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Job Title: Head of Quality and Improvement

TSA (Technology Enabled Care Services Association)

Salary: £65,000 - £70,000 per annum (depending on experience)

Location: Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AG

Hours: Full time

Contract: Permanent

Purpose:

To lead and deliver the TSA Quality Standards Framework (QSF) programme and grow existing and new markets with robust sales performance monitoring. To significantly broaden the awareness and knowledge of the quality and improvement agenda in the wider health & care and housing industries through partnership and relationship building.

Accountable to: Alyson Scurfield, Chief Executive of TSA and TEC Quality.

The Role: We are looking for an ambitious, senior level Head of Quality and Improvement to lead and deliver TSA’s Quality Standards Framework (QSF) scheme and grow existing and new markets with robust sales performance monitoring. Headed by TEC Quality Chair, David Pearson CBE and accountable to the Chief Executive Alyson Scurfield, your combined mission is to significantly broaden the awareness and knowledge of the quality and improvement agenda in the wider health & care and housing sectors through partnership and relationship building.

Who We Are

Quality standards are important in all industries, more so when the services and products being provided affect the lives of individuals. Within this context, the Quality Standards Framework (QSF), which is owned by TSA, has been developed through collaboration with care sector organisations, regulators and key stakeholders and is open to anyone operating in the Technology Enabled Care (TEC) industry in the UK.

The QSF is available to all organisations in the sector - service providers, suppliers, associations, emergency response services and third sector organisations, and offers TEC service providers and suppliers a way of demonstrating safety and quality and it offers commissioners much needed assurance in an otherwise unregulated industry. In fact, commissioners are playing a critical role in driving the adoption of past and present standards by specifying in TEC tenders that providers must be certified to QSF.

An independent organisation, TEC Quality has been set up to develop and run the Quality Standards Framework. TEC Quality sets the standards and it audits and certifies organisations against these standards. TEC Quality is a wholly owned subsidiary of TEC Services Association (TSA) and a UKAS Accredited Certification Body.

The QSF has been shaped by consultation with many stakeholder organisations including industry representatives from our UK nation states, the TEC Services Association, Carers UK, NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence), BSI (British Standards Institution), National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC), Association of Ambulance Chief Executives (AACE), European Standards, Regulators and telecare and telehealth service providers. We believe technology needs to be embedded within the fabric of social care and the health and care system so we can all enjoy the benefits of good population health management and live more independently and better for longer. The work that we are doing will define us for generations. More information can be found at https://www.tecquality.org.uk/

The Background:

We want to invest in developing the Quality Standards Framework further with corresponding strategic partnerships and relationships and are therefore recruiting for a Head of Quality and Improvement to help us work with others to develop, grow and maximise our impact and visibility.

Our expectations are high. In the first year we will be looking to you to help us to drive the development of TEC Quality through a controlled evolution of the TSA Quality Standards Framework and to help TSA CIC to grow, by deriving content from Quality and Improvement initiatives that may assist with TSA advisory, training and educational services. You will need to be able to carry and articulate the standards vision.

Partnerships are at the heart of everything TEC Quality does. Our relationships with local authorities, clinical commissioning groups, regulators, NFCC, AACE, academia, suppliers and other key stakeholders helps us to push forward the quality and improvement agenda in the health and care sectors and ultimately improve outcomes for service users.

• We already work at a senior level with some of the UK’s key players in social care, with many local authorities as well as the NHS as we work to improve the wellbeing of entire communities through better population health.

• We have strong auditing, research and events expertise. We are acknowledged experts in technology enabled care and people want to listen to what we have to say. Senior staff take our calls. But we need your help to maximise the impact of these calls. As Head of Quality and Improvement you will be required to work under your own initiative and represent the organisation at networking events around the country. You will act as a visible face of the organisation.

• Within the first few months you will have met many of our existing Partners, developed a strong understanding of our work and connected with the team to develop ideas and proposals. You will have attended events and got yourself in front of potential new supporters.

We are a small core team at head office in Cheshire plus a number of senior associates who work remotely, headed by Alyson Scurfield as Chief Executive. You will play a key part in our future success. 

