Head of Quality – Senior Leadership Role in Health & Social Care

About the role

An established health and social care organisation is seeking an experienced and strategic Head of Quality to join its Senior Management Team and lead its quality, compliance and service improvement strategy across a diverse multi‑site service. This senior leadership position focuses on delivering safe, person‑centred services for children and young adults with intellectual disabilities and autism.

Key responsibilities

• Develop, implement and maintain comprehensive quality and risk management systems.
• Lead audits, quality reviews and service‑improvement initiatives.
• Ensure compliance with HIQA, New Directions and all relevant legislation, standards and statutory requirements.
• Monitor performance indicators and develop quality‑improvement plans.
• Oversee incident management, serious‑incident reviews and learning‑from‑practice processes.
• Lead policy development and review to reflect best practice and regulatory expectations.
• Provide governance support to Quality & Safety and Audit & Risk Committees.
• Prepare high‑quality reports for senior management and board‑level review.
• Support managers to embed quality frameworks into operational practice.
• Lead and develop quality and audit teams.

Required profile

• Dynamic, collaborative leader with a proven track record in quality, compliance and service improvement within a regulated health or social care environment.
• Level 8 qualification in a relevant discipline (or equivalent experience).
• Minimum five years’ experience in intellectual disability or related services.
• At least three years’ experience in a significant management role.
• Strong knowledge of HIQA, New Directions and relevant regulatory requirements.
• Experience leading quality, audit and compliance functions.
• Excellent analytical, reporting and stakeholder‑management skills.
• Strong project‑management and change‑leadership capability.
• Expertise in policy development, audit methodology and KPI design.
• Excellent IT skills, including proficiency in Excel.
• A Master’s qualification in Quality, Governance, Compliance, Business or Risk is desirable.

Required skills

• Excel

What we offer

• HSE Consolidated Pay Scale (Grade VIII) with salary as per the scale.
• National Federation Voluntary Bodies Pension Scheme.
• Employee wellbeing initiatives and extensive training and development opportunities.
• Staff education loans and paid study leave.
• Bike‑to‑Work Scheme, enhanced annual leave and refer‑a‑friend scheme.
• Christmas Savings Club, paid maternity and adoptive leave, and sick‑pay scheme (subject to eligibility).