Head of Continual Improvement

OutThere RPO; England; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading service organization is seeking a dynamic and values-driven leader to oversee high-quality service delivery across multiple areas such as housing and mental health. This role emphasizes governance, quality assurance, and the ability to empower operational managers. The ideal candidate should possess solid strategic planning skills, a deep understanding of safeguarding compliance, and the capability to drive service effectiveness through data analysis. The position requires participation in the out-of-hours on-call rota.

Qualifications

• Great knowledge of charity/company regulations, data protection (GDPR), and information governance.
• Thorough understanding of safeguarding regulations and risk management tools/frameworks.
• Proven experience in strategic planning and managing KPIs.
• Expertise in developing robust quality assurance frameworks and external accreditations.

Responsibilities

• Guarantee high-quality services using evidence to prove effectiveness.
• Champion full safeguarding compliance and empower managers.
• Ensure compliance and embed learning from serious incident reviews.
• Develop governance processes and act as the primary contact for governance queries.

Skills

Empowering Leadership

Analytical Change Management

Collaboration

Digital Fluency

Job description

Description

Are you ready to drive a culture of achievement and empowerment across SSJ service delivery? This is an exceptional opportunity for a dynamic and values-driven leader to ensure our services consistently deliver high-quality, safe, and effective support to our residents and clients. We’re looking for a leader who can deploy our values to lead by example, devolve responsibility, and empower operational managers to drive excellence in performance, quality, safety, and service delivery.

The Impact You’ll Make

• Service Quality Evidence: Guarantee high-quality services (housing, mental health, criminal justice, etc.), using evidence to prove effectiveness and measurable impact for clients.
• Safeguarding Risk: Champion full safeguarding compliance, empower managers, oversee risk assessments, and drive cross-service learning to prevent incidents.
• Inclusion Trauma-Informed Care: Actively lead on EDI, ensuring practical implementation of action plans; embed trauma-informed and psychologically informed services.
• Data Improvement: Maximise use of data and digital tools to reinforce a culture of continuous learning and consistency across direct reports.
• Compliance Reporting: Provide transparent, high-quality reporting to the EDS, ensuring compliance with all regulatory requirements (housing, safeguarding, incident reporting, GDPR).
• Financial Growth: Oversee operational budgets, drive growth by establishing partnerships and contributing expertise to new tenders and bid writing.
• Leadership Standards: Represent SSJ as a leader for commissioners, uphold standards by handling employee relations matters (investigations/hearings).
• Note: Includes participation in the out‑of‑hours on‑call rota.

Key Responsibilities

Who We’re Looking For

An experienced, strategic leader with proven ability in governance, quality assurance, and high-performance management.

Essential Knowledge & Experience

• Governance Compliance: Great knowledge of charity/company regulations, data protection (GDPR), and information governance.
• Safeguarding Risk Mastery: Thorough understanding of safeguarding regulations and risk management tools/frameworks.
• Strategy Performance: Proven experience in strategic planning and managing KPIs.
• Quality Assurance: Expertise in developing robust quality assurance frameworks and external accreditations.
• Evidence-Based Design: Profound understanding of using evidence and evaluation to design effective services and write compliant policies.
• Financial Acumen: Practical experience in skillful budget management (planning, monitoring, controlling expenditure).
• Business Development: Knowledge of the tender process, service design, and successful bid writing.
• Team Leadership: Ability to effectively line manage up to 8 direct reports.
• Operational Awareness: Awareness of HR and Health & Safety compliance.

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

Essential Qualities and Skills

• Empowering Leadership: Ability to lead managers by fostering a culture of support, empowerment, and trust.
• Co-production Champion: Expertise in using co-production to place the (SURA) at the heart of service delivery.
• Analytical Change Management: Sharp analytical skills to identify gaps/trends, with proven experience successfully managing change programmes.
• Collaboration: Ability to build strong partnerships and collaborate effectively across all functions and directorates.
• Digital Fluency: Confident in using digital tools and databases.
• Facilitation: Experience facilitating workshops to drive performance and compliance.

Specific Leadership Requirements

• Governance Lead: Develop governance processes and act as the primary contact for governance queries.
• Safeguarding Lead: Ensure compliance and embed learning from serious incident reviews (SARs, DHRs, etc.).
• Risk Quality Oversight: Coordinate risk assessments, oversee internal quality systems, and produce compliance reports to the EDS.
• Strategic Execution: Partner with the H&S Manager for compliance.
• Implement performance frameworks and facilitate reviews, ensuring alignment with strategic plans.
• Readiness: Ensure organisational readiness for audits, tenders, and evaluations, driving process improvements.