negotiation, influencing and problem-solving skills
- Ability to respond to sudden, unexpected and/or diverse demands and expectations
- Managing own workload and problem-solving queries using own initiative
- Able to work under pressure and to tight and often changing deadlines
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Employer details
Employer name
Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust
Address
Saturn House
School Lane
Knowsley
L34 9GJ
United Kingdom
Employer's website
https://www.merseycare.nhs.uk/