About this role
Job summary
The Head of Governance and Committee Effectiveness is responsible for establishing and maintaining a robust system through which the Sub-Committees of the Trust Board are serviced by the central Corporate Governance team to a high standard. They will work with the Director of Corporate Governance, Executive and Non-Executive Committee leads and other key internal stakeholders to ensure that all Committees are assurance-based, remain effective and that there is an appropriate information flow between the Board and its Committees.
The Head of Governance and Committee Effectiveness will serve as the operational "engine room" of the governance function. The post-holder is responsible for establishing, professionalising, and maintaining a resilient, centralised, and assurance-based system through which all Sub-Committees of the Trust Board are serviced to a high standard.
Moving the organisation away from a reactive model, this role will lead the phased repatriation and centralisation of the Trust's Board committee structures into a single hub. The post-holder will work closely with the Director of Corporate Governance, Executive and Non-Executive leads, and senior stakeholders to ensure committees "do the heavy lifting" on strategic assurance, optimise information pipeline flows to the Board , and permanently embed the improvements mandated by the 2026 Care Quality Commission (CQC) Well-led Action Plan
Main duties of the job
This position provides the operational leadership needed to transition the organisation from a decentralised committee administration model into a unified, corporate governance hub. The primary responsibility is to oversee the entire life cycle, scheduling, and strategic alignment of all established and newly formed Board sub-committees, ensuring they function as assurance-driven bodies rather than operational reporting lines. A critical immediate focus involves managing the delivery of governance actions required by the regulator's Well-led recovery plan, embedding these improvements permanently to maintain constant inspection readiness. Additionally, the role involves streamlining the corporate data pipeline to improve reporting triangulation, tracking actions to preserve organisational memory, and supporting the Director of Corporate Governance with an expanded portfolio and upcoming legislative changes affecting stakeholder accountability.
The ideal candidate must be an accomplished governance professional with extensive experience steering or advising Board-tier committees within large, intricate public sector or healthcare environments. . Beyond technical competence in building tracking frameworks, the position demands high emotional intelligence, diplomatic tact, and robust influencing skills to implement standardized reporting timelines across diverse directorates.
About us
You will join a high-performing Corporate Governance team that operates as a lean, dedicated unit at the heart of the organisation. While small in size, the team consistently goes above and beyond to deliver exceptional results for internal and external stakeholders.
Job description Job responsibilities
Lead the repatriation of all Board Sub-Committees into Corporate Governance
Ensure all Board Sub-Committees operate at all times within their Terms of Reference, maintaining a focus on strategic assurance than just operational reporting and leading annual reviews of effectiveness. Following completion of these reviews the postholder will proactively identify opportunities to enhance the work of the Committees and present those to the Director of Corporate Governance for discussion
Oversee the flow of information between the Board and its Sub-Committees, ensuring Executive and Non-Executive Leads are briefed and that Committee escalations are clearly articulated for the Trust Board. Oversee the operational rhythm, sequencing, and delivery of all established Board sub-committees.
Ensure Board and Committee papers are accurate, actions are tracked and organisational memory is preserved
Ensure that the Board and its Sub-Committees receive robust information at the right time to enable them to fully discharge their regulatory duties in relation to scrutinising, discussing and approving items that fall within their remit as required
Manage the operational delivery and scheduling of newly established statutory forums, specifically including the Academic Committee in Common (with King's College London) and the Risk Oversight Committee
Coordinate and operationalise the implementation of governance-specific actions within the Trust's CQC recovery plan (addressing the October 2025 inspection findings). Ensure all regulatory deadlines are met and robustly evidenced.
Lead annual reviews of effectiveness across all Board Sub-Committees, proactively identifying gaps or opportunities to enhance workflows and presenting solutions to the Director of Corporate Governance
Support the Director of Corporate Governance in developing and implementing a model of governance aimed at promoting key stakeholder group accountability, when the NHS Modernisation Bill which is due to remove the requirement for NHS Foundation Trusts to operate a Council of Governors is enacted.
Person Specification
Qualifications Essential
A degree-level qualification or equivalent professional experience in corporate governance, law, or healthcare management Clear evidence of continued professional development within the field of corporate governance Significant experience working effectively with multiple senior stakeholders, including Executive and Non-Executive Directors Proven experience in leading or servicing Board-level committees within a large, complex organisation Experience working within a highly pressured, change-orientated environment Experience in managing and monitoring action plans and organisational memory systems A deep understanding of corporate governance frameworks, including Terms of Reference and effectiveness reviews The ability to understand and express highly complex, sensitive, and technical legal or governance information in a concise manner for a range of audiences Knowledge of the statutory and regulatory duties of an NHS Board Strong negotiating and influencing skills to ensure compliance with reporting deadlines across various directorates The ability to establish credibility and good relationships with representatives of external agencies and partners, managing those relations with sensitivity and diplomacy Strong business management skills and the capacity to think strategically, recognising the direction and implications of policy to assist in the management of the Trust and partnerships High personal resilience and the ability to work to tight, often conflicting deadlines in a sometimes highly pressured environment Professionalism, absolute discretion when handling highly confidential information, and a strong team-player focus on pragmatic solutions and continuous improvement
Desirable
A professional qualification in governance, such as CGI/ICSA Experience working within an NHS Foundation Trust alongside a solid understanding of its specific governance requirement Dedicated knowledge of mental health sector frameworks to complement the understanding of statutory NHS Board duties
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).
Employer details Employer name South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
Address Trust HQ
Maudsley Hospital
London
SE5 8AZ
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.slam.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)