Job Description
Group Managing Director (CQC & Ofsted Regulated Services)
The Group Managing Director (GMD) holds ultimate operational, regulatory, and financial accountability for all CQC- and Ofsted-registered services across the group, including:
* Supported Living (complex LD, autism, mental health, forensic histories)
* Residential Care (adults with high-acuity needs)
* Children’s Homes (EBD, trauma-informed, complex safeguarding profiles)
The role exists to ensure safe, lawful, high-quality services, while driving sustainable growth, protecting the organisation’s reputation, and preventing regulatory failure.
This is a hands-on executive role, not a ceremonial leadership post.
Core Accountabilities
1. Regulatory & Legal Accountability
* Act as the Responsible Individual (RI) for CQC and/or Ofsted where required.
* Maintain continuous regulatory compliance across all services.
* Ensure services are consistently inspection-ready—not just pre-inspection compliant.
* Lead responses to:
* CQC / Ofsted inspections
* Enforcement actions
* Notices of concern
* Improvement plans
* Serious incidents and safeguarding investigations
* Maintain oversight of:
* Regulation 17 governance systems
* Quality assurance frameworks
* Safeguarding thresholds and reporting
* Whistleblowing procedures
* Ensure statutory duties under:
* Health and Social Care Act
* Children’s Homes Regulations
* Care Standards Act
* Safeguarding legislation
* Mental Capacity Act / DoLS / Liberty Protection Safeguards
Failure here is career-ending—this role owns it.
2. Quality, Outcomes & Safeguarding
* Set and enforce group-wide quality standards that exceed minimum regulatory requirements.
* Ensure care and education are:
* Person-centred
* Trauma-informed
* Rights-based
* Evidence-led
* Hold Directors, Registered Managers, and Heads of Service to account for:
* Outcomes for people supported
* Reduction in incidents and restrictive practices
* Stability of placements
* Positive Ofsted/CQC judgements
* Chair or oversee:
* Safeguarding panels
* Serious incident reviews
* Learning-from-incidents processes
* Ensure poor practice is confronted, not tolerated.
3. Operational Leadership
* Provide direct executive leadership to:
* Operations Directors
* Registered Managers
* Responsible Individuals
* Quality & Compliance Leads
* Ensure services are:
* Properly staffed
* Clinically and educationally supported
* Financially viable
* Drive consistency across services while allowing local flexibility.
* Step in personally when services are failing or at risk.
4. Financial & Commercial Responsibility
* Hold full P&L responsibility for the group.
* Ensure:
* Services are sustainable at high-acuity cost levels
* Commissioning rates reflect complexity and risk
* Staffing models are safe and financially realistic
* Lead relationships with:
* Local Authorities
* ICBs
* Commissioners
* Placing authorities
* Balance ethical care delivery with commercial reality—without cutting corners.
5. Growth, Strategy & Risk
* Lead the strategic growth of the organisation, including:
* New service development
* Registration of new homes/services
* Acquisitions and integration
* Ensure growth does not outpace governance.
* Assess and manage:
* Regulatory risk
* Reputational risk
* Safeguarding risk
* Financial exposure
* Advise the Board honestly—even when the truth is uncomfortable.
6. Culture & Workforce
* Set the tone for a culture of:
* Accountability
* Psychological safety
* Professional challenge
* Zero tolerance for abuse, neglect, or complacency
* Ensure leadership capability at every level.
* Address toxic leadership and poor management swiftly.
* Champion staff wellbeing without lowering standards.
Person Specification
Essential Experience
* Senior executive leadership in CQC and/or Ofsted-regulated services.
* Proven track record leading complex, high-acuity services.
* Experience acting as Responsible Individual.
* Leading organisations through:
* Inadequate / Requires Improvement ratings
* Enforcement or regulatory scrutiny
* Rapid growth phases
* Strong grasp of:
* Safeguarding at scale
* Trauma-informed practice
* Restrictive practice reduction
* Multi-agency working
Essential Attributes
* Unshakeable ethical compass.
* Calm under regulatory pressure.
* Comfortable making hard decisions about people and services.
* Not afraid of inspectors, lawyers, or boards.
* Can see the difference between risk and recklessness.
* Will not hide behind consultants.
Desirable
* Social work, nursing, psychology, education, or equivalent professional background.
* Experience across both adult and children’s sectors.
* Turnaround leadership experience.