Information Governance Officer

We are seeking a motivated and detail-focused Information Governance Officer to join our team on a 6-month fixed term contract. This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced IG professional to support the delivery of high-quality information governance services and ensure ongoing compliance with relevant legislation, national standards and organisational policies.

The postholder will play a key role in supporting compliance with the UK GDPR, Data Protection Act 2018, Freedom of Information Act, and wider information governance requirements. You will provide day-to-day advice and guidance to staff, support incident management, and contribute to audits, reporting and assurance activities.

Working closely with key stakeholders across the organisation, you will help promote a strong culture of information governance, confidentiality and data protection, ensuring that information is handled lawfully, securely and effectively. This role is well-suited to someone who is organised, proactive and confident in applying IG principles in a busy operational environment.

Important Sponsorship Information for this post: We are currently unable to offer a certificate of sponsorship for this post.

Main duties of the job

The Information Governance Officer is responsible for processing all requests which may fall under one or more of the following legal Acts, and to ensure they are dealt with within the statutory timescales and comply with current legislation:

• UK General Data Protection Regulation 2018
• Subject Access Requests under the Data Protection Act 2018.
• Information regarding deceased patients under the Access to Health Records Act 1990.
• Information requests under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
• Requests to share personal information from other organisations which may involve the following legal Acts/frameworks:
  • Childrens Act 1989 and 2004
  • Human Rights Act 1998
  • Crime and Disorder Act 1998
  • The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984
  • Common Law Duty of Confidentiality
  • Mental Capacity Act 2005
  • Section 29 exemptions under the DPA (re police enquiries)
  • Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements
  • Multi Agency Risk Assessment conferences
  • Court Orders (and witness summons)

This role requires in-depth knowledge of the above legislation, meticulous attention to detail and the ability to work under pressure. Excellent communication skills are required as this job involves dealing with extremely sensitive information, working to statutory deadlines, dealing with emergency situations (i.e. child protection, risk of serious harm) and liaising with patients, health and legal professionals and Senior Managers/Directors and other organisations such as the Police and Courts.

About us

Oxleas offers a wide range of NHS healthcare services to people in community and secure environment settings. Our services include community health care such as district nursing and speech and language therapy, care for people with learning disabilities and mental health care such as psychiatry, nursing and therapies. Our multidisciplinary teams look after people of all ages and we work in close partnership with other parts of the NHS, local councils and the voluntary sector and through our new provider collaboratives. Our 4,300 members of staff work in many different settings including hospitals, clinics, prisons, secure hospitals, children's centres, schools and people's homes.We have over 125 sites in a variety of locations in the South of England. In London we operate within the Boroughs of Bexley, Bromley Greenwich and into Kent. We manage hospital sites including Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup and Memorial Hospital, Woolwich, as well as the Bracton Centre, our medium secure unit for people with mental health needs. We are the largest NHS provider of prison health services providing healthcare to prisons within Devon, Dorset, Bristol, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, Kent and South London. We are proud of the care we provide and our people.

Our purpose is to improve lives by providing the best possible care to our patients and their families. This is strengthened by our new values:

• We're Kind
• We Listen
• We Care

Job responsibilities

Key Task and Responsibilities

• To interpret complex requests for sensitive and often contentious information and analyse, interpret and apply the correct legal framework to each request, ensuring that the appropriate representative(s) are involved (which may be from external organisations i.e. solicitors, police) and that statutory deadlines are met.
• To identify information sharing requests regarding risk of serious harm efficiently and effectively i.e. child protection, prevention/detection of serious crime etc
• To give advice and assistance on information governance issues to staff Trust wide at all levels (particularly concerning complaints, incidents, safeguarding children, legal and HR).
• This role requires excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ensure complete confidentiality and discretion are practised at all times.
• To keep meticulous detailed records of all information requests and to maintain and monitor requests on a daily basis using spreadsheets, databases and IT systems.
• Ensure the security of sensitive personal identifiable information in transit in line with Trust policy.
• Ensure effective communications with key expert organisations such as; the Trust solicitors, the Information Commissioners Office, etc.
• To contribute to and be fully involved with the production of Trust information governance guidance, training materials and the development of new initiatives to enhance and promote high quality information governance across the Trust.
• To provide information governance training to staff on request i.e. team briefings, induction etc.
• To evidence base information governance standards for audit (internal and external) e.g. NHSE Data Security Protection Toolkit and projects pertaining to related work streams.
• Assist in providing statistical information for key performance indicator reports for the Trusts Information Governance & Cyber Security Group.
• Support the Deputy Information Governance Manager with the implementation of all Trust information governance policies and procedures.
• To propose, where required, policy or process change and ensure all information governance policies and procedures are implemented and appropriate action is taken when these policies are breached i.e. reporting incidents e.g. breaches of confidentiality, non-compliance, risk of harm etc.
• To document and regularly review information governance processes and procedures.
• Ensure personal legal knowledge is updated by attending regular seminars, conferences, training on developments and updates in legislation and information governance practice.

Person Specification

Working within Healthcare

• Previous Experience of Data Protection within Healthcare
• Knowledge of General Data Protection Regulations & Data Protection Act within Healthcare

Client focus and communication

• Working in a client focused environment with written communication skills

Electronic Health Records

• Experience of working with a Electronic Patient Record keeping system

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.

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