Quality Assurance Manager in Shrewsbury

Radfield Home Care Franchising is an award-winning franchisor in the private home care sector. We operate a network of over 20 franchise offices who provide care services focused on the elderly care marketplace. We are looking for a Quality Assurance Manager to aid the support of the franchise network.

We are a family run company, crowned British Franchise Association HSBC Emerging Franchisor of the Year in 2019 and have won a host of awards for the high standard of our care services. We offer a friendly, flexible working environment with some opportunity for you to work from home and the chance for you to work in a dynamic, fast growing industry and sector. In return we ask for loyalty, dedication and the ability to self-motivate.

JOB PURPOSE

Your role as the Quality Assurance Manager will be to provide proactive quality assurance, regulatory guidance and improvement support across an allocated portfolio of franchise offices. Deliver Radfield Home Care’s Quality First Approach, promote safe and person-centred care, and support offices to achieve and sustain Good and Outstanding CQC ratings. Work flexibly across the network and undertake operational deployment when required.

Your excellent influencing skills will ensure that you can implement policy developments and improvements across the business. You will ensure that CQC standards are met and exceeded through effective monitoring, policy development and training.

Based in our Shrewsbury National Office, with travel to our franchise partners' offices, you will be a self-starter, confident and motivated individual who can influence and persuade key business leaders that align with our values and purpose, a natural communicator digitally and face-to-face.

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES

• Portfolio leadership and franchise support: Own quality assurance oversight for an allocated portfolio; advise and constructively challenge franchise partners and Registered Care Managers. Monitor performance, governance, emerging risks and compliance with applicable care standards, organisational policies, the Operations Manual and relevant Franchise Agreement requirements. Maintain accurate records of advice, actions and decisions; provide timely escalation of significant concerns.
• Audits and Quality First Approach: Plan and deliver weekly, monthly, quarterly and onsite audits according to risk and the agreed programme. Review care planning, risk assessment, medication, recruitment, training, staffing and governance evidence; produce accurate, evidence-based reports. Lead audit feedback meetings, monitor action plans and challenge persistent non-compliance; contribute to audit consistency and improvement.
• CQC compliance and inspection readiness: Interpret relevant adult social care legislation and CQC requirements; help offices prepare for, respond to and learn from inspections. Support regulatory correspondence, inspection evidence and improvement activity, escalating serious matters to the Head of Quality Assurance. Identify and share good and outstanding practice across the network.
• Improvement, training and projects: Lead allocated quality improvement interventions, assess recurring risks and support learning from incidents, complaints and safeguarding concerns. Deliver or develop relevant training, Registered Manager support sessions, guidance and compliance resources; review trainer quality where assigned. Deliver agreed National Office projects, system changes, policy implementation and governance reporting alongside routine portfolio duties.
• Network deployment — essential requirement: The postholder MUST be willing and able to deploy into franchise offices and company-owned services across the network, including outside their usual portfolio, as and when required by operational or quality priorities. This is a core requirement of the position, not an occasional optional activity. Deployment may include onsite compliance recovery, inspection preparation, operational improvement, hands-on management support, urgent interventions and temporary assistance to an office or management team. Deployment may be arranged at short notice where reasonably necessary and may involve travel across England, consecutive days onsite and overnight stays. The scope, duration, authority, support and reporting arrangements for each deployment will be agreed in line with the needs and risks of the service.
• CQC registration responsibilities: Prepare, coordinate and quality-check allocated new-provider CQC registration applications, including forms, business plans, policies and supporting evidence. Support applicants and prospective Registered Managers/Nominated Individuals, monitor progress and liaise with CQC as appropriate. Independent application management is subject to training and competence; final internal approval remains with the Head of Quality Assurance.
• Potential personal CQC registration in a company-owned office: Where a business need arises, the postholder MAY be required to apply for and hold an appropriate CQC registration within a company-owned office, potentially as its Registered Manager. This is separate from supporting franchise registration applications. Any such appointment is subject to the postholder’s agreement, suitability and CQC approval, together with a documented assessment of regulatory accountability, capacity, conflicts of interest, management authority, supervision and support. Responsibilities, duration and any associated employment arrangements must be agreed before commencement.
• Accountability and decision-making: Accountable to the Head of Quality Assurance for portfolio oversight, audit delivery, improvement follow-up, registration tasks, projects and accurate reporting. May manage routine QA activity and advise within approved frameworks; serious regulatory issues, material policy decisions, formal escalation and final registration application approval remain with the Head of Quality Assurance. Franchise providers and their registered role holders retain their own statutory and regulatory accountability for the care delivered by their services.

SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE & QUALIFICATIONS

Essential: At least three years’ relevant senior experience in adult social care management, domiciliary care operations, quality assurance or regulatory compliance. Substantial practical knowledge of domiciliary care and CQC requirements in England, including the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. Level 5 Leadership and Management for Adult Care / Health and Social Care qualification, relevant equivalent or demonstrable equivalent professional experience. Experience of audits, evidence review, risk assessment, improvement planning and influencing managers to improve standards. Knowledge of safeguarding, the Mental Capacity Act, consent, person-centred care, medication governance, recruitment and staff development. Strong communication, report writing, analytical, IT, organisational and professional judgement skills; ability to challenge constructively and escalate appropriately. Willingness and ability to undertake frequent national travel, onsite deployment and occasional overnight stays; driving licence and suitable transport, subject to reasonable adjustments.

Desired: Previous CQC Registered Manager or Nominated Individual experience; involvement in CQC registration applications and inspections. Experience in multi-site or franchise home care, quality improvement, training delivery, project management and care management systems (including Careberry or equivalent). Evidence of supporting services to achieve or maintain Good or Outstanding ratings.