Divisional Governance Lead

Transformationunitgm; Lancashire; On-site; GBP 55,000 - GBP 63,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare provider in Lancashire is seeking a Divisional Governance Lead to enhance patient safety and quality through strategic oversight and compliance with NHS standards. This leadership role demands a champion of governance practices, overseeing a dedicated team and managing incident responses, ensuring continuous improvement in care delivery. Ideal candidates will possess a health-related degree and substantial NHS experience in governance and risk management. The position offers a competitive salary and professional development opportunities.

Qualifications

• Substantial experience within the NHS and knowledge of governance.
• Experience in leading safety investigations and applying PSIRF principles.
• Experience in developing and implementing policies.

Responsibilities

• Provide oversight of the divisional governance agenda.
• Lead and develop the divisional governance team.
• Drive a culture of safety and continuous improvement.

Skills

Governance knowledge

Patient safety management

Leadership

Communication

Education

Degree in health related subject

Management or Leadership Development Qualification

Tools

DATIX Risk Management Software

Job description

Employer Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Town Lancashire Salary £55,690 - £62,682 per anum, pro rata Salary period Yearly Closing 17/02/2026 23:59

Divisional Governance Lead

Band 8a

Job overview

Join us as a Divisional Governance Lead and play a pivotal role in shaping patient safety and quality across our Division. This highly influential leadership position provides strategic oversight of governance systems, ensuring compliance with national standards and Trust policies. You’ll lead a dedicated governance team, drive continuous improvement, and embed a culture of safety and learning. Working closely with senior clinical leaders, you’ll oversee incident management, lead responses under PSIRF, and ensure lessons learned translate into better care for our patients.

Main duties of the job

The Divisional Governance Lead is a pivotal leadership position responsible for driving patient safety, quality improvement, and regulatory compliance across the Division. This highly visible role provides strategic and operational governance support, ensuring systems are robust, responsive, and aligned with national standards and Trust policies.

Key Purpose:

• Provide strategic leadership and oversight of the divisional governance agenda.
• Ensure compliance with Trust policies, NHS frameworks, and national standards.
• Manage the divisional governance team and embed a culture of safety, learning, and continuous improvement.
• Oversee incident profiles and serious incidents, ensuring timely escalation and thematic reviews.
• Lead divisional learning responses under the Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF).
• Drive improvement actions and monitor assurance through audit processes.
• Enable high-quality care through effective risk management, incident response, and compliance.
• Collaborate with senior nursing and medical leaders, clinical teams, and corporate colleagues to embed governance principles.

The postholder acts as a key driver for patient safety and quality, ensuring lessons learned are embedded into practice and that governance systems support safe, effective, and compassionate care delivery.

Working for our organisation

As part of this role, you will work directly with a team of Governance Managers and Governance Facilitators, all committed to improving standards and closely linking with our clinical teams to ensure governance excellence. Together, this team will champion continuous improvement, robust incident management under PSIRF, risk oversight, and regulatory compliance, including CQC readiness.

If you are passionate about influencing care delivery and shaping governance at the highest level, we would love to hear from you.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership: Provide oversight of the divisional governance agenda, ensuring compliance with Trust policies, NHS frameworks, and national standards.
• Governance Team Management: Lead and develop the divisional governance team, including recruitment, onboarding, appraisals, and performance management.
• Patient Safety & Quality: Drive a culture of safety, learning, and continuous improvement; oversee incident management and thematic reviews.
• PSIRF Investigations: Lead divisional learning responses under the Patient Safety Incident Response Framework, ensuring robust investigations and shared outcomes.
• Risk Management: Maintain and scrutinise the divisional risk register, validate new risks, and elevate significant risks to senior leadership.
• Regulatory Compliance: Act as divisional lead for CQC requirements, maintain inspection readiness, and coordinate responses to regulatory enquiries.
• Audit & Clinical Effectiveness: Oversee audit processes, track NICE guidance responses, and ensure findings are reported through governance structures.
• Safeguarding Oversight: Monitor safeguarding incidents, collaborate with the Safeguarding Team, and participate in Section 42 reviews.
• Claims & Safety Alerts: Coordinate responses to clinical claims, disseminate learning, and manage safety alerts for timely action.
• Collaboration: Work closely with senior nursing and medical leaders, clinical teams, and corporate colleagues to embed governance principles.

