Head of Operations

Acqhired; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 125,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

A service provider in supported living is seeking a dedicated leader to manage day-to-day operations, ensure compliance, and drive performance across services. The role involves setting operational standards, managing risks, and developing high-performing teams while maintaining relationships with stakeholders. Key responsibilities include quality governance, financial oversight, and supporting new service developments. The successful candidate will have a background in healthcare with experience in CQC readiness and safeguarding.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day operations across supported living services.
• Set clear operational standards and performance expectations.
• Drive occupancy and capacity planning.
• Manage service risk including environment and staffing.
• Maintain CQC readiness and quality governance.
• Act as senior safeguarding lead ensuring timely reporting.
• Ensure compliance with relevant legislation and guidance.
• Build high-performing service leadership through coaching.
• Own operational budgets and financial performance.
• Support mobilisation of new services and service redesign.
• Maintain professional relationships with stakeholders.

Job description

1) Operational leadership & performance

• Lead day-to-day operations across supported living services, ensuring safe staffing, consistent practice, and reliable service delivery.
• Set clear operational standards and performance expectations for managers and teams.
• Drive occupancy, capacity planning, and efficient deployment of support hours in line with assessed needs and commissioned packages.
• Manage service risk : environment, lone working, community risk, staffing risk, clinical / behavioural risk (where relevant).

2) Quality, governance & CQC readiness

• Maintain CQC readiness across all services : evidence-based systems, robust audits, and consistent documentation.
• Own the quality framework : audit schedules, action plans, learning loops, and sustained improvements.
• Monitor and improve performance against CQC Key Lines of Enquiry (KLOEs) : Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive, Well-led.
• Ensure governance is real, not theatre : good minutes, clear owners, deadlines met, measurable improvements.

3) Safeguarding, risk & incident management

• Act as senior safeguarding lead (or deputy) ensuring timely reporting, high-quality investigations, and effective multi-agency working.
• Oversee serious incidents, complaints, whistleblowing, and escalation pathways.
• Ensure duty of candour is applied appropriately and consistently.
• Lead learning from incidents (trend analysis, thematic reviews, corrective actions that actually stick).

4) Regulatory compliance & statutory frameworks

• Ensure compliance with relevant legislation and guidance, including (as applicable) :
• Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities)
• Care Act 2014 (safeguarding)
• Mental Capacity Act 2005 (capacity assessments, best interests)
• DoLS / LPS awareness where relevant to pathway / interface
• Health & Safety, COSHH, fire safety, RIDDOR, GDPR
• Ensure CQC notifications are made correctly and on time (where required by your regulated activities).
• Maintain policy, procedure, and training compliance across services.

5) People leadership : recruitment, retention, capability

• Build high-performing service leadership through coaching, supervision standards, and clear accountability.
• Oversee recruitment plans, onboarding quality, rota integrity, and retention strategies.
• Manage capability, disciplinary processes, attendance, and culture issues fairly and decisively.
• Ensure mandatory training compliance and role-specific competence (PBS, autism, epilepsy, meds, etc. as relevant).

6) Financial and contract performance

• Own operational budgets : staffing ratios, agency use, rota efficiency, travel costs, and service-level P&L performance.
• Work with finance / commissioners to ensure packages are accurate, reviewed, and delivered as commissioned.
• Deliver measurable improvements in agency reduction, vacancy management, and efficiency without compromising care.

7) Service development & strategic delivery

• Support mobilisation of new services, transitions, and service redesign.
• Build strong commissioner relationships and contribute to tenders, service proposals, and growth plans.
• Lead improvement projects (e.g., medication governance upgrade, auditing overhaul, PBS quality drive, digital care planning rollout).

8) Stakeholder management

• Maintain professional relationships with families, advocates, social workers, commissioners, housing partners, and multidisciplinary teams.
• Lead complex meetings : placement breakdown prevention, safeguarding strategy, best interests, complaint resolution.
• Ensure people supported are meaningfully involved in decisions about their lives and service improvements.