Job summary
As a Maternity Investigator with HSIB, you will work as part of a dynamic team delivering an effective and timely investigation service. You will be responsible for
- Delivering an effective and efficient management of HSIB maternity investigations
- Ensuring that evidence based recommendations are issued in a timely manner
Making continuous improvement in your own service and practice
Main duties of the job
As an Investigator with HSIB, the post holder will work as part of a dynamic team delivering an effective service and supporting managers and staff across the healthcare sector to develop and implement continuous improvements in the safety of their services.
The key responsibility of the post holder is to deliver (and to support others to deliver) expert investigation, ensuring full potential is harnessed to inform learning and patient safety improvement.
About us
The Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch (HSIB) conducts independent investigations into patient safety concerns in NHS funded care across England. Safety recommendations made aim to improve healthcare systems and processes to reduce risk and improve safety.
Now that the Health and Care Act 2022 has received Royal Assent it means we will become a fully independent non-departmental public body, commonly known as an arm's length body (ALB), of the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC). HSIB is currently going through organisational change to become the Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB) and our maternity investigations programme will be formed into a separate special health authority; Maternity and Newborn Safety Investigations (MNSI SpHA). We expect both organisations to be operational by April 2023.
This is a transitional period for the organisation, staff recruited before 31 March 2023 will transfer to the new organisation on 1 April 2023. There will be no changes to terms a conditions, only the title of the employer. Details can be found on www.hsib.org.uk/organisational-transformation/
It is desirable that you complete HSIB Level 2 training - A systems approach to learning from patient safety incidents, prior to applying. Training can be accessed through this link https://www.hsib.org.uk/investigation-education/our-courses/.
HSIB are unable reimburse travel expenses for attending interviews
Job description
Job responsibilities
Operational
- Undertake complete maternity investigation projects as delegated by the Maternity Investigation Team Leader from initiation of the investigation through to compilation and presentation of reports. This will include, but is not limited to:
- Conducting effective and efficient maternity investigations to determine the causes of safety incidents to patients in healthcare.
- Producing draft safety reports and recommendations that are well researched and effective in reducing the likelihood of a reoccurrence of the event.
- Attending, as report author, legal hearings including Coroners inquests.
- Sharing knowledge and enhancing standards of incident investigation across the wider healthcare system.
- Responsible for the day-to-day management of maternity investigation projects, ensuring that investigation guidance is followed consistently and that investigations are completed and published in a timely manner.
- Supporting the development and delivery of the HSIB investigation methodology, promoting innovation and operational excellence.
- Responsible for embedding of consistent methodologies and approaches to conducting investigations.
- Work with highly complex, sensitive, and emotive information requiring analysis and interpretation to inform sound decision making.
- Work with patients, carers and families who have been harmed or bereaved and with affected healthcare professionals in situations which are highly emotive, sensitive and which may also be contentious.
- Ensure investigation guidance, templates and tools remain up to date and fit for purpose, recommending improvements where appropriate.
- Contribute to the development of expertise in the Maternity Investigation Team by ensuring high quality documentation of lessons learned to enable continual improvements in the quality of investigation projects.
- Be available to work unsocial hours, to respond to events and to work on a temporary basis at locations throughout England.
- Undertake secondary duties as required for the HSIB to achieve its strategic aims.
Financial and Physical Resources
- Provide management of available budget and resources for each allocated investigation / work stream.
- Advise and prepare progress reports and briefings for managers and stakeholders.
- Provide analysis, interpretation, and production of complex and multiple reports.
- Demonstrate value for money and greater efficiency in the use of budgets / resources.
- Act in a way that is compliant with Standing Orders and Standing Financial Instructions in the discharge of this responsibility.
Staff / HR Management
- Investigators will manage third party expert staff contracted to work on specific investigations.
Information Management
- Ensure that reports are factually based, accurate, comprehensive, focused and of a standard fit for publication.
- Draft reports summarising status on issues, appraising outcomes, and providing progress reports for the Investigation manager.
- Highlight exceptions and manage risks to ensure mitigating action is taken to keep the investigation on track with pre-defined timelines.
- Analyse, interpret and present highly complex and sensitive data to highlight issues, risks and support decision making.
- Provide maintenance and reporting of data and information gathered in the process of investigation and adhere to information governance requirements.
- Provide guidance to partners and stakeholders to ensure information management requirements are met.
- Preserve the confidence in the HSIBs investigatory and reporting process in accordance with its statutory obligations.
