Quality Assurance Manager

Job responsibilities

The Quality Assurance Manager plays a key role in supporting East London NHS Foundation Trust to deliver safe, effective, high quality care. The postholder will provide professional leadership across a portfolio of directorates, working closely with clinical and operational colleagues to build strong quality assurance capability and to embed a culture of continuous improvement. They will contribute to the production of high quality reports, including Quality Accounts and Quality & Safety reports, and will support the strategic development of the Trusts quality assurance functions.

The postholder will maintain close effective working relationships with directorate teams, providing expert advice on quality assurance processes, methodologies and improvement planning. They will oversee and support members of the Quality Assurance (QA) Team, contributing to the development, supervision and induction of staff, and leading elements of the teams workstreams. The role includes organising and facilitating Trust-wide QA events, training sessions and presentations for internal and external audiences, and leading communication strategiessuch as newsletters, articles and videosto promote learning and showcase improvements.

The postholder will represent the QA Team at key meetings and committees and will work collaboratively with Trust governance structures to support delivery of the Trust Quality Strategy. They will use and promote Quality Improvement methodology, including PDSA cycles, and provide coaching to QI projects as required.

As a champion for high-quality assurance practice, the postholder will support services to understand and evaluate their performance against regulatory frameworks, particularly the CQC quality statements. They will enable teams to develop, monitor and complete action plans arising from self-assessments, mock inspections and service reviews. Building effective relationships with clinical and managerial stakeholders will be central to ensuring engagement in assurance processes and supporting services to act on feedback and drive improvements.

The role includes oversight of a comprehensive clinical audit cycle, ensuring meaningful local standards, effective measurement systems and robust feedback. The postholder will promote multidisciplinary audit, embed service-user involvement and provide expert advice to healthcare professionals on audit methodology. They will support the development of audit tools, surveys and digital reporting systems, working with informatics and QI teams to ensure accurate and timely data display.

The postholder will champion patient and carer feedback, supporting the development and use of patient experience systems, survey tools and engagement methods. They will supervise QA data analysts in procuring and maintaining relevant equipment and liaise with service-user and carer groups to ensure their voice informs service development. The postholder will assist services in responding to patient experience findings and will drive forward the Service User Led Accreditation programme, providing strategic direction and brokering support to enable services to improve.

The postholder will oversee the Trusts NICE implementation processes, ensuring new guidance is reviewed, gaps analysed, and improvement actions monitored. They will support services to achieve and evidence compliance with relevant guidelines.

Working closely with the QA leadership team, the postholder will ensure efficient use of resources and contribute to the delivery of a high-value, responsive quality assurance service across the Trust.

Education/Qualifications/Training

Essential

• Educated to degree level

Desirable

• Quality Improvement training
• Recognised further qualification in a relevant field

Experience

Essential

• Experience of working in quality assurance/clinical governance in a healthcare or similar organisation
• Experience of delivering quality assurance programmes such as clinical audit
• Experience of preparing services for CQC inspection
• Experience leading, supporting and influencing with regards to quality and governance
• Experience in effectively managing competing priorities and a portfolio of projects

Desirable

• Experience of managing change
• Experience of working in a culturally diverse inner-city area
• Experience of QI methodologies

Knowledge and Skills

Essential

• Knowledge of structures, concepts & processes of quality assurance and clinical governance
• Up to date knowledge of CQC regulatory preparedness processes, framework and standards
• Understand the need to engage with clinicians and senior leadership to provide factually accurate information relating to regulatory performance and quality standards
• Excellent numerical, analytical and data management skills
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including report writing skills
• Ability to confidently and effectively communicate and advise across all levels of the organisation with respect to regulatory compliance and quality
• Skills in project management
• Ability to design and deliver interactive presentations
• Ability to deliver interactive training tailored to the audience
• Ability to establish and maintain effective administrative systems and processes
• High level organisational skills including event management skills
• Ability to manage own time and priorities, ensuring that non-negotiable external deadlines are met
• Ability to synthesise complex information and present in a format suitable to the audience
• Ability to provide line management, support and supervision
• Able to work effectively across organisational boundaries
• Excellent knowledge of Office 365 and MS Teams

Desirable

• Ability to produce articles, stories and promotional materials to aid communication

Other requirements relevant to the post

Essential

• Able to move around the organisation and other locations within the geographical area served by the Trust
• Able to concentrate for long periods
• Able to cope with demanding and unpredictable work pattern
• Able to cope with emotional circumstances relating to personal histories of service users, carers, and staff
• Able to use computer technology for sustained periods
• Commitment to equal opportunities

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).