Main Responsibilities

• To help drive the development of TEC Quality through a controlled evolution of the TSA Quality Standards Framework (QSF) and lead the work programme and its delivery.
• To help TSA CIC to grow, by deriving content from Quality and Improvement initiatives that may assist with TSA advisory, training and educational services
• To secure the recognition of the TSA Quality Standards Framework with external parties as the go-to instrument for standards and regulation in the Technology-Enabled Care sector
• To grow the adoption of the TSA Quality Standards Framework by promoting, marketing and selling to candidate organisations
• To support TSA’s board members in the Association’s business planning, through clear strategy and implementation planning for the TSA QSF
• To advise TEC Quality board members of any funding or lobbying opportunities that arise through Quality and Improvement initiatives
• To lead audit/moderator work programmes with respect to the TSA QSF
• To ensure that good governance processes are applied in the maintenance and controlled updates to TSA QSF and associated processes.
• To ensure continued UKAS accreditation and ongoing buy-in to the scheme by those accredited.

Key Tasks

1. To drive TSA Quality & Improvement initiatives, to identify, encourage and exploit the creation of new QSF content.
2. To drive TSA Quality & Improvement initiatives, to identify and the creation of new TSA advisory, training and educational content.
3. To create and maintain a development roadmap for the TSA QSF, aligned to TSA business planning.
4. To direct the activities of the audit/moderator team, working to a controlled QSF baseline.
5. To direct QSF implementation work, and standards development activities, and coordinate these with TSA Quality & Improvement initiatives.
6. To help drive the activities of the TSA Quality and Improvement Programme Board, including acting as Secretary for the Board.
7. Maintain effective communications and contact with TSA members, both individually and collectively, sufficient to validate that QSF planning matches the needs of the TEC market sector.
8. Take active responsibility for self-development, updating skills and knowledge, and taking advantage of networking opportunities as appropriate. 

Key Skills

1. An understanding of the challenges and desired outcomes in health and care.
2. Significant experience of working at a senior level in the technology enabled care sector, or in a closely related care sector.
3. Demonstrable experience of managing and directing development plans that relate to quality or innovation in health and care, along with a proven ability to manage a development team in this context.
4. Experience of quality audit activity in health or care contexts or other.
5. A working understanding of the governance requirements associated with accredited certification schemes, including the need to maintain independence of supply sectors.
6. Ability to establish and maintain good working relationships with senior decision makers, key stakeholders and other industry experts.
7. Able to contribute to business strategy and planning activities with senior executives.
8. In-depth knowledge of TEC services, regulations and standards.
9. Good understanding of the underlying and emerging technologies that relate to TEC services.
10. Excellent communication skills, confident and persuasive speaker and good presenter.

Who You Are:

Building partnerships

1. Experience working within a corporate partnerships or relationship building role

2. Experience in, and take ownership of, securing new corporate and social care partnerships

3. High level of commercial awareness

4. Ability to deliver on challenging growth targets

5. Embrace the vision of and deputise for the Chief Executive at meetings with stakeholders

6. Become a TEC Quality champion.

Getting our message across

1. Strong written skills and proposal writing experience

2. Highly developed presentation skills

3. Excellent oral communication skills

4. Highly effective networker and influencer at a senior level

5. Ability to build and maintain strong interpersonal relationships with key contacts

6. Ability to effectively negotiate with key stakeholders to achieve results

7. Be a “self-starter” with a collaborative, relationship-focused and highly organised approach

8. Demonstrate excellent diplomacy, discretion and ability to engage with individuals at all levels of an organisation.

Administer effectively

1. Excellent organisational skills, with the ability to meet deadlines under pressure and manage multiple tasks and competing priorities is essential.

2. Strong and effective administrative work

3. Experience in Database management

4. Strong IT skills (Office 365) and use of CRM.

Understand our business

1. Have a passion for making a difference.

2. Experience of all aspects of the TEC industry is desirable, but not essential

3. Background and interest in managing/developing audit schemes and team of auditors

4. Knowledge of TEC related British and European standards. 

Post information

The Head of Quality & Improvement role will be a full-time position, and a national role involving travel. You will be based across the North West and London offices as well as home working. Salary package £65,000 - £70,000 per annum depending on experience. Start date ASAP.

Please apply by sending a CV with covering letter to alyson.scurfieldCEO@tsavoice.org.uk. Deadline for applications: Thursday 6th February at 5pm. Expected interview date: 18th February TBC.

We will review all applications after the closing date. Applications received after this date will be considered at the discretion of the organisation. We do not expect anyone to meet all of the requirements of the person specification, and you may be coming across from a related industry, but in the cover letter please let us know why you think the role is for you and why you want to work for us.

The Interview Process

In preparation for the interview you will be asked to prepare and present a convincing 20-minute Powerpoint presentation. The challenge is to demonstrate to us how you would develop and align the QSF scheme in order to attract the traditional housing sector.

If you’d like to know more, please contact Paul Finch, QSF Scheme Manager on paul.finch@tecquality.org.uk or 01625 520320