Clinical Safety Officer

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 provide a high quality and specialist care to our service users and we are recognised for our care and treatment we provide. The Care Quality Commission already 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 Electronic Patient Record (EPR) Digital Clinical Safety Officer role is pivotal in driving the success of our transformative programme to decommission the current EPR and implement a new system. This role combines clinical expertise with a deep understanding of health information technology and clinical risk management, ensuring compliance with digital clinical safety regulations.

As a senior leader, you will implement a digital clinical safety operating model, collaborate with key stakeholders, and continuously improve our digital clinical safety processes. Join us in enhancing patient care and safety through innovative, clinically led, operationally driven, and digitally enabled solutions.

Career Progression Pathways and Development Opportunities

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust provides the widest range of NHS mental health services in the UK. We work closely with the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, and are supported by Maudsley Charity. We are part of King's Health Partners Academic Health Sciences Centre.

We are committed to supporting staff in their career aspirations, offering career pathways, ongoing training, and development in conjunction with the British Computing Society (BCS) organisational membership.

Main duties of the job

• Lead, promote, and support adherence to digital health applications implementation activities as defined in the NHS Digital Clinical Safety Strategy and DCB 0129 and 0160 national standards.

• Ensure the development and maintenance of clinical risk management records, a clinical risk management strategy and plan, hazard logs, clinical safety case, clinical safety case report, and incident management system post-Go Live.

• Engage key stakeholders through coaching, leveraging your strong clinical background and experience in Digital Clinical Safety programmes in our Trusts.

• Adapt to evolving programme needs while maintaining core skillsets critical to the role.

Working for our organisation

Organisational Context and Reporting Lines

This role is in the Digital Programme Management Office (PMO) under the Digital Services Directorate. The Directorate utilises technology and digital solutions to empower our staff and improve the care our service users receive. The postholder will report to the Chief Clinical Information Officer and work closely with multidisciplinary project workstreams, digital, and external departments/teams across the Trust as required.

Flexible Working

This is a hybrid role, requiring a minimum of two days in the office. The in-person component will add value by facilitating relationships and experience within the organisation. We are proud to offer flexible working as part of our new ways of working and are happy to discuss flexible working options at the interview stage. You will be able to work Monday to Friday within the time frames of 8 am to 6 pm, ensuring a good work-life balance.

Digital Services Locations

• Maudsley Hospital (headquarters): Located at Denmark Hill, less than 5 minutes from the train station (zone 2), and within walking distance from the green spaces of Ruskin Park, King's College Hospital, and the vibrant high street with great shopping and dining options.

• Bethlem Royal Hospital: Located in a beautiful setting in over 200 acres of green space in the London Borough of Bromley, South East London. The hospital has easy access to nearby main roads and offers free parking. The site is within walking distance from Eden Park and West Wickham overland stations.

• St Pauls: Located within the Bromley area, less than 10 minutes from Bromley South, Bromley North, and Shortlands train stations. It is within walking distance from the beautiful green spaces of Bromley Park and the vibrant high street with great shopping and dining options.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Responsibilities:

• Develop and own the Digital Clinical Risk Strategy and System on behalf of the Chief Clinical Information Officer (CCIO) and the EPR programme.

• Manage and deliver digital clinical safety activities across the EPR Programme, including decommissioning the current EPR and implementing a new one.

• Develop, maintain, and refine systems and processes to identify and address patient safety risks associated with digital health applications and systems.

• Review DCB0129 documents and communicate with the supplier's Clinical Safety Officer (CSO).

• Promote adherence to digital health applications implementation activities as defined in DCB0160 Standards.

• Facilitate awareness of the NHS Digital Clinical Safety Strategy and curate a culture aligned with digital clinical safety.

• Ensure the development and maintenance of clinical risk management records, a clinical risk management strategy and plan, hazard logs, clinical safety case, clinical safety case report, and incident management system post-Go Live.

• Support the reporting, investigation, and resolution of clinical safety incidents linked to digital health solutions.

• Work with the CCIO to ensure core digital clinical safety functions and processes are in place.

• Act as the primary digital clinical safety lead and point of contact for the EPR programme.

• Ensure that quality standards are maintained throughout, such that each digital clinical safety deliverable is fit for purpose and meets its documented requirement within DCB 0160 Digital Clinical Safety Standards and the EPR Programme scope.

• Maintain, review, and update standardised documentation and sustainability for all digital clinical safety functions and processes.

• Attend Trust patient safety and Digital Board meetings, providing updates and reports as needed.

• Ensure the digital clinical safety operating model meets specified standards and business needs.