Person specification

Qualifications & Education

• Degree in health related subject or equivalent
• Evidence of undertaking or completing a Management or Leadership/Development Programme/Qualification (equivalent to the Band 6 programme or Level 4 ILM (Institute of Leadership and Management) or equivalent)
• Post Registration Qualifications relevant to the role
• Registered with appropriate professional body if registered professional
• Teaching/Assessing Qualification
• Training in Incident management Systems or similar management systems

Knowledge & Experience

• Substantial experience of working in the NHS and understanding of governance, patient safety, risk management, and regulatory frameworks
• Experience leading or supporting patient safety investigations and applying PSIRF principles
• Experience of using governance information systems (e.g., DATIX Risk Management Software or equivalent)
• Experience of analysing safety data and triangulating with other sources (e.g., complaints, claims, mortality reviews) and reporting this both written and verbally
• Experience of developing and implementing policies and procedural documents
• Substantial experience of communicating effectively internally and externally (e.g., patients, clients, public, partners, key stakeholders)
• Experience of audit activity or validation of safety actions
• Experience of staff management and team development
• Experience of developing and delivering training and facilitating learning
• Experience of leading improvement initiatives in clinical outcomes or equivalent (e.g. experience of change/ project management)
• Experience of preparing reports for Board, Executive and Senior Managers and Regulators
• Experience of supporting the development of dashboards and visual tools for safety insights

Thanks for taking the time to view this advert; we’re looking forward to receiving your application. You should be aware that the vacancy may close earlier than the published date if sufficient applications are received so it would be best to apply as soon as you can. We’ll contact you by e‑mail to update you on the progress of your application so please check the e‑mail account that you applied from (including spam/junk) regularly.

We are committed to promoting equality of opportunity, celebrating and valuing diversity and eliminating any form of unlawful discrimination across our workforce, ensuring our people are truly representative of the communities we serve. All individuals regardless of race, age, disability, ethnicity, nationality, gender, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marriage and civil partnership, neurodiversity or veteran status are encouraged to apply for this post. Our Statement on the Recruitment of Ex-Offenders is available Here

To support you in your application process we’ve created a What we can offer you guide that shows what you can expect when you join our hospitals. The guide includes links to our strategic aims and objectives as well as our values, development support and rewards and benefits. To help you get the best from your application we’ve also put together two guides to help you make your application the best it can be. Just click here and here to go through them, or have themopen as you complete your application.

We recognise that the recruitment process may present barriers for some and you may need personal adjustments to enable you to participate in our recruitment process. Please make contact with the recruitment team at the earliest opportunity to ensure that measures can be put in place to enable your application for this post.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) when writing job applications

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) when writing job applications If you choose to use AI or other tools to assist in writing your application, it's essential to personalise this information, particularly your supporting information section. While AI can help streamline the writing process, these tools cannot fully grasp the context or requirements of the job you’re applying for. There is also a risk that it can generate false or misleading information.

AI-generated job applications can often be generic, impersonal and may not accurately reflect your qualifications, knowledge, skills, and experiences. It is crucial that you personalise your supporting statement by articulating these in your unique voice. Relying solely on AI to write your application or supporting information section is not advocated by Lancashire Teaching Hospitals and could negatively impact your chances of success in the application process.

We have added a disclaimer to our application process advising that the use of AI is monitored and if applicants have used it then they are required to declare this.

Supporting Information

Supporting Information The supporting information section is an opportunity for you to showcase how your qualifications, knowledge, skill and experiences align with the requirements and criteria outlined in the job description and person.

Our recruiting managers score applications based on the criteria listed in the person specification. They will be looking for evidence of how you meet these criteria. To increase your chances of securing an interview, provide examples of how you have applied your skills and knowledge in real-life situations. Share work-related successes and challenges you’ve navigated that align with the criteria. These could be from various aspects of your life, including work, education, and personal experiences.

Consider structuring your supporting information section with clear headings or bullet points. This approach will help both you and the recruiting manager navigate through your application more effectively.

Working Smarter pledge

We are reminded everyday of how important life is, so as part of our Working Smarter pledge we offer a variety of flexible working options and wellbeing support to enable our people to find and maintain the right work‑life balance.

Secondments

If you are applying for a secondment role please ensure you have agreement from your current line manager prior to attending an interview. Also please ensure you have read the LTHTR Secondment Policy. A copy of this can be found on the intranet or by contacting [emailprotected]

Please note a young person must be in part-time education or training until they’re 18. therefore if you are under 18 we are unable to employ you on a full time basis, unless it is in an apprenticeship role.

Disclosure and Barring Service checks

If the role you’ve applied for requires a Disclosure and Barring Services (DBS) check we will administer this on your behalf and the cost will be recovered from your salary, either as a one-off payment, or over 3 months. The level of check required depends on the role that you have been offered. Currently the charges are - Basic DBS check £26.40 Standard DBS check £26.40 and Enhanced DBS check £54.40. You should be aware that if you are successful in obtaining a position that requires a DBS check but later withdraw your application, you may be required to reimburse the cost of the DBS check. DBS checks remain free of charge for volunteer positions. The DBS Code of Practice can be accessed here .

In line with guidance from United Kingdom Health Security Agency, all staff and volunteers are required to comply with Trust Infection Prevention and Control processes in relation to safe working. This includes mask wearing and adherence to social distancing at all Trust sites.

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We look forward to hearing from you soon!

Employer certification / accreditation badges

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.