Job Description

Blue Elephant Childcare Ltd

Location:

Head Office Based

Hours:

Full-time, 9am-5pm

Reports to:

Director of Care who reports to Operations Director / Managing Director

Salary:

28,000-35,000

Role Purpose

The Quality Assurance and Compliance Officer is responsible for ensuring that all Blue Elephant Childcare homes meet and exceed regulatory requirements, internal standards, and best practice in residential childcare. The role provides robust oversight, guidance, and coaching to managers and teams to ensure safe, nurturing, and high-quality care for the children.

This role plays a critical part in maintaining organisational excellence, preparing for inspections, and driving continuous improvement across all homes.

Key Responsibilities

1. Quality Assurance & Standards

Lead on developing, implementing, and monitoring quality assurance frameworks across all homes. Conduct regular quality audits, completing comprehensive reports with clear actions. Monitor compliance with The Children's Homes (England) Regulations 2015, the Quality Standards, and Ofsted inspection frameworks. Ensure policies, procedures, and risk assessments remain current, evidence-based, and fit for purpose. Track performance against developing KPIs, standards, and organisational improvement targets.
2. Compliance & Regulation

Ensure each home maintains full compliance with statutory, regulatory, and contractual requirements. Provide support and oversight to Registered Managers on preparation for Ofsted inspections, Regulation 44 visits, and internal reviews. Maintain up-to-date knowledge of legislation, guidance, and sector developments, ensuring this is reflected in practice. Review incidents, complaints, and safeguarding notifications to ensure correct processes are followed and improvements identified.
3. Continuous Improvement

Identify patterns, themes, and emerging risks across the organisation and lead improvement initiatives. Work with managers to co-develop action plans and provide hands-on support to implement change. Promote a culture of reflection, learning, and professional curiosity across staff teams. Quality-assure care plans, risk assessments, behaviour support plans, and records to ensure a high standard of practice.
4. Safeguarding & Risk

Work closely with the DSL to ensure safeguarding practice is safe, robust, and audited regularly. Complete safeguarding and incident reviews, ensuring lessons learned are acted upon and shared. Support homes in completing safer recruitment checks and provide oversight of safer recruitment compliance.
5. Training, Coaching & Development

Deliver training and workshops on compliance, inspection readiness, record keeping, and quality standards. Provide coaching to managers and senior staff to strengthen leadership, regulatory understanding, and audit readiness. Work with the Training & Development team to identify emerging learning needs.
6. Reporting & Governance

Produce monthly quality reports for the Senior Leadership Team. Provide regular updates on compliance risks, themes, and organisational performance. Support the review and analysis of Regulation 44 reports to ensure actions lead to measurable improvement.

Person Specification

Essential

Experience working within residential childcare. Strong knowledge of The Children's Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and Quality Standards. Experience in quality assurance, compliance, auditing, or regulatory monitoring. Excellent written communication, including report writing. Ability to challenge and support in equal measure. High attention to detail and strong analytical skills. Ability to travel across homes.
Desirable

Previous experience in a Quality Assurance or Regulation 44 role. Experience supporting Ofsted inspections. Training delivery or coaching experience. Level 5 Diploma in Leadership & Management for Residential Childcare (or working toward).

Values & Behaviours

Puts children's welfare, safety, and voice at the centre of all work. Demonstrates integrity, fairness, and professional curiosity. Promotes a culture of learning, kindness, and accountability. Works collaboratively and respectfully with teams across the organisation.

Benefits:

Company pension Health & wellbeing programme On-site parking Profit sharing Referral programme
Job Type: Full-time

Pay: 28,000.00-35,000.00 per year

Benefits:

Casual dress Health & wellbeing programme On-site parking Profit sharing
Work Location: In person