IG Privacy and Risk Lead

Site: Maudsley Hospital
Town: London
Salary: £61,927 - £68,676 per annum inclusive of HCAS
Salary period: Yearly
Closing: 07/04/2025 23:59

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust has a rich history, well-established community links and an international reputation. We deliver specialist services in the London boroughs of Croydon, Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark, Bexley, Bromley, Greenwich, Wandsworth and Richmond.

We are committed to providing high quality and specialist care to our service users and we are recognised for our care and treatment. The Care Quality Commission rates our services as ‘good’.

We launched our five-year strategy, Aiming High; Changing Lives in 2021 together with Our Care Improvement System as our quality management system methodology to make a positive impact on patient care, outcomes and staff experience. By joining SLaM, all staff will get the opportunity to be part of this exciting improvement journey supported with learning and development to harness everyone’s potential as change makers.

The trust recognises the unique and valuable contribution that people with lived experience of mental illness can bring to a role. We therefore welcome applications from people with lived experience and consider them as an asset to the Trust.

Our Values

We take pride in providing specialist care to our service users where our Trust values and our promise to be caring, kind, polite, prompt, honest, listen and do what I say I’m going to do is at the heart of everything we do. When you join us, you’ll be part of something special.

As a Trust, we are happy to talk flexible working.

Job Overview

The IG Privacy and Risk Lead will be part of SLAM’s Information Governance Department and provide dedicated support for research and innovation within the Trust.

The post-holder will manage all aspects of Information Governance (IG) pertaining to health research and data governance purposes. The post-holder will be responsible for advising on, implementing, and raising awareness of nationally mandated guidance and standards from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), NHS England, Department of Health & Social Care, Health Research Authority (HRA), National Institute for Health Research and UKRI. The post-holder will work on and support SLAM’s IG processes, including policy development and managing Freedom of Information processes relating to research.

Main Duties of the Job

1. To implement and manage a compliance framework of actions to meet required IG standards for all research and innovation.
2. To provide expert guidance on SLAM’s legal and statutory obligations relating to research, information and data governance, including Data Protection Act 2018, UK GDPR, Data Security and Protection Toolkit (DSPT), NHS England, NHS X, ICO and HRA guidance.
3. Work closely with the Biomedical Resource Centre, Innovation team, SLAM’s R&D Directorate and external stakeholders to maintain a high degree of awareness and application of IG standards to research and development, providing detailed guidance and expertise on enquiries concerning data protection and confidentiality in relation to research programmes.
4. Ensure the operational delivery for SLaM research of the IG Compliance programme.
5. Work with colleagues across research to ensure the maintenance of information asset registers, contracts registers, information flows and other IG related registers.
6. Ensure Data Protection Impact Assessments and Information Risk Assessments relating to research, innovation and SLAM’s R&D Directorate are completed, and provide expert advice on information and data governance where appropriate.
7. To ensure research, innovation and SLAM’s R&D Directorate are compliant with legislative requirements for third party contract management pertaining to IG related matters, including data sharing or licensing.
8. To manage and support SLAM’s Freedom of Information function and processes relating to research.
9. Provide expert specialist information and data governance advice and guidance to the Head of IG, SIRO, the Caldicott Guardian, the Chief Operating Officer for research, and senior staff within SLAM’s R&D Directorate.
10. Coordinate and manage IG operations for research and innovation keeping the Head of IG and the Chief Operating Officer apprised of developments and escalating issues as appropriate.
11. Ensure research compliance with Trust IG and information security policies and statutory legal framework leading on research, development and communication of best practice guidance, policies and procedural documents.
12. Provide expert and specialist IG advice and expertise on health research and related data access initiatives, developing high-quality, user-friendly and accurate guidance in a range of formats.
13. Provide IG lead, expertise and advice on research management and proposals (grant applications), including research ethics and data sharing/licensing and/or service agreements involving personal data, liaising with the Head of IG where appropriate.
14. Manage IG/Information Security reviews relating to research and innovation, including Information Risk Assessments, Data Protection Impact Assessments for new and existing research systems/processes/projects involving large scale processing of personal data, ensuring that proposals are compliant and in the required format for sign off by the Head of IG.
15. Ensure research related policies, procedures and guidelines are compliant with Data Protection legislation and are implemented effectively across SLaM.
16. Monitor and audit research tools and systems within the SLaM systems to identify gaps in current practice and/or systems, and where required make recommendations to the Head of IG and Chief Operating Officer.
17. Develop and provide IG training and guidance as part of service provision by SLAM’s IG Department.
18. Investigate and report on IG complaints and incidents in line with Trust policy as required, particularly where they are linked to research.
19. Coordinate, develop and review appropriate information-sharing protocols that provide clarity of purpose and enable streamlining of information disclosure routes.
20. Support the Chief Operating Officer with the production of IG related data and reports, including for SLAM’s Information Security Committee.
21. Support the Information Governance Operations Lead with the completion of the IG Dashboard and Information Governance Committee, and as required provide advice to the SIRO and the Caldicott Guardian.
22. Provide input to the Trust’s IG and corporate risk registers and reporting requirements covering research and innovation.
23. As part of the SLAM’s IG Team, support the NHS Data Security and Protection Toolkit (DSPT) programme including the collation and provision of evidence, and coordination of returns.
24. Assist with complex DPA requests relating to research (including requests that overlap between the DPA and the FoIA) and respond to DPA complaints where necessary.
25. Continue to maintain concurrent knowledge of IG and other related initiatives pertinent to research and innovation.
26. Assist the Head of IG with IG Departmental work planning, including planning and coordinating specialist project advice and technical support.
27. There is an expectation that the postholder may be responsible for contractors/consultants hired to undertake a discrete piece of service work, and/or agency temporary staff.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Educated to master’s level or equivalent level experience of working in a relevant specialist area.
• Professional qualifications in Information Governance – e.g. ISEB Certification in Data Protection, Information Security or other certification in Information Governance acquired through experience or theoretical study of a broad range of techniques/processes.

