Compliance officer in England

Location: Multi-site role covering two residential care homes and one nursing home across Thanet

Reporting to: Director / Nominated Individual

Employment type: Full-time (flexibility required to meet service needs)

Salary: Competitive commensurate with experience

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced and professionally credible Compliance Officer to assume responsibility for regulatory oversight, quality assurance and governance standards across three established care services within our organisation. This is a senior strategic role designed to provide assurance that our services consistently meet and exceed the Care Quality Commission's Fundamental Standards, statutory obligations and sector best practice. The successful candidate will work closely with Registered Managers and senior leadership to maintain robust compliance frameworks, support continuous improvement and ensure our homes are inspection-ready at all times. This role is particularly well-suited to individuals with a clinical background—preferably Registered General Nurse (RGN) or Registered Mental Health Nurse (RMN)—or those with substantial regulatory and governance expertise gained within residential or nursing care environments.

Principal Responsibilities

• Regulatory Compliance and Governance: The postholder will oversee compliance with the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 with particular focus on Regulations 9 (person-centred care), 10 (dignity and respect), 11 (need for consent), 12 (safe care and treatment), 13 (safeguarding), 17 (good governance) and 18 (staffing). The role includes monitoring inspection readiness, leading preparation activities in anticipation of CQC inspections and supporting Registered Managers in addressing compliance actions, completing audits and implementing improvement plans. The postholder will also ensure that governance systems across the services are demonstrably robust, effective and appropriately evidenced.
• Clinical Oversight: Where applicable—and particularly in respect of the nursing home—the Compliance Officer will provide clinical compliance oversight. This includes reviewing care planning processes, risk assessments, medication management systems and clinical documentation to ensure accuracy, completeness and adherence to professional standards. The postholder will scrutinise incidents, safeguarding concerns, complaints and clinical risks ensuring that learning is effectively embedded following incidents and audit findings.
• Audits and Quality Assurance: Regular audits will be conducted across a range of domains including but not limited to care plans, MARs, risk assessments, staff training records and governance documentation. The postholder will identify gaps, risks and opportunities for improvement supporting managers to address deficiencies and tracking remedial actions through to completion. Assurance reporting will be provided to senior leadership on a regular basis.
• Policy and Procedure: The Compliance Officer will ensure that organisational policies and procedures remain current, are properly implemented and are understood by staff at all levels. Support will be provided to managers in embedding policy into daily practice and ensuring that staff conduct aligns with both organisational expectations and regulatory requirements.
• Safeguarding and Risk Management: The postholder will support safeguarding investigations ensuring that referrals and responses are timely, appropriate and compliant with statutory guidance. Accident, incident and near-miss reporting will be reviewed systematically with lessons learned disseminated across the services and corrective actions implemented and monitored.
• Training and Support: The Compliance Officer will provide guidance and training to managers and senior staff on compliance-related matters fostering a positive, transparent and learning-oriented culture. The role will serve as a point of escalation for complex compliance issues and provide expert advice where required.
• Reporting and Assurance: Comprehensive compliance reports will be prepared for senior leadership clearly highlighting risks, trends and evidence-based recommendations. The postholder will support the organisation in evidence gathering for internal reviews, CQC inspections and any external scrutiny processes.

Person Specification

Essential Criteria: Candidates must demonstrate substantial experience in adult social care compliance together with a strong working knowledge of CQC regulations and inspection frameworks. Experience conducting audits in care home settings and supporting managers with improvement plans is essential. Excellent written and verbal communication skills are required as is the confidence to work effectively across multiple sites. The successful candidate will exhibit strong attention to detail, the ability to challenge poor practice constructively and a commitment to maintaining the highest standards of care. A full UK driving licence and willingness to travel regularly between homes are mandatory.

Desirable Criteria: A clinical background—particularly registration as an RGN, RMN or equivalent—is highly desirable as is experience working within nursing home environments. Prior involvement in supporting services through CQC inspections, familiarity with compliance management systems such as QCS and experience in safeguarding, complaints handling and regulatory correspondence will be considered advantageous.

Personal Attributes: We seek an individual who is professional, calm and credible in their approach with the ability to be assertive yet supportive when working with colleagues. The successful candidate will be highly organised, methodical and values-led with an unwavering focus on quality, safety and dignity in care.

Terms and Benefits: This is a full-time position requiring flexibility to meet the operational needs of the services. A competitive salary will be offered reflective of qualifications and experience. The role presents a significant opportunity to shape and strengthen compliance frameworks across a growing portfolio of services contributing meaningfully to the quality and sustainability of care provision. We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of vulnerable adults. This post is subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check and satisfactory references.

Key Skills: Compliance Management, Risk Management, Financial Services, PCI Banking, Cost Accounting Standards, Quality Systems, Research Experience, NIST Standards, Securities Law, SOX, ISO 27000.