Information governance lead

Band 6 · Information governance officer · 434 job evaluation points

Gives expert information governance advice to a directorate or programme, leading data protection impact assessments and complex cases.

Responsibilities

Advise product teams and services on lawful basis, consent, confidentiality, and retention.
Review data protection impact assessments for complex systems and recommend controls.
Handle complex or contentious information rights requests and internal reviews.
Investigate serious data breaches and recommend whether to notify regulators.
Review information sharing agreements with partner organisations.
Supervise and coach information governance officers.

Skills

Skill	Expected level	What this level means
Information governance and data protectionThis reference	Practitioner (3)	You can: lead data protection impact assessments and information sharing agreements advise teams on lawful basis, consent, confidentiality, and retention investigate incidents and recommend improvements
Data protection impact assessmentThis reference	Practitioner (3)	You can: review and advise on data protection impact assessments for complex systems judge whether risks are acceptable and recommend controls decide when to escalate high risks for senior or regulator review
Information rights requestsThis reference	Practitioner (3)	You can: handle complex or sensitive requests, including those involving third parties apply exemptions and decide what to withhold, with clear reasons manage internal reviews and complaints about responses
Information governance incident managementThis reference	Practitioner (3)	You can: investigate serious incidents and find their root causes decide, with senior colleagues, whether to notify regulators and people affected share lessons and track improvements
Confidentiality and information sharingThis reference	Practitioner (3)	You can: advise on complex confidentiality questions, such as sharing without consent in the public interest review information sharing agreements with partner organisations apply consent and patient objection rules to data flows
Information governance assurance and auditThis reference	Working (2)	You can: collect and organise evidence for the annual self-assessment carry out simple audits, such as access or record-keeping audits track improvement actions
Data ethics and privacyUK GDaD PCF	Practitioner (3)	You can: work with stakeholders to identify and address ethical and privacy concerns demonstrate and communicate how data ethical issues fit into the wider organisational context research developments in data ethics and privacy to improve compliance and processes assess and constructively challenge proposed data ethics policies
Stakeholder relationship managementUK GDaD PCF	Working (2)	You can: identify important stakeholders and communicate with them clearly and regularly tailor communication to stakeholders' needs and work with them to build relationships while meeting user needs build and reach consensus with stakeholders work to improve stakeholder relationships using evidence to explain decisions

Typical qualifications and experience

A recognised professional qualification in data protection or information governance, or equivalent experience.
Experience of advising on data protection in a health or care setting.

Band 6 outline

Knowledge: Specialist knowledge across a range of procedures, built through further training or experience.
Autonomy: Works independently; interprets policy for own area; seeks advice on complex issues.
Scope: A product, service, or workstream.
Leadership: May lead a small team or mentor colleagues.
Accountability: Outcomes of own workstream and quality of advice given.

Job evaluation (illustrative)

Factor	Level	Level summary	Points
Communication and relationship skills	4	Gives complex, sensitive, or contentious information needing persuasion, negotiation, or training skills, or highly complex information.	32
Knowledge, training, and experience	6	Specialist knowledge across the range of the specialism (postgraduate diploma level or equivalent).	156
Analytical and judgemental skills	4	Judgements on complex facts or situations needing analysis, interpretation, and comparison of options.	42
Planning and organisational skills	3	Plans several complex activities, adjusting plans as needed.	27
Physical skills	3	Developed skills needing speed or accuracy, such as advanced keyboard use.	27
Responsibility for patient and client care	1	Helps patients, clients, or relatives during incidental contact.	4
Responsibility for policy and service development	3	Implements policies for own area and proposes changes that affect other areas.	21
Responsibility for financial and physical resources	2	Handles cash or valuables, looks after equipment used by others, controls stock, or authorises small payments.	12
Responsibility for people	2	Supervises or coordinates staff day to day, trains others regularly, or gives basic HR advice.	12
Responsibility for information resources	4	Adapts or designs information systems to others' specifications, or runs information systems for a department as the main duty.	24
Responsibility for research and development	2	Regularly does research, development, trials, or equipment and system testing as part of the job.	12
Freedom to act	4	Results are defined, but the job holder decides how to achieve them, within broad policy.	32
Physical effort	1	Sitting, standing, and walking, with little physical effort.	3
Mental effort	3	Frequent concentration on unpredictable work, or occasional prolonged concentration.	12
Emotional effort	2	Occasional exposure, or frequent indirect exposure, to distressing circumstances.	11
Working conditions	2	Occasional unpleasant conditions, frequent travel or outdoor work, or near-continuous screen use on most days.	7
Total (Band 6: 396 to 465)			434