Quality Improvement and Audit Lead

Health Jobs UK; Manchester; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare organization in Manchester is seeking a Quality Improvement & Clinical Audit Lead to enhance service provision through strategic leadership in quality improvement, clinical audit, and patient experience. The ideal candidate will possess a health-related degree and substantial experience in senior management, quality initiatives, and demonstrate strong leadership and analytical skills. This role promises a dynamic work environment committed to continual learning and improvement.

Qualifications

• Demonstrable experience of Senior Management within the healthcare setting.
• Strong understanding of NHS national and local policy.
• Evidence of developing, delivering and evaluating training across the organisation.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design and delivery of the Trust's Quality Improvement Plan.
• Champion a culture of system learning and co-production.
• Produce monthly and quarterly QI and Audit performance reports.

Skills

Advanced communication skills

Effective people management

Leadership skills

Analytical skills

Presentation skills

Education

Degree or equivalent in a Health related area

QI Qualification or relevant work experience

Job description

JOB PURPOSE

The Quality Improvement & Clinical Audit Lead is responsible for delivering key components of The Christie's Quality Plan 2026-2029, leading programmes of work across Quality Improvement (QI), Clinical Audit, and Patient Experience to ensure positive experience, safe, and effective care.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead the design, delivery and evaluation of the Trust's Quality Improvement Plan
• Lead on the Clinical Audit programme in alignment with local and national standards
• Support the Associate Chief Nurse for Quality & Standards to deliver the aims of the Christie Involvement & Engagement Plan
• Act as Lead officer, supporting the Chair(s), of Patient Experience Committee and Clinical Research & Effectiveness Committee
• Day to Day management of the Quality Improvement & Clinical Audit Team
• Strengthen organisational capability through the NHS Elect training framework (Levels 1-3)
• Ensure improvements align with Safe, Effective, Experience and PSIRF learning themes
• The role will champion a culture of system learning, psychological safety, co-production, and continuous improvement across the Trust.
• To establish robust structures and processes to ensure the experience of patients, families and carers are central to improving quality and experience of services.
• Support the Associate Director of Quality Governance in delivering Trust-wide improvement plan
• Lead the development, implementation and monitoring of the Trust-wide Quality Improvement Programme.
• Ensure all QI and audit activity explicitly supports the Quality Strategy goals (Safe, Effective, Experience).
• Provide strategic leadership for the patient experience agenda, embedding co-design and "You Said, We Did" processes.
• Work with senior leaders to embed QI across clinical, operational and corporate services.
• Drive alignment of QI, audit and patient experience within ICs and cancer alliance networks.

QUALITY IMPROVEMENT

• Lead the adoption and implementation of the NHS Model for Improvement across the Trust.
• Provide expert QI coaching using PDSA, driver diagrams, process mapping, measurement for improvement and SPC.
• Lead and expand the QI Faculty, building a strong internal coaching and improvement capability.
• Coordinate delivery of the NHS Elect training programme (Level 1 Intro, Level 2 Practitioner, Level 3 Coach).
• Lead the design and delivery of QI training, workshops and coaching programmes.
• Support PSIRF learning responses, ensuring improvement methodology underpins all action plans.
• Provide methodological oversight of complex Trust-wide improvement programmes (e.g. pathways, safety, governance).

CLINICAL AUDIT

• Lead and modernise the Clinical Audit Programme, ensuring compliance with HQIP standards, NICE, NCAPOP, and national/local audit requirements.
• Ensure every audit follows the full cycle with measurable action and re‑audit.
• Advise divisions on audit prioritisation, standards selection, methodology and data interpretation.
• Produce quarterly audit dashboards and exception reports for board assurance.
• Oversee the integration of audit outcomes into QI and service improvement cycles.

PATIENT EXPERIENCE

• Lead the Trust's patient experience strategy, working with Associate Chief Nurse for Quality & Standards on patient and carer involvement, co‑design in QI projects, regular thematic analysis of patient feedback, delivery of FFT requirements, and production of "You Said, We Did" improvement outputs.
• Ensure inclusion, equity and diverse voices inform improvement activity.

GOVERNANCE & REPORTING

• Provide monthly and quarterly QI and Audit performance reports to Divisional and Trust‑wide assurance committees.
• Ensure robust registration, prioritisation and monitoring of QI and audit activity.
• Ensure audit and QI recommendations are tracked, completed and evidenced.
• Maintain the QI and Audit dashboard systems, working with CODU.
• Produce the Annual Quality Improvement & Clinical Audit Report.

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

• Support organisational learning through mentoring, coaching and training.
• Lead the Trust‑wide improvement capability framework linked to the People Strategy.
• Develop the QI and audit team's competencies and succession planning.

