Director of Quality, Compliance & Training
Location: Ideally North East England (Travel Required)
Salary: Competitive + Mileage + Benefits
Reports to: Chief Operating Officer
Help Shape the Future of Care
At Caring & Leading, we believe great care starts with great people.
We are an ambitious, values-led care group providing residential, nursing, dementia and specialist mental health services across England. While Caring & Leading is a relatively new group, our leadership team has been delivering and developing care services for over 23 years.
This gives us a unique opportunity: combining decades of experience with the energy, ambition and flexibility of a growing organisation.
We are on a journey to become one of the most respected and admired care providers in the country — not because of the number of homes we operate, but because of the quality of care we deliver, the culture we create, and the difference we make to the lives of our residents and colleagues every day.
As we continue our growth journey through both acquisition and organic expansion, we are seeking an exceptional Director of Quality, Compliance & Training to join our senior leadership team and help shape the next chapter of Caring & Leading.
This is a rare opportunity for an experienced quality leader, former CQC Inspector, governance professional, senior operational leader or healthcare executive to influence standards across an entire organisation and make a lasting difference to the lives of hundreds of residents and colleagues.
Former CQC Inspectors, Inspection Managers and Regulatory Professionals are strongly encouraged to apply.
Why This Role Is Different
This is a newly created senior leadership position and forms part of an exciting organisational restructure at Caring & Leading.
As our group continues to evolve, we have recognised the need for a dedicated executive-level leader to drive quality, compliance, training and continuous improvement across the organisation.
Rather than inheriting a fully established department, the successful candidate will have a unique opportunity to help design, shape and develop the function alongside the CEO and COO.
This is an opportunity to build, influence and leave a lasting legacy.
With over 23 years of care sector experience within our leadership team, we understand what good looks like. However, as a relatively new and growing group, we are constantly challenging ourselves to improve further and refine what we believe will become our long-term winning formula for delivering outstanding care.
As we continue to grow through both acquisition and organic expansion, maintaining quality, culture and consistency will be critical to our success.
The Director of Quality, Compliance & Training will play a central role in:
- Shaping the future quality and compliance strategy of the organisation.
- Supporting the integration of newly acquired services.
- Developing scalable governance and training systems.
- Creating consistency across multiple services.
- Strengthening inspection performance and regulatory outcomes.
- Developing future leaders within the organisation.
- Embedding a culture of accountability, ownership and continuous improvement.
This role offers a rare combination of autonomy, influence and visibility.
You will work directly alongside the CEO and COO, helping to shape strategic decisions that impact approximately 180 beds, over 220 colleagues and the future growth of the organisation.
For the right individual, this is an opportunity to help build something exceptional and make a genuine long-term difference to the future of social care.
Why Join Caring & Leading?
We are not a corporate care provider focused solely on occupancy figures and spreadsheets.
Our organisation was founded on a simple belief:
"Caring- Care as you would treat your own family, Leading- adopt best research and evidence into practice"
We are building a culture where colleagues feel valued, supported, developed and empowered to deliver exceptional care.
Over the past 12 months we have:
- Won regional and national care awards.
- Been recognised for innovation, leadership and workforce development.
- Invested heavily in colleague wellbeing, leadership development and training.
- Developed a strong organisational "Lessons Learned" culture.
- Introduced monthly quality forums, governance reviews and improvement programmes.
- Created the CARES initiative, supporting charities and local communities chosen by our residents and colleagues.
- Developed innovative approaches to care, governance and quality assurance.
- Continued investing in our homes, people and communities.
- Built a reputation for being supportive, approachable and improvement-focused.
Our CEO is a practising GP with a passion for evidence-based care, innovation and raising standards across the care sector.
Our COO is an experienced nurse and social care leader with a long-standing reputation for operational excellence and values-driven leadership.
Together, we are developing what we believe will become a true winning formula for delivering outstanding care, developing exceptional leaders and creating a culture where people thrive.
Our CARE & LEAD Culture
At Caring & Leading, our values are more than words on a wall — they are the foundation of how we lead, how we support our colleagues and how we care for our residents.
CARE
Compassion – We treat every resident, relative and colleague with kindness, empathy and dignity.
Accountability – We take ownership of our actions, learn from our mistakes and always strive to do the right thing.
Respect – We value individuality, celebrate diversity and create environments where everyone feels heard and valued.
Excellence – We continuously strive to improve, challenge ourselves and deliver the highest standards of care.
LEAD
Lead by Example – We set the standard through our actions and behaviours.
Empower Others – We support people to grow, develop and achieve their full potential.
Aspire Higher – We embrace innovation, ambition and continuous improvement.
Deliver Results – We focus on achieving positive outcomes for residents, colleagues and the organisation.
As Director of Quality, Compliance & Training, you will play a pivotal role in embedding our CARE & LEAD culture across every service, ensuring quality, leadership and continuous improvement become part of everyday practice.
The Opportunity
This is not a head-office role hidden behind spreadsheets and reports.