Knowledge and Experience

• Demonstrable experience of working in the Information Governance and/or research governance field within an NHS and/or Social Care setting.
• Sound knowledge and understanding of NHS Information Governance priorities, the NHS Data Security & Protection Toolkit, Data Protection Act and GDPR, and Caldicott Report guidelines, data security and Common Law of Confidentiality.
• Demonstrable experience of managing Freedom of Information Act processes within the NHS or other public body.
• Demonstrable experience in identifying and resolving complex information and data problems.
• Knowledge of developing guidance materials for non-expert users in relation to records management and Information Governance.
• Ability to provide and receive highly complex, sensitive or contentious information, and to negotiate with senior stakeholders to achieve optimal outcomes.
• Sound judgement with the ability to negotiate on difficult and controversial issues including performance and change.
• Advanced problem-solving skills and ability to respond to sudden unexpected demands.
• Ability to multi-task across several projects/areas, while working to a high degree of accuracy and detail.
• Ability to undertake thematic analysis of risks, incidents and other compliance elements.
• Strong interpersonal and presentation skills.
• Strong IT skills across the range of Microsoft Office 365 packages.
• Ability to make decisions autonomously, when required, on difficult issues, working to tight and often changing timescales.
• Ability to work both independently and effectively within a team.
• Track record of building and sustaining effective working relationships.
• Demonstrable commitment to and focus on quality with attention to detail.
• Values diversity and difference, operates with integrity and openness.
• The ability to show determination, flexibility in response to demands, perseverance and resilience.
• Experience of advising on and/or supporting successful research grant submissions.
• Understanding of data collection, verification and submission processes for clinical/trial research.

The Trust is committed to providing services which embrace diversity and that promote equality of opportunity. We are a Disability Confident Employer, we welcome applicants from all sections of the community and people of all protected characteristics.

Please note:

• That all applications for this post will need to be made online.
• That you read and understand the Job Description and Personal Specification attached to the role. Your Statement in Support should reflect the requirements specified as your application will be judged against these criteria.
• That the closing date listed is a guide only and that the vacancy may close earlier should a sufficient number of applicants have been received. We advise that you submit your application as early as possible.
• That once you have submitted your application you agree to your application being transferred to a 3rd party e-recruitment system.
• That should you not have heard from us within three weeks from the closing date your application has not been successful.
• That priority consideration for applications may be given to at-risk NHS employees.
• That should you be successful and appointed, you authorise South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust to confirm your previous NHS service via an Inter Authority Transfer (IAT) process.
• That we are a smoke-free Trust.