Working Relationships
- Display highest levels of professional credibility and integrity.
- Forge positive working relationships, to support an effective approach to achieve HSIB objectives.
- Provide advice, support, and constructive challenge to colleagues across HSIB and the wider healthcare system.
- Provide expert advice on complex and conflicting issues and generate solutions in situations that require changing mind sets.
- Present complex sensitive or contentious information to different audiences.
Research and Development
- Highlight and promote innovative approaches to safety investigations.
- Manage projects to comply with HSIB key performance indicators.
Planning and Organisation
- Ensure that safety recommendations are made in a timely manner, are well founded and directed to the appropriate entity and in the appropriate manner.
Policy and Service Development
- Contribute to directorate service implementation and HSIB policy and guidance development.
- Propose changes to directorate function and make recommendations regarding changes in the wider organisation and across the healthcare sector.
Freedom to Act
- Ability to work on own initiative and organise workload, allocating work as necessary, working to tight and often changing deadlines.
- Ability to make decisions autonomously, when required, on difficult and frequently sensitive issues.
- Ability to act independently and interpret and apply relevant policy to work area.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Operational
- Undertake complete maternity investigation projects as delegated by the Maternity Investigation Team Leader from initiation of the investigation through to compilation and presentation of reports. This will include, but is not limited to:
- Conducting effective and efficient maternity investigations to determine the causes of safety incidents to patients in healthcare.
- Producing draft safety reports and recommendations that are well researched and effective in reducing the likelihood of a reoccurrence of the event.
- Attending, as report author, legal hearings including Coroners inquests.
- Sharing knowledge and enhancing standards of incident investigation across the wider healthcare system.
- Responsible for the day-to-day management of maternity investigation projects, ensuring that investigation guidance is followed consistently and that investigations are completed and published in a timely manner.
- Supporting the development and delivery of the HSIB investigation methodology, promoting innovation and operational excellence.
- Responsible for embedding of consistent methodologies and approaches to conducting investigations.
- Work with highly complex, sensitive, and emotive information requiring analysis and interpretation to inform sound decision making.
- Work with patients, carers and families who have been harmed or bereaved and with affected healthcare professionals in situations which are highly emotive, sensitive and which may also be contentious.
- Ensure investigation guidance, templates and tools remain up to date and fit for purpose, recommending improvements where appropriate.
- Contribute to the development of expertise in the Maternity Investigation Team by ensuring high quality documentation of lessons learned to enable continual improvements in the quality of investigation projects.
- Be available to work unsocial hours, to respond to events and to work on a temporary basis at locations throughout England.
- Undertake secondary duties as required for the HSIB to achieve its strategic aims.
Financial and Physical Resources
- Provide management of available budget and resources for each allocated investigation / work stream.
- Advise and prepare progress reports and briefings for managers and stakeholders.
- Provide analysis, interpretation, and production of complex and multiple reports.
- Demonstrate value for money and greater efficiency in the use of budgets / resources.
- Act in a way that is compliant with Standing Orders and Standing Financial Instructions in the discharge of this responsibility.
Staff / HR Management
- Investigators will manage third party expert staff contracted to work on specific investigations.
Information Management
- Ensure that reports are factually based, accurate, comprehensive, focused and of a standard fit for publication.
- Draft reports summarising status on issues, appraising outcomes, and providing progress reports for the Investigation manager.
- Highlight exceptions and manage risks to ensure mitigating action is taken to keep the investigation on track with pre-defined timelines.
- Analyse, interpret and present highly complex and sensitive data to highlight issues, risks and support decision making.
- Provide maintenance and reporting of data and information gathered in the process of investigation and adhere to information governance requirements.
- Provide guidance to partners and stakeholders to ensure information management requirements are met.
- Preserve the confidence in the HSIBs investigatory and reporting process in accordance with its statutory obligations.
Working Relationships
- Display highest levels of professional credibility and integrity.
- Forge positive working relationships, to support an effective approach to achieve HSIB objectives.
- Provide advice, support, and constructive challenge to colleagues across HSIB and the wider healthcare system.
- Provide expert advice on complex and conflicting issues and generate solutions in situations that require changing mind sets.
- Present complex sensitive or contentious information to different audiences.
Research and Development
- Highlight and promote innovative approaches to safety investigations.
- Manage projects to comply with HSIB key performance indicators.