We are looking for a visible, hands-on leader who will spend time in our homes, working alongside our managers, teams and Chief Operating Officer to drive quality, compliance, training and continuous improvement.
You will play a key role in shaping the future of Caring & Leading and will work directly alongside the CEO and COO as a trusted member of the senior leadership team.
With responsibility for approximately 180 beds and more than 220 colleagues, you will have the opportunity to directly influence resident outcomes, colleague development, organisational culture and regulatory performance.
This role offers significant autonomy and influence. We are looking for someone who can bring ideas, challenge thinking, identify opportunities and help shape the future direction of quality and compliance across the organisation.
You will be expected to:
- Lead quality, compliance and training strategy across the group.
- Support homes to achieve and maintain Good as a minimum standard, with aspirations for Outstanding.
- Review CQC inspection reports and regulatory findings to ensure factual accuracy and support services through the inspection process.
- Support services before, during and after CQC inspections.
- Monitor and oversee Service Improvement Plans (SIPs) and ensure actions are completed effectively and sustainably.
- Undertake audits, quality reviews and deep dives across services.
- Work directly alongside managers and operational leaders to improve outcomes.
- Identify emerging risks and ensure lessons learned are embedded across the organisation.
- Support the development of future leaders through coaching, mentoring and training.
- Drive a culture of accountability, ownership and continuous improvement.
This is an opportunity for a quality leader who wants to make a genuine impact rather than simply monitor performance from a distance.
Location & Travel
While flexibility is available, we are ideally seeking a candidate based within the North East of England.
Regular travel will be required across our services, including locations in the North East, Burnley and Rugeley. A full UK driving licence and willingness to travel are essential.
About You
We are looking for an experienced, passionate and driven leader who genuinely wants to improve care.
You may currently be working as:
- Director of Quality
- Head of Quality
- Director of Compliance
- Director of Governance
- Regional Quality Manager
- Head of Compliance
- Director of Nursing
- Quality Improvement Lead
- Operations Director
- CQC Inspector
- CQC Inspection Manager
- Regulatory or Assurance Professional
Essential
- Significant senior leadership experience within health or social care.
- Strong understanding of CQC regulations, quality assurance and governance.
- Experience leading quality improvement and compliance systems.
- Experience supporting services through inspections and regulatory reviews.
- Experience developing and delivering workforce development or training strategies.
- Excellent leadership, communication and stakeholder engagement skills.
- Strong analytical and organisational abilities.
- Experience managing multiple services or group-wide governance systems.
Desirable
- Former CQC Inspector, Inspection Manager or equivalent regulatory experience.
- Experience within a regulatory, assurance or commissioning environment.
- Multi-site care home experience.
- Level 5 Diploma in Leadership for Health & Social Care or equivalent.
- Experience delivering leadership development, governance or quality improvement programmes.
Benefits
We believe that to provide outstanding care for our residents, we must first invest in and support our colleagues.
In return, we offer:
- Competitive salary package.
- Mileage allowance and business travel expenses.
- Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) providing confidential wellbeing, counselling and support services.
- Free access to GP consultations and healthcare advice through the Livi App.
- Ongoing professional and leadership development opportunities.
- Direct access to and collaboration with an experienced executive leadership team.
- Significant autonomy and influence within the organisation.
- Opportunity to shape strategy and drive meaningful change.
- Supportive, values-led culture focused on learning, innovation and improvement.
- Career progression opportunities as the group continues to grow through acquisition and expansion.
- The opportunity to directly influence the care, wellbeing and outcomes of hundreds of residents and colleagues.
What Success Looks Like
- Strong governance and compliance across all services.
- Improved consistency, quality and safety.
- Positive inspection outcomes.
- Good ratings achieved and maintained across services, with aspirations for Outstanding.
- Effective completion of Service Improvement Plans.
- Confident and accountable leaders.
- A thriving organisational learning culture.
- Improved resident experiences and outcomes.
- A workforce that feels supported, developed and empowered.
- Recognition of Caring & Leading as a provider known for excellence, innovation and outstanding care.
Join Us
This role is ideal for someone who is hardworking, passionate, ambitious and committed to making a genuine difference for the long term.
You will be joining a group with strong foundations, exciting growth plans and a leadership team committed to building something special.
If you are looking for a role where you can influence strategy, shape culture, improve quality and directly impact the lives of residents and colleagues every day, we would love to hear from you.
Join a care group where CARE and LEAD are more than values — they are the way we work, the way we support our teams and the way we improve the lives of the people we serve every day.
Caring & Leading – Caring for People. Leading with Purpose.
Pay: Up to £70,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Company events
- Company pension
- Employee discount
- Free parking
- On-site parking
- Sick pay
Application question(s):
- CQC inspector experience?
- What have your last 5 x CQC Ratings been that you have achieved/responsible for?
- Have you had inspections under the Single Assessment Framework?
Licence/Certification:
- Driving Licence (required)
Work Location: On the road
