Head of IG & Data Protection Officer

Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust

This is an exciting opportunity to play a significant role in the senior leadership and operational management of Information Governance and medical records services across two of the largest NHS Foundation Trusts in London.

Guy's & St Thomas', with over 23,000 dedicated staff, operates from 5 main hospitals - Guy's Hospital, St Thomas' Hospital, Evelina London Children's Hospital, Royal Brompton Hospital and Harefield Hospital, and in the community.

King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, employing over 15,000 staff, is also one of the biggest and busiest Trusts in the country, primarily serving the London Boroughs of Southwark, Lambeth and Bromley, with a population of over 1 million people, and acting as a referral centre for millions more. Our specialist services are also available to patients from a wider area, and we provide nationally and internationally recognised treatment.

This role will provide senior leadership and advice on Information Governance (IG), patient records and data protection matters for all Trust services, programmes and projects. The successful applicant will ensure expert advice and support to policy development, to create and maintain high level awareness, profile and understanding of the strategic and practical importance of data protection and IG, and to ensure that the highest level of subject matter expertise and support is provided to the Trusts in order to meet their statutory and mandatory obligations.

Main duties of the job

The job holder is required to provide independent advice and assurance to the KCH and GSTT Boards on all matters relating to data protection, IG, patient records and underpinning legislation, ensuring executive and non-executive awareness of responsibilities and maintaining compliance with mandatory training / skills requirements.

• Ensuring effective delivery of the annual IG service and business plan, the budget for pay and non-pay expenditure and the underpinning operational plan
• Ensuring that GSTT/KCH and data subjects are informed about their data protection rights, obligations and responsibilities
• Ensuring the review and amendment of records of processing to ensure legal compliance
• Overseeing complaints concerning information requests as raised by the ICO, GSTT/KCH or other person(s)
• Acting as principal liaison between the Trusts and the ICO regarding investigations, complaint handling and inspections
• Advising on applicable data protection rules/regulations and laws
• Responsibility for IG staff performance and development

Financial and staff management responsibility, including:

• Annual business plan and budget for IG and patient records services, with a current operating budget of £7m pa as at 2023/24 staffing levels
• Leading the Trusts' Information Governance and patient records team, setting strategy and monitoring performance
• Monitoring compliance within the directorate with Trust-wide staff management policies and procedures

About us

The successful applicant will work with an enthusiastic and dedicated team to provide strategic leadership within the Trusts to deliver an effective, integrated, responsive and flexible IG and patient records service. Will effectively support the Heads of IG Operations and Service in developing a strategic IG service model by contributing to service design, taking responsibility for areas of service improvement and developing a shared vision for the service.

In performing the tasks set out by law, the DPO must have significant and demonstrable experience with regard to the risks associated with processing operations, considering the nature, scope, context and purposes of processing.

Job responsibilities

See attached job description for details of main responsibilities.

Key relationships of the job holder will span both KCH and GSTT NHS Foundation Trusts, and include the following:

Internal

Chief Executives

Senior Information Management / IG and Health Records Managers

Caldicott Guardians & Trust Legal / General Counsel

Clinical Directors and Managers

Directors of Quality & Assurance

Heads of Information Security & Major Programmes

Business, Finance and Project Managers

External

NHS England / Transformation

Kings College and AI Centre

DPOs across major programmes and research projects

Police, Solicitors and Courts

Person Specification

Qualifications, Education, Knowledge

• Qualifications in Information Governance / Data Protection
• Experience of working within an NHS Foundation Trust

Skills

• Demonstrable success in delivering change and performance with and through management and clinical teams, by engaging them in the strategic direction and delivery plans, establishing clear work priorities and delegating effectively
• Ability to collaborate constructively with internal and external partners to create the conditions for successful partnership working;
• Highly developed leadership and influencing skills with the ability to enthuse, motivate and involve individuals and teams and have them understand the Trusts' performance expectations;
• Sound political judgement, astuteness and sensitivity in understanding and working with complex policy, matters of confidentiality and diverse interest groups

Personal Qualities

• High level of work organisation, selfmotivation, drive for performance and improvement and flexibility in approach and attitude;
• Excellent inter-personal and communications skills with a track record in writing complex business cases and X A/I policies;

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.

Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust

Depending on experience£70,417 to £81,138 per annum