Head of Governance, Quality and Patient SafetyHaven House Children’s Hospice, Woodford GreenAgenda for Change Band 8a plus Outer London Allowance37.5 hours per weekAt Haven House, we support children and young people with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions, alongside their families. We are looking for an experienced nurse or allied health professional to lead our governance, quality and patient safety work, helping us deliver the best possible care. This is a senior leadership role within our Care Directorate, working closely with the Director of Clinical Services and teams across the hospice. You will lead our governance and assurance systems, support continuous CQC readiness and ensure that learning leads to meaningful, lasting improvements in practice. The voices and experiences of children, young people and families will be central to your work. You will bring together feedback, incident learning, audit findings and service outcomes to understand where we are doing well, where we need to improve and whether our actions are making a difference.
About the roleYou will lead the Governance and Education Team, with responsibility for patient safety, risk management, clinical audit, quality improvement, policy oversight and regulatory assurance. You will provide clear reporting to the Director of Clinical Services and, through the Director, to senior leaders and Trustees. You will also deputise for the Director of Clinical Services within agreed responsibilities and participate in the senior on-call rota. There is scope to take on Registered Manager responsibilities in future, subject to organisational requirements, mutual agreement and CQC registration.
About youYou will be a registered nurse or allied health professional with current NMC or HCPC registration and significant leadership experience in governance, quality and patient safety.
You will bring:- Experience in children’s services, hospice care, palliative care or complex healthcare.
- Experience of CQC compliance and inspection preparation.
- Experience of leading governance, risk management and assurance systems.
- Working knowledge of PSIRF and experience of leading patient safety responses and organisational learning.
- Experience of leading multidisciplinary teams, clinical audit and quality improvement.
We are looking for someone who is approachable, collaborative and confident in their professional judgement. You will be able to support colleagues, ask difficult questions, follow through on agreed actions and escalate concerns clearly when needed.
Working at Haven HouseYou will join a committed team with the opportunity to influence how our services develop and make a direct contribution to the care children and families receive.
Benefits includeAs an employee you will be entitled to the following range of benefits:
- Flexible working
- 27 days' annual leave or an Agenda for Change allowance recognising continuous NHS service
- NHS pension if applicable or Pension scheme (company matches contribution up to 7%)
- Free onsite parking
- Employee Assistance Programme
- Eye care voucher scheme
- Cycle to work scheme
- Blue Light Card discount scheme
- Life Cover at 2x salary if applicable
For an informal conversation, please contact Emma Clark, Executive Assistant to the Director of Clinical Services at
emmaclark@havenhouse.org.ukTo apply: Please complete the application and send to
resourcing@havenhouse.org.ukClosing date: Thursday 5 November
Interview date: w/c 16th Nov 2026
Haven House is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff to share this commitment. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds. 