Governance Manager

The Owl Centre · Pontypool · £50,000 (stated in the posting)

As the Governance Manager you’ll lead and develop The Owl’s integrated governance framework. You’ll oversee complaints, client safety, incidents, organisational and clinical risk, regulatory compliance and CQC readiness. Working with operational, clinical and senior colleagues, you’ll turn learning from incidents, complaints, safeguarding concerns, audits, feedback and quality assurance into meaningful improvements. You’ll develop service safety, effectiveness and experience through clear oversight, accountability, reporting and a culture of continuous learning. You’ll also provide governance assurance and ensure The Owl demonstrates compliance with statutory, contractual and regulatory requirements.

Please Note: This role is a permanent full-time hybrid position, a blend of home work and office presence - we ask for 2 days a week in our Pontypool Office and 3 days from home.

Salary: Up to £50,000

What you'll be doing:

Help develop and embed The Owl’s governance framework by keeping systems, records and documents accurate, up to date and auditable, supporting clear oversight, accountability and ongoing improvement.
Create accessible reports, dashboards and assurance papers by reviewing performance, risks and themes, helping committees, senior leaders and the Board make informed decisions.
Coordinate governance forums, including the Quality, Safety and Effectiveness and Risk Management Committees, by preparing information, tracking decisions and following up or escalating overdue actions so agreed improvements move forward.
Lead the operational management of complaints by monitoring timescales and standards and supporting managers to investigate complex concerns, ensuring responses are timely, fair and thorough.
Analyse complaints, feedback and client experience data to identify themes, share learning and oversee improvement actions that strengthen service quality and experience.
Oversee incident and near-miss reporting, management and learning by monitoring emerging risks and supporting proportionate investigations and responses under the Patient Safety Incident Response Framework, helping teams address root causes, share learning and prevent recurrence.
Help teams understand and follow Duty of Candour requirements through clear advice and oversight, supporting open, timely and appropriate communication with clients and families.
Deliver the Risk Management Strategy and Risk Appetite Framework by maintaining organisation-wide risk registers, helping owners identify, assess and manage risks with clear mitigations, review dates and escalation routes, and monitoring actions through dashboards and thematic analysis to inform decisions.
Lead quality improvement with change and clinical teams, using complaints, incidents, audits, feedback, safeguarding and inspection findings to prioritise actions, track progress and sustain safer, more effective services and better client experiences.
Coordinate inspection readiness through evidence, self-assessments and Fundamental Standards audits, working with operational leaders to address regulatory gaps and confirm lasting improvements.
Build confidence and consistent practice through governance advice and training on risk, incidents, complaints, improvement, learning and compliance.
Support direct reports through clear priorities, regular one-to-ones, objectives, feedback and development so they understand their contribution and feel confident and accountable.
Build an inclusive, collaborative team that shares concerns, ideas and learning, while managing workloads, performance, wellbeing and resources to meet priorities and deadlines, escalating issues when needed.

We'd love it if you have:

A relevant degree, professional qualification or equivalent experience.
Great experience within governance, quality, patient safety, risk or compliance experience within health, care or another regulated service.
Experience overseeing complaints, incidents, organisational risks and improvement actions, identifying themes and sharing learning.
Working knowledge of CQC regulation, Fundamental Standards, Duty of Candour and relevant safety and governance requirements.
Experience supporting audits, regulatory reviews or inspections, coordinating evidence and actions to address gaps.
Experience managing and supporting a team.

You're Someone Who Is:

Analytical and thorough, using complex governance, safety, risk and regulatory information to identify themes, assess risks and provide clear advice, reports, actions and reliable assurance.
Organised, balancing priorities, deadlines and action plans while keeping accurate records and following through.
A clear, collaborative communicator, working across clinical, operational and senior teams to explain requirements, present assurance, understand concerns, constructively challenge unmet standards and agree proportionate improvements.
Calm, fair and sensitive when handling complaints, incidents and confidential information.
Committed to continuous improvement, sharing learning and helping others strengthen governance practice.

What you'll get:

Being part a purpose led organisation, with strong values at the heart of everything we do.
Working alongside our exceptional clinical leadership team and colleagues.
The opportunity to do amazing work with our charity 'Waiting Well'
50% off assessments, making Autism & ADHD assessments more accessible for you and your family.
Great leave benefits package includes 25 days of annual leave, increasing by 1 day after only 1 year service up to a maximum of 30 days, your birthday off, and a 'you do you' day to spend on yourself.
Hybrid & Home working offering the perfect blend of flexibility and in-person collaboration!
Growth opportunities, as we grow our teams.
Protected time to connect with colleagues.
Salary exchange pension - 3% employee, 6% employer contribution

You’re someone who connects with our values:

We are one team
We are reliable
We are creative
We are passionate

Don’t be put off if you cannot tick all the boxes. We know that candidates can be put off applying if you don’t feel you are a 100% there, but we would still love to hear from you! We get that a diverse workforce makes a great workforce, this is the reason we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive culture where our people can turn up, be themselves & thrive.

We want you to be as relaxed as possible during our selection journey which may require an adjustment to our process. We encourage you to be open about what you need so we can adapt and allow you to thrive.

Closing Date: 03/11/2026

We may close this vacancy earlier than the advertised closing date if we receive a high volume of suitable applications. To avoid disappointment, we encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible.

A note on AI usage

We recognise that using Artificial intelligence (AI) tools in applications is becoming increasingly common. We welcome anything that creates a more inclusive recruitment process and supports candidates from all backgrounds to thrive.

If you do choose to use AI, we gently ask that you ensure all the skills, qualifications, and employment history you list are an accurate reflection of you and your background. The application stage is our first impression of you, so we really want to see your personality and voice shine through!

If you're invited to interview, we'll use the conversation to explore your background, experiences and motivations in more detail. Whether you've used AI to help shape your application or not, what matters most is that the content is an honest reflection of you and that you're able to speak confidently about your experience in person.

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