Compliance Officer (6-Month Fixed Term Contract)

Job Description

Location: Hybrid working, with regular travel across Trust services and sites as
required

Contract: 6 months (with potential for a permanent position, subject to
organisational requirements and performance)

Hours: Full-time – 38 hours per week

Salary: £29,000 – £35,000 depending on experience

Reports To: Compliance Lead

About The Wilberforce Trust

The Wilberforce Trust supports people with sight loss and other disabilities to live
independently and achieve their goals. We are seeking a proactive and organised
Compliance Officer to join our team and provide high-quality.

Purpose of the Role:

The Compliance Officer will support the Compliance Lead in maintaining an effective
compliance, governance and assurance framework across the Trust.
The role will provide practical compliance support to managers and departments,
helping to ensure the Trust meets its obligations under Charity Commission
requirements, Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulations, health and safety
legislation, safeguarding duties, data protection legislation and other statutory and
contractual requirements.

The postholder will act as a trusted business partner to operational teams, supporting
audits, inspections, governance processes, policy management and improvement
activity, while promoting a positive culture of accountability, continuous improvement
and regulatory compliance across the organisation.

Key Responsibilities:

Compliance Monitoring

• Support the implementation and maintenance of the Trust’s compliance framework.
• Maintain compliance registers, trackers and monitoring systems.
• Monitor key statutory, regulatory and contractual requirements.
• Support managers to understand and meet compliance obligations.
• Escalate compliance concerns and risks to the Compliance Lead.
• Assist in maintaining the Trust-wide compliance calendar.

Audits and Assurance

• Undertake internal compliance audits across services and departments.
• Collect and verify evidence against regulatory standards.
• Assist in preparing services for regulatory inspections and external audits.
• Monitor and track completion of audit actions and improvement plans.
• Support thematic reviews and quality assurance exercises.
• Produce audit reports and compliance summaries.

Governance Support

• Assist in the administration of governance processes.
• Maintain governance records, registers and documentation.
• Support policy review programmes and version control systems.
• Coordinate actions arising from governance meetings and committees.
• Assist with preparation of Board and Committee reports.
• Maintain evidence repositories for assurance reporting.

Risk Management

• Support maintenance of the Corporate Risk Register.
• Assist departments in identifying and recording risks.
• Monitor progress against risk mitigation actions.
• Support review of business continuity arrangements.
• Ensure risk information remains accurate and up to date.

Information Governance and Data Protection

• Support compliance with UK GDPR and Data Protection legislation.
• Assist with Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs).
• Maintain records relating to information governance activity.
• Support Information Asset Owners across the Trust.
• Assist with management of data breaches and information governance
incidents.
• Monitor compliance with information handling procedures.

Safeguarding and Quality Assurance

• Maintain safeguarding compliance records and reporting systems.
• Support monitoring of incidents, complaints and safeguarding concerns.
• Assist with investigations and learning reviews where appropriate.
• Monitor implementation of corrective actions and service improvements.
• Support organisational learning from incidents and audit findings.

Reporting and Data Management

• Produce routine compliance reports and dashboards.
• Maintain accurate compliance records and evidence files.
• Support performance reporting to managers and committees.
• Analyse compliance data and identify emerging trends.
• Assist with preparation of organisational assurance reports.

General Responsibilities

• Promote a culture of continuous improvement and accountability.
• Develop positive working relationships across all Trust departments.
• Maintain knowledge of relevant legislation, regulation and best practice.
• Attend meetings, training and development activities as required.
• Maintain confidentiality and information security at all times.
• Uphold the values and behaviours of the Trust.
• Undertake any other duties reasonably required by the Compliance Lead, CEO, Operations Director or Trust.

Person Specification:

Essential Qualifications

• Educated to A-Level standard or equivalent experience.
• Relevant qualification in governance, compliance, business administration or a related field, or willingness to work towards one.

Essential Knowledge and Experience

• Experience working within health or social care.
• Understanding of compliance and governance principles
• Experience supporting audits, inspections or quality assurance activities.

Desirable Knowledge and Experience

• Experience maintaining records, databases or compliance monitoring systems.
• Experience preparing reports and analysing information.
• Knowledge of risk management processes.
• Understanding of confidentiality and information governance requirements.
• Knowledge of Charity Commission requirements.
• Understanding of CQC regulation and Fundamental Standards.
• Knowledge of safeguarding legislation.
• