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For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead daily operations, ensuring quality service delivery and compliance with regulations.
- Company: Dynamic organisation focused on supported living services and community impact.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, professional development, and a supportive work environment.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in people's lives while leading a passionate team.
- Qualifications: Experience in operational leadership and a strong understanding of regulatory compliance.
- Other info: Opportunity for career growth and to shape the future of care services.
The predicted salary is between 36000 - 60000 £ per year.
Key responsibilities
- 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).
- 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.
- 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).
- 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.
- 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).
- 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.
- 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).
- 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.
Head of Operations in England employer: Acqhired
Contact Detail:
Acqhired Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of Operations in England
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Get out there and connect with people in the industry. Attend events, join online forums, and don’t be shy about reaching out on LinkedIn. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings!
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching the company and its values. Make sure you can talk about how your experience aligns with their mission. Practise common interview questions and think of examples that showcase your leadership and operational skills.
✨Tip Number 3
Follow up after interviews! A quick thank-you email can go a long way in showing your enthusiasm for the role. It’s also a chance to reiterate why you’re the perfect fit for their team.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! We’ve got loads of opportunities waiting for you, and applying directly can sometimes give you an edge. Plus, it shows you’re genuinely interested in being part of our team!
We think you need these skills to ace Head of Operations in England
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter for the Head of Operations role. Highlight your experience in operational leadership and performance management, as well as your understanding of CQC standards. We want to see how your skills align with our needs!
Showcase Your Achievements: Don’t just list your responsibilities; share specific examples of how you’ve driven improvements in previous roles. Whether it’s enhancing service delivery or managing risk effectively, we love to see quantifiable results that demonstrate your impact.
Be Clear and Concise: Keep your application straightforward and to the point. Use clear language and avoid jargon where possible. We appreciate a well-structured application that makes it easy for us to see your qualifications and fit for the role.
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to submit your application directly through our website. It’s the best way to ensure your application gets into the right hands. Plus, you’ll find all the details you need about the role and our company culture there!
How to prepare for a job interview at Acqhired
✨Know Your Operations Inside Out
Before the interview, dive deep into the company's operational structure and performance metrics. Familiarise yourself with their current challenges and successes in supported living services. This will help you demonstrate your understanding of operational leadership and how you can contribute to their goals.
✨Showcase Your Quality Assurance Skills
Be prepared to discuss your experience with CQC readiness and quality frameworks. Bring examples of how you've implemented robust audits and action plans in previous roles. Highlighting your ability to maintain compliance and improve service delivery will set you apart.
✨Demonstrate Strong People Leadership
Think about your approach to building high-performing teams. Share specific strategies you've used for recruitment, retention, and capability management. Discuss how you’ve fostered a positive culture and handled disciplinary processes effectively, as this is crucial for the role.
✨Prepare for Stakeholder Engagement Scenarios
Anticipate questions about managing relationships with various stakeholders. Prepare examples of complex meetings you've led, focusing on how you resolved conflicts or improved service delivery through collaboration. This will show your ability to navigate the multifaceted nature of the role.
