Governance Manager

The Owl Centre; Pontypool; Hybrid; GBP 43,000 - 58,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Waiting Well charity

50% off assessments

25 days annual leave

Birthday off

You do you day

Hybrid & Home working

Growth opportunities

Protected time to connect with Colleau

Salary exchange pension

Job summary

The Owl Centre seeks a Governance Manager to lead and develop our integrated governance framework, overseeing complaints, safety, incidents, risk, compliance and CQC readiness. In a permanent, full-time hybrid role, you’ll split time between Pontypool office and home, collaborating with clinical and operational teams to drive learning, assurance and continuous improvement.

You’ll produce clear reporting, dashboards, and assurance papers for committees and the Board, build governance training,

Qualifications

• A relevant degree, professional qualification or equivalent experience.
• Great experience within governance, quality, patient safety, risk or compliance experience within health, care or another regulated service.
• Experience overseeing complaints, incidents, organisational risks and improvement actions, identifying themes and sharing learning.
• Working knowledge of CQC regulation, Fundamental Standards, Duty of Candour and relevant safety and governance requirements.
• Experience supporting audits, regulatory reviews or inspections, coordinating evidence and actions to address gaps.
• Experience managing and supporting a team.

Responsibilities

• Help develop and embed governance framework with accurate systems, records and auditable data.
• Create reports, dashboards and assurance papers for committees and Board.
• Coordinate governance forums and track decisions with timely follow-ups.
• Lead operational management of complaints, ensuring timely, fair responses.
• Analyse feedback and incidents to identify themes and drive improvement actions.
• Oversee incident reporting and root code investigations to prevent recurrence.
• Ensure Duty of Candour communications are open and timely.
• Deliver Risk Management Strategy with registers and clear mitigations.
• Lead quality improvement with clinical teams using audits and inspections findings.
• Coordinate inspection readiness and address regulatory gaps.
• Provide governance advice and training on risk, incidents and compliance.
• Support direct reports with clear priorities and development.

Skills

Governance experience

Quality assurance

Patient safety

Risk management

Compliance knowledge

CQC knowledge

Audit support

Team leadership

Education

Relevant degree or professional qualification

Job description

As the Governance Manager you’ll lead and develop The Owl’s integrated governance framework. You’ll oversee complaints, client safety, incidents, organisational andclinical risk, regulatory compliance and CQC readiness. Working with operational, clinical and senior colleagues, you’ll turn learning from incidents, complaints, safeguarding concerns, audits, feedback and quality assurance into meaningful improvements. You’lldevelop service safety, effectiveness and experience through clear oversight, accountability, reporting and a culture of continuous learning. You’ll also provide governance assurance and ensure The Owl demonstrates compliance with statutory, contractual and regulatory requirements.

_ Please Note: This role is a permanent full-time hybrid position, a blend of home work and office presence - we ask for 2 days a week in our Pontypool Office and 3 days from home._

_ Salary: Up to £50,000_

What you’ll be doing:

• Help develop and embed The Owl’s governance framework by keeping systems, records and documents accurate, up to date and auditable, supporting clear oversight, accountability and ongoing improvement.
• Create accessible reports, dashboards and assurance papers by reviewing performance, risks and themes, helping committees, senior leaders and the Board make informed decisions.
• Coordinate governance forums, including the Quality, Safety and Effectiveness and Risk Management Committees, by preparing information, tracking decisions and following up or escalating overdue actions so agreed improvements move forward.
• Lead the operational management of complaints by monitoring timescales and standards and supporting managers to investigate complex concerns, ensuring responses are timely, fair and thorough.
• Analyse complaints, feedback and client experience data to identify themes, share learning and oversee improvement actions that strengthen service quality and experience.
• Oversee incident and near-miss reporting, management and learning by monitoring emerging risks and supporting proportionate investigations and responses under the Patient Safety Incident Response Framework, helping teams address root causes, share learning and prevent recurrence.
• Help teams understand and follow Duty of Candour requirements through clear advice and oversight, supporting open, timely and appropriate communication with clients and families.
• Deliver the Risk Management Strategy and Risk Appetite Framework by maintaining organisation-wide risk registers, helping owners identify, assess and manage risks with clear mitigations, review dates and escalation routes, and monitoring actions through dashboards and thematic analysis to inform decisions.
• Lead quality improvement with change and clinical teams, using complaints, incidents, audits, feedback, safeguarding and inspection findings to prioritise actions, track progress and sustain safer, more effective services and better client experiences.
• Coordinate inspection readiness through evidence, self-assessments and Fundamental Standards audits, working with operational leaders to address regulatory gaps and confirm lasting improvements.
• Build confidence and consistent practice through governance advice and training on risk, incidents, complaints, improvement, learning and compliance.
• Support direct reports through clear priorities, regular one-to-ones, objectives, feedback and development so they understand their contribution and feel confident and accountable.
• Build an inclusive, collaborative team that shares concerns, ideas and learning, while managing workloads, performance, wellbeing and resources to meet priorities and deadlines, escalating issues when needed.

