Job overview

Join us as Head of Safety & Compliance

Are you a passionate leader with a deep understanding of Clinical Governance, Health & Safety and Compliance in healthcare? Do you thrive in a dynamic environment where your expertise can drive real change? If so, we want to hear from you.

About the role

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a transformational and experienced leader to join East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust as the Head of Safety, Effectiveness & Compliance. This pivotal role sits at the heart of our Clinical Governance function, shaping the culture of safety, learning, and continuous improvement across the organisation.

Working closely with the Associate Director of Clinical Governance & Quality, you will provide both strategic and operational leadership, ensuring the Trust meets statutory, regulatory, and national standards. This includes the implementation of the Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF), delivery of the clinical audit and effectiveness programme, and alignment with Health & Safety legislation.

Main duties of the job

Responsibilities

As Head of Safety, Effectiveness & Compliance, you will:

• Lead and manage the following teams: • Patient Safety & Datix • Clinical Effectiveness & Compliance • Health & Safety • Moving & Handling • Medical Devices
• Ensure Trust-wide compliance with CQC and HSE requirements.
• Deliver systems and tools to embed safe practice, improve learning, and strengthen assurance.
• Oversee the development and governance of incident reporting, audit systems, and digital learning platforms.
• Triangulate insights from incidents, audits, complaints, risks, and reviews to identify improvement opportunities.
• Provide expert advice to Executive teams and author high-quality assurance reports for the Board.

About You

To succeed in this role, you will bring:

• Substantial senior leadership experience in a complex healthcare setting.
• Expertise in clinical governance, healthcare regulation, and statutory compliance.
• In-depth knowledge of NHS England’s patient safety programmes and digital reporting systems (e.g. Datix, LfPSE).
• Demonstrable track record of leading change, shaping strategy, and delivering system-wide improvements.
• Strong interpersonal and influencing skills, with the ability to inspire and engage multidisciplinary teams.

Working for our organisation

A wide range of staff benefits are available to our staff including staff development, enrolment in the NHS pension scheme, auto-enrolment to our Temporary Workforce Service, access to onsite nurseries. staff restaurants and accommodation.

In addition to an internal Occupational Health department, all staff also have access to free psychological support through our confidential Employee Assistance Programme. Onsite parking is available from only £50 a year. 

There has never been a better time to join East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, submit your application today.

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Using AI for your application may not accurately represent your knowledge, skills, and experience and may result in a disconnect between your qualifications and our assessment of your application.

We encourage applicants to take the time to thoughtfully complete their applications; by doing so, you allow us to better understand your true potential and ensure a fair and transparent evaluation of your application. Over reliance on AI-generated content may diminish your chance of success.