Quality Lead (Primary Care Support Programme) in Horley

The post holder will provide senior-level dedicated expertise and capacity to support practices in understanding, achieving and maintaining high quality standards. They will act as the named, trusted point of contact for GP practices within Sussex in relation to regulatory requirements, quality improvement and practice resilience. They will work proactively with practices to identify needs, coordinate support, and improve sustainability, performance, and quality of care. They will have a comprehensive understanding of CQC compliance, as well as the support offers available across the system.

Main duties of the job:

• The role will operate with a high level of autonomy, influencing system partners and providing expert advice to senior clinical, operational and commissioning leaders.
• This role is hosted by the Local Medical Committee and is practice-facing in its purpose and accountability.
• The postholder's primary function is to support, advise and advocate for general practices.
• The role operates independently of regulatory and commissioning bodies, while working collaboratively with system partners where this clearly benefits practices.

Job responsibilities:

• CQC Readiness and Compliance: Act as the subject matter expert on CQC regulations and inspection frameworks for general practice, supporting practices to interpret and apply requirements proportionately and realistically. Provide and sign-post tailored support for practices to prepare for CQC inspections, including reflective gap analysis, prioritised action planning, and mock or peer-supported inspections where appropriate. Develop and share best practice guidance and resources to support continuous quality improvement and inspection preparedness, grounded in real-world general practice.
• Practice-Level Support: Work closely with practice managers and clinical leads to identify areas for improvement and implement solutions. Facilitate training and workshops for practice teams on CQC requirements and quality improvement. Support practices to develop practical, realistic improvement plans. Maintain and signpost to a curated set of exemplar policies, protocols and resources, drawing on recognised good practice, to support practices efficiently and proportionately. Provide confidential, non-judgemental support to practices experiencing challenge or regulatory anxiety, helping them to prioritise actions and access appropriate support. Co-ordinate access to offers of support within the system, including the Local Medical Committee and Practice Manager Associations. Act as a bridge between practices and the wider system, ensuring practice perspectives, constraints and emerging risks are clearly articulated and understood. Work closely with practices, individually and at PCN and Neighbourhood level. Form strong relationships and collaborative working between the LMC, general practices, Practice Manager Associations, GP Federations, ICB teams (including training hubs) and other partners. Share learning, themes, and emerging risks to inform system planning and support. Support the CQC registration process for the newly formed PCPC delivery arm, Sussex Integrated Health CIC. Contribute to Practice Manager Forum meetings, sharing anonymised learning, themes and feedback from inspections and support activity to promote collective learning and preparedness. Liaise, where appropriate, with external bodies including the CQC to support practices in understanding processes and expectations, without acting in a regulatory, inspection or assurance capacity.
• Reporting & Governance: Maintain accurate records of practice engagement and support provided, in line with appropriate confidentiality and information governance standards. Produce reports highlighting: Impact of support interventions, Overall themes. Escalate concerns in a proportionate and supportive way, primarily within the LMC, with the aim of enabling support and risk mitigation rather than performance management or regulatory action. Any wider escalation will be undertaken transparently and, wherever possible, with the knowledge of the practice involved. Contribute to wider improvement programmes within Sussex Integrated Health CIC and PCPC where these align with and support the core practice-facing purpose of the role. Share learning and insights across federations to promote consistency and continuous improvement.

Person Specification:

• Qualifications: Degree level qualification or equivalent experience. Coaching and mentoring qualification or comparable experience.
• Experience: Significant experience working in primary care or NHS system roles. Experience in practice management. Proven experience supporting practices through CQC inspections or recovery processes.
• Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: Strong understanding of general practice operations, pressures, and regulatory requirements. Knowledge of CQC frameworks and quality governance in primary care. Excellent relationship-building and stakeholder engagement skills. Highly organised, pro-active and able to manage own workload. Strong network within Sussex primary care.
• Behaviours and Values: Commitment to own professional development and maintaining up to date relevant knowledge. Committed to improving patient care through sustainable general practice. Collaborative and non-judgmental approach, adept at building rapport and trust. Demonstrable credibility and trust within general practice, with a clear understanding of the LMC role and its representative function.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

£52,327.02 to £62,535.63 a year Dependent on experience.