We’d love it if you have:

• A relevant degree, professional qualification or equivalent experience.
• Great experience within governance, quality, patient safety, risk or compliance experience within health, care or another regulated service.
• Experience overseeing complaints, incidents, organisational risks and improvement actions, identifying themes and sharing learning.
• Working knowledge of CQC regulation, Fundamental Standards, Duty of Candour and relevant safety and governance requirements.
• Experience supporting audits, regulatory reviews or inspections, coordinating evidence and actions to address gaps.
• Experience managing and supporting a team.

You’re Someone Who Is:

• Analytical and thorough, using complex governance, safety, risk and regulatory information to identify themes, assess risks and provide clear advice, reports, actions and reliable assurance.
• Organised, balancing priorities, deadlines and action plans while keeping accurate records and following through.
• A clear, collaborative communicator, working across clinical, operational and senior teams to explain requirements, present assurance, understand concerns, constructively challenge unmet standards and agree proportionate improvements.
• Calm, fair and sensitive when handling complaints, incidents and confidential information.
• Committed to continuous improvement, sharing learning and helping others strengthen governance practice.

What you’ll get:

• Being part a purpose led organisation, with strong values at the heart of everything we do.

• Working alongside our exceptional clinical leadership team and colleagues.

• The opportunity to do amazing work with our charity ‘Waiting Well’

• 50% off assessments, making Autism & ADHD assessments more accessible for you and your family.

• Great leave benefits package includes 25 days of annual leave, increasing by 1 day after only 1 year service up to a maximum of 30 days, your birthday off, and a ‘you do you’ day to spend on yourself.

• Hybrid & Home working offering the perfect blend of flexibility and in-person collaboration!

• Growth opportunities, as we grow our teams.

• Protected time to connect with colleagues.

• Salary exchange pension - 3% employee, 6% employer contribution

You're someone who connects with our values:

• We are one team

• We are reliable

• We are creative

• We are passionate

Don’t be put off if you cannot tick all the boxes. We know that candidates can be put off applying if you don’t feel you are a 100% there, but we would still love to hear from you! We get that a diverse workforce makes a great workforce, this is the reason we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive culture where our people can turn up, be themselves & thrive.

We want you to be as relaxed as possible during our selection journey which may require an adjustment to our process. We encourage you to be open about what you need so we can adapt and allow you to thrive.

Closing Date: 03/11/2026

A note on AI usage

We recognise that using Artificial intelligence (AI) tools in applications is becoming increasingly common. We welcome anything that creates a more inclusive recruitment process and supports candidates from all backgrounds to thrive.

If you do choose to use AI, we gently ask that you ensure all the skills, qualifications, and employment history you list are an accurate reflection of you and your background. The application stage is our first impression of you, so we really want to see your personality and voice shine through!

If you’re invited to interview, we’ll use the conversation to explore your background, experiences and motivations in more detail. Whether you’ve used AI to help shape your application or not, what matters most is that the content is an honest reflection of you and that you’re able to speak confidently about your experience in person.