HR & Compliance Coordinator in Watford

A new opportunity has become available for a HR & Compliance Co‑ordinator to join an established practice located in Watford, Hertfordshire.

Start date – As soon as possible.

Role Purpose

The HR & Compliance Co‑ordinator is a key leadership role responsible for ensuring the practice operates with robust HR systems, regulatory compliance, and strong people governance across all practices. This role combines hands‑on HR management with strategic compliance oversight, ensuring the Group remains fully compliant with CQC, NHS, employment law, and regulatory standards, while supporting practice growth, staff engagement, and operational excellence.

About the role

Working full time, Monday – Friday. Location – Watford / Hybrid – Regular site visits required. Salary – £35,000 – £40,000.

Key Responsibilities

• HR Leadership & People Management
  • Own and deliver the Group HR strategy aligned with business growth.
  • Oversee the full employee lifecycle: recruitment, onboarding, probation, performance management, development, and exits.
  • Manage employee relations issues including disciplinary, grievance, sickness absence, performance improvement plans, and conflict resolution.
  • Ensure consistent application of HR policies across all practices.
  • Support Clinic Leads with people matters.
  • Lead on visa sponsorship processes, right‑to‑work checks, and compliance with UK immigration rules (where applicable).
• Recruitment & Workforce Planning
  • Oversee recruitment for clinical and non‑clinical roles (dentists, nurses, hygienists, reception, managers).
  • Ensure recruitment processes meet CQC Safe Recruitment standards.
  • Maintain recruitment metrics: vacancies, time‑to‑hire, retention rates.
  • Support workforce planning to reduce rota gaps and agency reliance.
  • Work closely with Operations to support growth, acquisitions, and new site onboarding.
• Compliance & Regulatory Oversight
  • Act as Group lead for CQC compliance, ensuring all practices are inspection‑ready at all times.
  • Maintain and audit: CQC evidence folders, Policies & procedures, Training records, DBS checks, Clinical & non‑clinical compliance documentation.
  • Prepare practices for CQC inspections, action plans, and follow‑ups.
  • Oversee compliance with: NHS regulations, Employment law, GDPR & data protection, Health & Safety requirements.
  • Liaise with external compliance consultants and inspectors where required.
• Policies, Systems & Governance
  • Maintain and regularly update HR and Compliance policies in line with legislation and best practice.
  • Ensure effective use of Group systems (e.g. HR systems, rota platforms, compliance trackers).
  • Implement structured audits and review cycles across practices.
  • Build scalable HR and compliance frameworks suitable for a growing group.
• Training & Development
  • Oversee mandatory training compliance (CPD, safeguarding, infection control, fire safety, etc.).
  • Support leadership development for Practice Managers and senior team members.
  • Work closely with internal training teams where applicable.
  • Ensure all training is accurately logged and audit‑ready.
• Reporting & KPIs
  • Produce regular HR and Compliance reports for the Board, including: Absence and sickness trends, Staff turnover and retention, Recruitment pipeline, Compliance audit outcomes, Training completion rates.
  • Identify risks and proactively implement mitigation plans.

Person Specification

Essential

• Proven experience, ideally within dental, or regulated environments.
• Strong working knowledge of: UK employment law, CQC regulations and inspections, Safe recruitment practices.
• Experience managing employee relations cases end‑to‑end.
• Confident advising senior leadership and practice managers.
• Highly organised with excellent attention to detail.
• Comfortable working across multiple sites.

Desirable

• Previous experience within a dental group or healthcare setting.
• Knowledge of NHS dental contracts and compliance frameworks.

Key Competencies

• Calm, confident, and pragmatic decision‑maker.
• Strong communicator with authority and empathy.
• Proactive and solutions‑focused.
• Commercially aware and operationally minded.
• High integrity and discretion.