PERSONAL

• Participate in the performance review by indicating own learning goals, support needs and setting personal development objectives with feedback from others.
• Ensure own professional knowledge is regularly updated and keep abreast of relevant developments, making effective use of learning opportunities and actively promoting the workplace as a learning environment.
• Undertake theoretical education/academic courses as necessary to maintain specialist knowledge base relating to cancer care, general management, and human resources issues.
• Actively seek mentorship/supervision/coaching to enable reflection and own personal development within the role.
• Promote a culture of continuous improvement, psychological safety and learning.
• Facilitate improvement collaborations, workshops and communities of practice.
• Engage patients, carers, and staff in co‑production.
• Represent the Trust at ICs, GM Cancer Alliance or national QI forums.

SCOPE

• Expected to have freedom to make decisions that improve the service provision within the team, whilst working within the scope of the Trusts policies.
• Expected to deep dive into clinical service activities for the purpose of investigation and quality improvement in line with risk identification.
• Expected to escalated and act on information which may have an impact of the Trusts integrity and objectives.
• Patient safety and quality of care should be central to each active decision made about service review and improvement activity.

RISK MANAGEMENT

It is a standard element of the role and responsibility of all staff of the Trust that they fulfil a proactive role towards the management of risk in all of their actions. This entails the risk assessment of all situations, the taking of appropriate actions and reporting of all incidents, near misses and hazards.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

QUALIFICATIONS

• Degree or equivalent experience in a Health related area.
• QI Qualification or relevant work experience.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS

• Master’s Degree or equivalent in Health related subject.
• Teaching Qualification.
• Project Management Qualification.

EXPERIENCE

ESSENTIAL EXPERIENCE

• Demonstrable experience of Senior Management within the healthcare setting.
• Demonstrable evidence of substantial experience in quality improvement and clinical audit.
• Able to articulate and interpret the impact of national directives, strategies and need for assurance activities.
• Demonstrable evidence of interpretation of CQC regulations and systems.
• Evidence of developing, delivering and evaluating training across the organisation.

DESIRABLE EXPERIENCE

• Demonstrable experience of working with patients/public as partners in developing and improving services.
• Demonstrable experience of clinical audit / national audits.
• Understanding of NICE guidance.
• Understanding of CQC and other regulatory agencies / standards.
• Patient involvement and co‑design.

INTERPERSONAL SKILLS

• Able to apply advanced communication skills in a variety of situations/settings.
• Evidence of effective people management and leadership skills.
• Ability to influence peers and management teams to achieve objectives.
• Highly effective verbal communication.
• Highly effective report writing and written communication skills.
• Able to present information to professional groups.
• Ability to sustain effective interpersonal relationships with colleagues across health and social care setting.
• Evidence of effective team working across professional and organisational boundaries.
• Able to manage time effectively and reach set targets.
• Able to work under pressure and to tight deadlines.
• Responsive to service demands.

KNOWLEDGE

• Knowledge of professional and NHS issues and policy.
• Detailed understanding of the Care Quality Commission.
• Detailed understanding of NHS national and local policy.
• Identification of Key stakeholders and all regulatory bodies.
• Proficient in the use of office applications.
• Proficient analysis skills and experience that provides ability to interpret information.

DESIRABLE KNOWLEDGE

• Knowledge of PSIRF and systems thinking.
• Knowledge of NHS governance, CQC Well‑Led, NICE, GIRFT, NCAPOP.
• Knowledge of measurement for improvement and SPC.

VALUES

• Ability to demonstrate the organisational values and behaviours.

OTHER

• Demonstrates flexibility in working hours.
• Able to perform a wide range of duties.

APPLICATION INFORMATION

If you have not heard from us within four weeks of the closing date, I regret that on this occasion your application will have been unsuccessful.

Sponsorship Information

We are an approved sponsoring organisation. Applications will be considered from applicants requiring sponsorship alongside all other applications. Please be aware, not all roles are eligible for sponsorship. You can review the list of eligible role and requirements on the government website.

Pre‑Employment Checks

• Identity verification
• Right to work check
• Disclosure and barring service (DBS)/Criminal record check (dependent on role, payment of this will be the applicants responsibility)
• Professional registration and/or qualification check
• Occupational health assessment
• Employment history and reference validation

DOCUMENTS TO DOWNLOAD

• JD & PS ( PDF , 155.9 KB )
• The Christie Values and Behaviours ( PDF , 919.5 KB )
• Strategy Brochure ( PDF , 1.0 MB )
• Travel to The Christie ( PDF , 3.8 MB )

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

We want to ensure that everyone who works at the Christie or uses our services is welcomed, valued and treated with dignity and respect. The Christie values diversity and is committed to ensuring equal opportunities for all and fair representation across the organisation at all levels. In support of these commitments, we particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and other ethnic minority people and people with disabilities for this post. Appointment will be only on merit.

EMPLOYER CERTIFICATION / ACCREDITION BADGES

As an employee, you will be subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.

CLOSING

The closing date for this post may be extended if there are insufficient applicants or brought forward if there is a high volume of applicants.