• Communicate results, variances, and problems to the CCIO and the EPR programme team, offering solutions and options when problems arise.

• Ensure relevant digital clinical safety initiatives are undertaken and reported, and that improvement activity is undertaken as part of the risk and safety assurance framework.

• Analyse complex problems, develop practical solutions, and implement them using persuasive, motivational, and negotiating communication skills.

Project and Programme Management

• Participate in programme and project meetings within the EPR Programme, chairing meetings when necessary, coordinating papers, and ensuring records of meetings, outcomes, and actions.

• Ensure clinical IT system digital clinical safety artifacts are filed and accessible within the appropriate document libraries accompanying the EPR programme.

• Monitor and report on the progress of the Digital Clinical Safety workstream, proactively reviewing progress and managing risks and issues.

• Support individual project managers in identifying and mitigating clinical safety risks and issues.

• Ensure all projects have clearly articulated clinical benefits, supporting service leads in demonstrating achievements to ensure the programme meets its objectives.

• Manage and resolve any project risks or issues that arise.

• Business Change: Provide digital clinical safety expertise to manage local change and controls effectively.

• Business as Usual: Review supportive documentation for stabilisation, business as usual, and adoption of new systems, ensuring alignment with clinical safety needs.

Communication, Engagement, and Stakeholder Management

• Work closely with the CCIO and represent them when necessary.

• Provide support, advice, and information to the wider organisation to ensure understanding of responsibilities in relation to digital clinical safety.

• Collaborate with colleagues across the trust on risk identification and management within the EPR Programme.

• Motivate project clinical leads/champions to engage in digital clinical safety meetings and working sessions.

• Ensure Key Performance Indicators (KPI) and reports are accurate, meaningful, and fit for use by Senior Managers across organisations.

• Support end users in the clinical safety review of new or existing systems, working efficiently and empathetically.

• Explain complex subjects in clear, concise terms to staff with varying knowledge levels.

• Coordinate and motivate a multidisciplinary team, including clinicians, suppliers, IT experts, and contractors.

• Drive the smooth transition and successful adoption of the digital clinical safety system and processes across teams and stakeholders.

• Ensure effective working processes and relationships to meet performance and quality standards.

• Demonstrate high-level communication skills, presenting complex and sensitive information to multidisciplinary teams.

• Discuss sensitive and contentious information with staff of all levels, maintaining confidentiality, professionalism, and integrity.

• Request information from multi-professional teams sensitively and diplomatically when faced with potential legal cases or poor clinical outcomes.

Ongoing Learning

• Stay updated with new developments in digital clinical safety and patient safety to maintain subject matter expertise.

• Provide analysis of digital clinical safety-related intelligence to support organisational learning and improvement.

• Maintain clinical skills, active registration, and statutory and mandatory training.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

• Educated to master's level qualification
• Suitably qualified clinician

Knowledge and Skills

Essential criteria

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Experience in process and policy development
• Experience in clinical risk management
• Is a Registered Practitioner with GMC or HCPC
• Significant clinical experience in a secondary care setting
• Knowledge of the DCB0160 and 0129 standards
• Experience of system analysis, development, testing, release, upgrades and decommissioning
• A thorough understanding of why and how errors occur in the development, deployment and subsequent use of EPR Systems
• Strong Project Management skills, principles and practices

Desirable criteria

• Experienced in Change implementation and challenging poor practices
• Digital Clinical Safety Officer training
• Excellent leadership skills/qualities
• Experience in the design, development, or deployment of digital clinical systems
• Experience of managing clinical safety and related governance processes
• Experience writing and delivering reports and/or documentation

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. We provide reasonable adjustments for candidates with a disability and are committed to treating people fairly with compassion, respect and dignity and in promoting equality and human rights. We aim to put this commitment into practice by:

• Embedding our commitment to tackling inequality, eliminating discrimination and harassment; promoting equality of opportunity and fostering good relations in our everyday practice
• Ensuring that all our services and all staff understand and support our commitment
• We believe that people who use our services, their carers and our staff, should be treated with compassion, respect and dignity

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 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. All subsequent information regarding your application will be generated from apps.trac.jobs
• That should you not have heard from us within three weeks from the closing date your application has not 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

SLaM is a Stonewall Diversity Champion , Stonewall is the largest Lesbian, Gay, Bi and Trans (LGBT) rights charity in Europe'

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

Documents to download

• Job Description (PDF, 480.3KB)
• SLaM Staff Benefits (PDF, 1.1MB)
• Happy to Talk Flexible Working (PDF, 680.1KB)