Associate Director of Clinical Governance

Psychiatry UK; Camelford; Remote; GBP 60,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job description

Associate Director of Clinical Governance

United Kingdom (Remote)

Reporting to: Director of Quality and Safety

Remuneration: Competitive, dependent on experience - plus £1000 working from home allowance

Contract Type: Permanent /Full time - 40 hours per week

Location: Home-based/various UK meeting locations as required

Closing Date for applications: Tuesday 22^nd April 2025*

About Us:

Psychiatry UK is the UK’s leading provider of digital psychiatry services, working both privately and with the NHS to support children, teenagers and adults with expert, patient-centred care.

A career with Psychiatry UK allows you to expand your knowledge, enhance your skills, and gain valuable life experience—all while enjoying the flexibility of a remote full-time role. As part of a leading online mental health service, you'll collaborate with innovative, forward-thinking professionals in a dynamic, multidisciplinary team committed to making a real difference.

We are looking for passionate and driven individuals to join our newly established Quality and Safety Team, dedicated to delivering outstanding care to our patients. As a rapidly growing organisation, we are committed to fostering a learning culture built on the values of kindness, respect, and continuous development.

The Associate Director of Clinical Governance will report directly to the Director of Quality and Safety and work closely with the Medical Director. Providing both strategic and operational leadership, ensuring that Psychiatry-UK’s systems and processes are robust and effective in maintaining high standards of clinical governance.

This senior-level leadership role holds specific responsibility for overseeing PUK’s relationship with the Care Quality Commission (CQC), managing complaints, incidents, and overseeing policy and regulatory compliance; deputising for the Director of Quality and Safety when required, ensuring continued excellence in governance practices across the organisation.

This is a home-based role (applicants must reside in the UK), though occasional travel may be required for face-to-face meetings at various locations within the UK.

As our Associate Director of Clinical Governance, you will:

1. Develop and deliver a comprehensive clinical governance framework for Psychiatry-UK, aligned with NHS, CQC, and national standards.
2. Advise senior leadership on clinical governance, patient safety, risk, patient experience, and regulatory compliance.
3. Lead the creation of a culture of reporting, learning, and continuous improvement across the organisation.
4. Oversee the functioning of clinical governance networks, committees, and quality governance agendas.
5. Ensure compliance with CQC regulations and collaborate with the Head of Clinical Audit on evidence for external assessments and audits.
6. Monitor and report on complaints, incidents, claims, and inquests, fostering a positive response to learning and improvement.
7. Support the implementation of Psychiatry-UK’s Patient Safety Strategy and Incident Response Framework (PSIRF) in line with NHS guidelines.
8. Ensure effective management of clinical risks and maintain relevant risk registers.
9. Lead the implementation of Duty of Candour policies and ensure transparency in patient safety events.
10. Supervise the Complaints Manager, Governance Lead, Incident Handlers, and Policy Manager to ensure effective handling of incidents and regulatory compliance.
11. Provide regular reports to the senior leadership team on governance, patient safety, health and safety, and risk management.

To succeed as our Associate Director of Clinical Governance, you will:

Demonstrate excellent problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and the ability to work collaboratively within a team. Effective communication and strong relationship-building skills are essential for success in this role.

Essential Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

1. Master’s degree in a relevant field (e.g., healthcare management, risk management, or clinical governance) or equivalent experience.
2. Considerable experience in governance leadership within the NHS or a comparable healthcare setting.
3. Experience at a senior level of managing healthcare delivery systems.
4. Relationship management of internal and external stakeholders.
5. Considerable experience of engaging clinicians in service improvement.
6. Significant professional leadership of governance.
7. Experience of concurrently managing a wide variety of projects.
8. Evidence of continued professional development.

Desirable Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

1. Professional qualification in Risk Management or Governance.
2. Relevant management qualification with a proven track record in leadership.
3. Extensive experience in applying redesign and improvement methodologies effectively.
4. Strong background in negotiation and managing organisational change.
5. Proven success in driving service improvement initiatives.
6. A committed advocate for patient-centred care, with a focus on continuous learning and improvement.

Psychiatry UK: Supporting You

We want you to enjoy your work while feeling healthy, happy, and appreciated. That’s why we’ve created a benefits package designed with you in mind. You’ll have access to a range of wellbeing perks, including a Health Cash Plan, Well Hub Subscription, access to an Employee Assistance Programme, Annual Volunteering Day, Enhanced Sickness and Family Leave pay, Length of Service Bonus, Work from Home allowance and Pension options.

At Psychiatry UK, we care about what matters to you.

Recruitment Process

At Psychiatry UK, we are committed to creating an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. Our process includes:

1. Application
2. Profile review
3. Screening conversation
4. Competency based interview(s)

If at any point you require any reasonable adjustments —such as additional time, assistive technology, or an alternative format for materials—please let us know. We are happy to accommodate your needs to ensure you have a fair and comfortable experience. Please feel free to reach out to us at [e-mail] to discuss any adjustments that would support you.

If this opportunity excites you, why not apply today? *We review applications as they come in and may close the advert early if we receive a high volume of interest. To ensure you don’t miss out, we encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible.