Job summary

Quality Governance Lead Role

Are you passionate about improving quality, safety and governance in maternity services? We are seeking an experienced and motivated leader to drive the development and implementation of our Maternity Quality Assurance Framework and support delivery of the MatNeo Intensive Support and Governance Review improvements.

Working closely with the Director of Midwifery, Clinical Director, General Manager and wider multidisciplinary teams, you will provide strategic and operational leadership across quality governance, clinical effectiveness, patient safety, audit, risk management, education and research. You will play a pivotal role in ensuring robust governance arrangements, embedding continuous improvement, and assuring compliance with local and national quality standards.

This is an exciting opportunity for a dynamic leader with strong clinical governance experience, excellent stakeholder management skills, and a passion for improving outcomes for women, babies and families.

Join us and help shape the future of maternity quality assurance and governance excellence.

Main duties of the job

The primary aim of the role is to support the development and embedding of the Quality Assurance Framework, including the implementation of the outcomes of the MatNeoIst governance review at BHFT. The role will provide assurance that the maternity services have established guidelines, processes and procedures that facilitates on-going plan for consistent compliance with all locally and nationally agreed quality standards based on clinical governance framework. These are in the domains of clinical audit, effectiveness, risk management, education, training and research.

About us

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides hospital services to a growing population of around 700,000 people living across Bedfordshire and the surrounding areas across two busy hospital sites in Bedford and Luton. Both hospital sites offer key services such as A&E, Obstetrics-led Maternity and Paediatrics. You will be joining a friendly, high performing Trust committed to ensuring the health and wellbeing of staff. As one of the largest NHS Trusts in our region you will have access to a programme of high quality training and development to help you grow your career. The Trust continues to be committed to delivering the best patient care using the best clinical knowledge and technology available.

Our values

We not only recruit based on qualifications and experience - we recruit individuals who demonstrate the behaviours which underpin our Trusts core values. We achieve this by using values based recruitment. We are dedicated to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone, we are committed to promoting equality and diversity, and creating a culture that values differences.

Please note that vacancies may close prior to the advertised closing date when sufficient number of applications have been received. All new staff will be subject to a probationary period covering first 6 months in post. Travel between hospital sites may be required. Please review all documents attached to ensure you familiarize yourself with all requirements of the job

Details

Date posted

01 October 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8b

Salary

£32.96 an hour paid hourly

Contract

Bank

Working pattern

Flexible working

Reference number

418-BMAT11443-EH

Job locations

Luton and Dunstable Hospital

Lewsey Road

Luton

LU4 0DZ

United Kingdom

Job description

Job responsibilities

Lead on the development of quality assurance framework, including the outcomes of the outcomes of the MatNeoIst governance review.

Lead on monitoring standards of a range of clinical governance, clinical effectiveness and patient safety activity, in liaison with other multidisciplinary professionals and functional heads within the Maternity and Quality and Safety Team with direct line management of these teams on both sites.

Work closely with the Director of Midwifery, Clinical Director and General Manager to progress the Quality Services Assurance Framework, and the MatNeoIst Milestones

Work closely with the Head of Womens Governance and Quality Improvement, Heads of Midwifery and the Divisional triumvirate and the Trust Governance Team.

Maintain strong working relationships with clinical colleagues.

Ensure the triangulation of information and intelligence from across the Service, the division and the Trust, in order to provide leadership and direction in relation to Quality Governance, Effectiveness and Quality Improvements.

Work in partnership with the senior obstetric and midwifery team to assist in driving forward the wider Maternity leadership, operational and strategic agendas.

