We are seeking a dedicated Inquest assistant to join our Offender Healthcare patient safety team. The successful candidate will play a crucial role in managing and coordinating inquests, ensuring that all necessary documentation and evidence are prepared and presented effectively. This role involves working closely with various departments and external stakeholders to ensure a thorough and compassionate approach to inquest management.
Training: Appropriate training will be provided as part of a robust induction plan
Key Responsibilities:
• Work closely with the Inquest lead to coordinate the preparation and presentation of inquests.
• Ensure all necessary documentation and evidence are collected, reviewed, and submitted in a timely manner.
• Work closely with healthcare professionals, legal teams, and external stakeholders to gather and present information.
• Provide support and guidance to staff involved in inquests, including witness preparation and debriefing.
• Maintain accurate records and documentation related to inquests.
• Participate in meetings and provide updates on inquest progress and outcomes.
• Identify and implement improvements in the inquest process to enhance efficiency and effectiveness.
The Post Holder will support the daily management of patient safety processes and manage effectively the investigation of patient safety incidents that occur within Offender Healthcare & Forensics in line with the requirement of the NHS Patient Safety Incident Response Framework.
The Post Holder will conduct thorough investigations into patient safety incidents, as necessary, using the patient safety incident response framework, ensuring:
- Compassionate engagement and involvement of those affected by patient safety incidents
- Application of range of system based approached to learning from patient safety incidents
- Considered and proportionate responses to patient safety incidents
- Supportive oversight focused on strengthening response system functioning and improvement
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’re Fair
• We Listen
• We Care
Inquest management
Take referrals from the Coroner’s Office and complete the Coroner’s investigation/inquest process as required.
Carry out a review of medical records to identify the relevant staff to contribute to the coronial request.
Be responsible for identifying and implementing a system for the dissemination of learning following inquests.
Support staff involved in coronial investigations and inquests and assist in obtaining statements as necessary for submission to HM Coroner.
Attend Pre Inquest Review Hearings on behalf of the Trust and conduct advocacy. Protecting Trust clinicians and pressing for a favourable outcome for the Trust as far as possible. At times may be required to act as a representative for Inquest hearings on behalf of the Trust.
To obtain external legal representation and supporting legal personnel with inquest hearings. Reviewing witness statements in line with medical records and external reports such as Clinical Reviews and Prison and Probation Ombudsman reports. Service of witness statements in a timely manner ensuring deadlines are not missed with the Courts.
Completing NHS Resolution funding requests for complex Article 2 inquests. Liasing with the Trusts Legal Team for obtaining external advice and raising any issues relating to Claims.
Ensuring staff are well prepared for Inquests and have the necessary documentation and understand their obligation to assist the Coroner with the investigation.
Information Management
Contribute to the organisation’s analysis of risk to the patient by utilising the Trust Datix web database for recording information, analysing and reporting on untoward incidents and recording assessments of risk
To use Datix web analysis to create incident trend reports.
To support the collation of clinical information for Board Level Inquiries and Independent Homicide Investigations.
To be competent in the use of clinical information systems across all directorates.
Research
The post holder will support service directorates to undertake PSIRF, PDSA cycles and action plan reviews of patient safety incidents.
To review research and national guidance that relates to the improvement of patient safety culture across the organisation.
To utilise theory, evidence-based literature and research to support evidence based practice in individual work and work with other services.
Communication
Contribute to regular reports from the Patient Safety Workstream to the Trust Patient Safety Group, Quality Committee, Board of Directors.
Act as a conduit to ensure that issues of patient safety are communicated as appropriate to the relevant clinical teams and to the executive.
Ensure that reports and analyses of incidents are provided as required to the various committees and individuals within the Trust with responsibility for monitoring patient safety within the organisation.
Be competent in attending relevant meetings across the organisation to ensure that patient safety issues are discussed and addressed.
Be competent in delivering presentations to a variety of professionals.
Communicate with external agencies as required to ensure that the Trust is compliant with all requirements on external reporting and to ensure that the Trust contributes to regional and national patient safety improvement programmes.
Attend regional and national meetings and conferences to represent the Trust and ensure that the Trust participates in local, regional and national initiatives to improve patient safety.
Discuss sensitive and contentious information with staff from all levels of seniority within the Trust, maintaining confidentiality and integrity at all times.
To use empathetic skills when liaising with services who have been involved in a patient safety incident.
To communicate with patient’s next of kin during the investigation of patient safety incidents process.
To demonstrate a high degree of competence in communicating complex information both verbally and in writing.
The ability to speak in public and address formal and informal meetings with colleagues both internally and externally to the Trust as required.
To demonstrate the skilled ability to write analytical reports and present these to outside agencies.
To participate in the PDR process according to Trust guidelines.
Custodial Responsibilities
Assume personal responsibility for the security of issued keys.
Understand and comply with prison orders, procedures, and instructions in your area of work.
Comply with all security requirements.
Respond to any situation or circumstance that might indicate a threat to security of the establishment or to the safety of an individual, completing Incident, Security, Injury, or other reports as appropriate.
Report breaches of order and discipline including reporting and recording untoward incidents according to local protocol.
Contribute to effective risk assessment and management procedures.
This advert closes on Monday 10 Mar 2025
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