Compliance Manager in Accrington

Reporting to Head of Quality and Compliance

Salary: 40-45k plus car allowance

Contract Type: Full-Time, Permanent, Hybrid Role with expectation to travel to multi sites across the Midlands and North of England

Job Purpose: The Compliance Manager will lead and oversee quality assurance, compliance and continuous improvement across our Mental Health Supported Living services, working closely with our Head of Quality and Compliance. This role will play a key part in ensuring that services operate safely, legally and in line with CQC regulations, local authority and contractual requirements, internal policies and procedures, safeguarding requirements and best‑practice sector standards and guidance. The role will focus heavily on conducting internal benchmark inspections and audits, supporting service action plans, delivering guidance to operational colleagues and embedding a culture of quality, accountability and continuous improvement across Northern Healthcare.

Key Responsibilities

• Compliance & Quality Assurance: Lead internal quality assurance processes across our supported living services. Conduct regular audits, inspections and compliance reviews against CQC Fundamental Standards and organisational policy and procedures. Monitor compliance with legislation, regulations, safeguarding procedures, local authority and contractual requirements, Mental Health Act, Mental Capacity Act and best‑practice sector standard and guidance. Produce detailed inspection and audit reports with clear recommendations and action plans. Support services to achieve and maintain Good or Outstanding CQC ratings and maintain inspection readiness. Analyse trends, incidents, complaints and audit outcomes to identify areas for improvement. Support robust governance systems are implemented and maintained across all services. Monitor changes in legislation and guidance.
• Service Improvement: Work closely with the service management and operational teams to implement service action plans. Support services identified as requiring improvement through coaching, monitoring and practical guidance. Ensure services comply with GDPR and confidentiality requirements. Track progress against action plans and ensure timely completion of required improvements. Promote a culture of continuous learning and reflective practice. Support preparation for external inspections, regulatory visits and external contractual submission requests.
• Training & Staff Development: Deliver compliance‑related training, workshops and briefings to staff and management teams. Support managers in understanding regulatory requirements, fundamental standards and best‑practice expectations. Provide mentoring and coaching to improve leadership capability within services. Assist in developing policies, procedures and guidance documents. Promote safe, person‑centred and recovery‑focused practices across services.
• Partnership Working: Build positive working relationships with operational teams, external professionals, commissioners and regulatory bodies. Support collaborative working across departments to improve service delivery and outcomes. Represent the organisation professionally during inspections and meetings where required.

Person Specification

Essential Criteria

• Qualifications: Level 5 Diploma in Leadership for Health and Social Care (or equivalent) or willingness to work towards. Mental health training. Evidence of continued professional development.
• Experience: Significant experience within Adult Social Care, Mental Health and Supported Living services. Experience of working with CQC regulations and quality assurance frameworks. Experience conducting audits, inspections or compliance monitoring. Experience supporting service improvement within regulated care environments. Experience delivering training or coaching staff teams.
• Knowledge & Skills: Strong understanding of CQC Regulations and Fundamental Standards along with Adult Social Care legislation. Understanding of mental health and supported living environments. Knowledge of safeguarding, mental health and risk management practices. Excellent report writing and analytical skills. Strong organisational and problem‑solving abilities. Exceptional attention to detail. Ability to influence and support managers positively and constructively. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills. Confident using IT systems and compliance monitoring tools.
• Personal Attributes: Professional, approachable and solution‑focused. Committed to high‑quality, compassionate person‑centred care. Able to work independently and manage competing priorities. Resilient and adaptable within a fast‑paced environment.

Desirable Criteria

• Experience supporting services through CQC inspections.
• Internal auditor or quality assurance qualification.
• Full UK driving licence and willingness to travel between services with occasional overnight stay.

Values & Behaviours

The Compliance Manager is expected to:

• Promote dignity, respect and inclusion.
• Champion recovery‑focused and person‑centred approaches.
• Lead by example and uphold organisational values.
• Encourage openness, accountability and continuous improvement.