Job description Job responsibilities Lead on the development of quality assurance framework, including the outcomes of the outcomes of the MatNeoIst governance review. Lead on monitoring standards of a range of clinical governance, clinical effectiveness and patient safety activity, in liaison with other multidisciplinary professionals and functional heads within the Maternity and Quality and Safety Team with direct line management of these teams on both sites. Work closely with the Director of Midwifery, Clinical Director and General Manager to progress the Quality Services Assurance Framework, and the MatNeoIst Milestones Work closely with the Head of Womens Governance and Quality Improvement, Heads of Midwifery and the Divisional triumvirate and the Trust Governance Team. Maintain strong working relationships with clinical colleagues. Ensure the triangulation of information and intelligence from across the Service, the division and the Trust, in order to provide leadership and direction in relation to Quality Governance, Effectiveness and Quality Improvements. Work in partnership with the senior obstetric and midwifery team to assist in driving forward the wider Maternity leadership, operational and strategic agendas.

Person Specification

Qualifications and professional registration

Essential

• Registered Midwife and / or Registered Nurse Master's degree or equivalent experience Formal qualification in Quality Improvement, Project Management, or Leadership (e.g. Lean, Six Sigma,)

Desirable

• Postgraduate qualification in quality improvement, patient safety, leadership, Formal coaching, teaching, programme/project management or human factors qualification.

Experience

Essential

• Senior experience in, clinical governance, patient safety, quality improvement or a closely related healthcare improvement role. Experience of leading complex improvement programmes across multidisciplinary and multi-professional teams.
• Experience of translating learning from incidents, complaints, claims, inquests, audits, service reviews or external recommendations into measurable improvement. Experience of producing high-quality reports, assurance papers, briefings and improvement updates for senior governance forums.

Desirable

• Experience of maternity and neonatal improvement or assurance programmes, including CNST, Saving Babies' Lives, Ockenden, Baroness Amos, MatNeoIST, CQC or equivalent national recommendations.

Knowledge

Essential

• Knowledge of maternity and neonatal safety priorities, national policy expectations, regulatory requirements and improvement recommendations. Understanding of health inequalities, equity, co-production, service user voice and inclusive approaches to improvement.

Desirable

• Knowledge of implementation science, evaluation methods, research governance or evidence-based practice. Understanding of NHS job evaluation, workforce planning, organisational development or culture improvement approaches.

Person Specification Qualifications and professional registration Essential Registered Midwife and / or Registered Nurse Master's degree or equivalent experience Formal qualification in Quality Improvement, Project Management, or Leadership (e.g. Lean, Six Sigma,) Desirable Postgraduate qualification in quality improvement, patient safety, leadership, Formal coaching, teaching, programme/project management or human factors qualification. Experience Essential Senior experience in, clinical governance, patient safety, quality improvement or a closely related healthcare improvement role. Experience of leading complex improvement programmes across multidisciplinary and multi-professional teams. Experience of translating learning from incidents, complaints, claims, inquests, audits, service reviews or external recommendations into measurable improvement. Experience of producing high-quality reports, assurance papers, briefings and improvement updates for senior governance forums. Desirable Experience of maternity and neonatal improvement or assurance programmes, including CNST, Saving Babies' Lives, Ockenden, Baroness Amos, MatNeoIST, CQC or equivalent national recommendations. Knowledge Essential Knowledge of maternity and neonatal safety priorities, national policy expectations, regulatory requirements and improvement recommendations. Understanding of health inequalities, equity, co-production, service user voice and inclusive approaches to improvement. Desirable Knowledge of implementation science, evaluation methods, research governance or evidence-based practice. Understanding of NHS job evaluation, workforce planning, organisational development or culture improvement approaches.

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Additional information 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. Certificate of Sponsorship Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab). From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab). UK Registration Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Luton and Dunstable Hospital

Lewsey Road

Luton

LU4 0DZ

United Kingdom

Employer's website

https://www.bedfordshirehospitals.nhs.uk/working-here/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Luton and Dunstable Hospital

Lewsey Road

Luton

LU4 0DZ

United Kingdom

Employer's website

https://www.bedfordshirehospitals.nhs.uk/working-here/ (Opens in a new tab)