Lead Driver

Job summary

As the Lead Driver for our South West London Home Visiting Service, based in Putney, you will play a crucial leadership and operational role in ensuring the smooth and safe delivery of our vital home visits. You will be responsible for maintaining your own compliance with all driving competencies and assessments, aligned with the National IUC Driving Standards Policy.

You will take ownership of the recruitment, selection, and induction of new drivers, including conducting driver competency assessments and supporting ongoing training and development. Ensuring that each driver is fully inducted and assessed according to policy is key to maintaining safety and quality across the service. You will also lead on periodic driver audits, at least once a year per driver, and whenever concerns arise, to uphold consistent operational standards.

Working closely with drivers, you will coordinate vehicle familiarisation, inspections, and compliance with all driving procedures, ensuring the fleet is safe, fully operational, and properly maintained. You will contribute to managing the driver rota, working collaboratively with the Operations Manager to authorise shifts and guarantee correct payments. This is a full time role based in our Putney office with the below weekly shift pattern:      Monday     Tuesday   Wednesday    Thursday      Friday 09:00 17:0009:00 17:0019:45 04:1519:45 04:1519:45 04:15

Main duties of the job

- Ensuring your own and all drivers compliance with driving standards, policies, and assessments, including the National IUC Driving Standards Policy - Leading recruitment, induction, training, and ongoing assessment of new drivers, including completion of Driver Competency Assessments and periodic driver audits - Coordinating vehicle familiarisation, inspections, infection prevention and control (IPC), and driving procedures for the whole team - Managing and contributing to the driver rota to ensure appropriate coverage, and authorising shifts alongside the Operations Manager for accurate driver payments - Supporting line management of drivers, including monitoring attendance, sickness, and rota adjustments in line with HR policies - Conducting regular policy audits on drivers, identifying training needs and facilitating compliance with annual checks - Overseeing daily maintenance of the vehicle fleet and ensuring medical equipment and stocks are fully operational and replenished - Maintaining strict patient confidentiality, especially when handling patient-identifiable information in vehicles or during visits - Ensuring operational links with the call centre and coordinators are maintained to support effective communication and service delivery - Promoting a culture of patient focus, quality improvement, and proactive complaint management to minimize recurring issues

About us

- A full UK driving licence held for at least 2 years, with a proven track record of safe and compliant driving - Strong leadership skills with experience in recruitment, training, and team management or the willingness to develop in these areas - High levels of dependability and meticulous attention to detail, especially regarding compliance, audits, and operational standards - Excellent organisational skills and ability to manage complex rotas and shift patterns flexibly with the hiring manager - Good communication skills and the ability to work collaboratively with a diverse team, including management, drivers, and clinical staff - Commitment to patient confidentiality and maintaining the highest standards of care and safety - Problem-solving skills to handle operational challenges and ensure smooth service delivery - A proactive attitude towards quality improvement, policy compliance, and maintaining CQC standards