Principal Regulatory Compliance Lead in Reading

Job Description

IHCM is excited to be recruiting for a Principal Regulatory Compliance Lead to join our team in a dynamic hybrid role, providing national coverage and playing a key role in driving regulatory compliance and best practice across the organisation.

The job role:

To lead and strengthen regulatory compliance across Integrated Health Care Management Group (IHCM), providing assurance that services meet applicable regulatory standards and best-practice guidance. The role will manage and develop the Compliance Team, oversee a consistent risk-based programme of compliance visits and thematic reviews, identify and escalate regulatory risks and trends, and provide expert advice, training and support to services and senior leaders to drive continuous improvement in the quality and safety of care.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead, manage and develop the Compliance Team, setting priorities, allocating work and monitoring performance.
• Develop and deliver a proportionate, risk-based programme of regulatory compliance visits, audits and thematic reviews across IHCM services.
• Provide assurance that services comply with applicable regulatory requirements and best-practice guidance in England and Scotland.
• Prioritise compliance activity for higher-risk services, and ensure significant concerns are escalated promptly.
• Produce clear compliance reports, recommendations and action plans, and monitor agreed improvements through to completion.
• Analyse findings from visits, incidents, complaints and other assurance information to identify themes, trends and emerging regulatory risks.
• Maintain and embed an effective regulatory risk and governance framework to support consistent compliance oversight.
• Monitor regulatory developments, assess their organisational impact and communicate required changes to relevant teams.
• Provide expert advice, practical guidance, training and support to Registered Managers, operational teams and senior leaders.
• Support services before, during and after regulatory inspections, including registrations and Registered Manager interviews.
• Attend the Quality and Safety Committee and other governance meetings, presenting assurance reports and highlighting material risks.
• Work collaboratively with operational, clinical, quality, legal, risk and safeguarding colleagues to drive continuous improvement.
• Support the Group Head of Legal, Risk and Compliance in improving the overall effectiveness of regulatory compliance across IHCM.
• Maintain accurate, complete and timely records of compliance activity, findings, risks and follow-up actions.
• Undertake other reasonable duties consistent with the seniority and purpose of the role.

Qualifications

• Degree-level qualification or equivalent relevant professional experience in health or social care,quality assurance or a related discipline.

Experience

• Substantial experience in a regulatory compliance, quality assurance, governance or audit role within health or social care.
• Experience of managing and supervising a team, including allocating work, providing support and monitoring performance.
• Experience of applying health and social care regulatory frameworks in England and Scotland.
• Experience of planning and conducting compliance visits, audits or service reviews.
• Experience of identifying regulatory risks and implementing risk-based compliance and assurance processes.
• Experience of supporting services through regulatory inspections, registrations and improvement activity.
• Experience of analysing information, identifying themes and trends, and reporting findings to senior leaders or governance committees.
• Experience of producing clear reports and action plans within required timescales.
• Experience of advising and training managers and staff on regulatory requirements.
• Experience of working with the Mental Health Act Code of Practice, Mental Capacity Act, Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards and safeguarding requirements.

Skills /Competence

• Comprehensive knowledge of health and social care regulatory frameworks in England and Scotland.
• Strong leadership and people-management skills, with the ability to supervise, support and develop a compliance team.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including producing clear, accurate and well-presented reports for senior audiences.
• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to scrutinise detail, triangulate evidence and identify themes, trends and regulatory risks.
• Ability to plan, prioritise and deliver compliance reviews, reports and action plans within fixed timescales.
• Sound judgement and a risk-based approach to decision-making, with the ability to escalate significant concerns appropriately.
• Ability to interpret regulatory changes and translate them into practical guidance and organisational improvements.
• Strong influencing, advisory and stakeholder-management skills, including the confidence to challenge constructively.
• Ability to design and deliver effective regulatory compliance training and support.
• Competence in the Mental Health Act Code of Practice, Mental Capacity Act, Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards and safeguarding requirements.
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage competing priorities across multiple services.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and the confident use of data and compliance information to support assurance reporting.