Planning and Organisation
- Ensure that safety recommendations are made in a timely manner, are well founded and directed to the appropriate entity and in the appropriate manner.
Policy and Service Development
- Contribute to directorate service implementation and HSIB policy and guidance development.
- Propose changes to directorate function and make recommendations regarding changes in the wider organisation and across the healthcare sector.
Freedom to Act
- Ability to work on own initiative and organise workload, allocating work as necessary, working to tight and often changing deadlines.
- Ability to make decisions autonomously, when required, on difficult and frequently sensitive issues.
- Ability to act independently and interpret and apply relevant policy to work area.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Degree level qualification or equivalent in relevant discipline
- Extensive knowledge of specialist areas, acquired through post graduate diploma or equivalent experience or training plus further specialist knowledge or experience to masters level equivalent
- Member of relevant professional body
Values and Beliefs
Essential
- Evidence of personal contribution to EDI through service development or in team working
- Demonstrable commitment to, and focus on quality, promoting high standards to consistently improve outcomes
- Demonstrable commitment to involving the public at the heart of their work
- Works across boundaries, looks for collective success, listens, involves, respects and learns from the contribution of others
- Actively develops themselves and others
Knowledge and Experience
Essential
- Demonstrable postgraduate experience as a safety investigator, healthcare clinician, or employment in a human factors related role
- Experience of leading safety investigations, preparing reports and making recommendations
- Experience of working to agreed deadlines without supervision
- Demonstrate an understanding of the healthcare landscape and relevant policies
Skills and Abilities
Essential
- Ability to work without supervision and working to tight and often changing timescales
- Excellent planning and organisation skills with the ability to prioritise tasks for optimal personal and team performance
- A flexible approach and readiness to work outside normal working hours, if required and work away from home
- Knowledge of Microsoft Office suite of programmes including Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, Excel and Teams
Communication Skills
Essential
- Developed communication skills with the ability to communicate on complex matters and difficult situations
- Ability to communicate with clinical, academic and all levels of staff effectively
- Good presentational skills for conveying complex concepts
- Ability to produce well-written and concise reports in a clear and logical way with strong attention to detail
Analytical Skills
Essential
- High level analytical skills and the ability to draw qualitative and quantitative data from a wide range of sources and present in a clear concise manner
- Ability to analyse numerical and written data, assess options and draw appropriate conclusions
- Ability to identify risks, anticipate issues and create solutions and to resolve problems in relation to project or service delivery
- Take decisions on difficult and contentious issues where there may be a number of courses of action
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Degree level qualification or equivalent in relevant discipline
- Extensive knowledge of specialist areas, acquired through post graduate diploma or equivalent experience or training plus further specialist knowledge or experience to masters level equivalent
- Member of relevant professional body
Values and Beliefs
Essential
- Evidence of personal contribution to EDI through service development or in team working
- Demonstrable commitment to, and focus on quality, promoting high standards to consistently improve outcomes
- Demonstrable commitment to involving the public at the heart of their work
- Works across boundaries, looks for collective success, listens, involves, respects and learns from the contribution of others
- Actively develops themselves and others
Knowledge and Experience
Essential
- Demonstrable postgraduate experience as a safety investigator, healthcare clinician, or employment in a human factors related role
- Experience of leading safety investigations, preparing reports and making recommendations
- Experience of working to agreed deadlines without supervision
- Demonstrate an understanding of the healthcare landscape and relevant policies
Skills and Abilities
Essential
- Ability to work without supervision and working to tight and often changing timescales
- Excellent planning and organisation skills with the ability to prioritise tasks for optimal personal and team performance
- A flexible approach and readiness to work outside normal working hours, if required and work away from home
- Knowledge of Microsoft Office suite of programmes including Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, Excel and Teams
Communication Skills
Essential
- Developed communication skills with the ability to communicate on complex matters and difficult situations
- Ability to communicate with clinical, academic and all levels of staff effectively
- Good presentational skills for conveying complex concepts
- Ability to produce well-written and concise reports in a clear and logical way with strong attention to detail
Analytical Skills
Essential
- High level analytical skills and the ability to draw qualitative and quantitative data from a wide range of sources and present in a clear concise manner
- Ability to analyse numerical and written data, assess options and draw appropriate conclusions
- Ability to identify risks, anticipate issues and create solutions and to resolve problems in relation to project or service delivery
- Take decisions on difficult and contentious issues where there may be a number of courses of action
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.
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).
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.
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).
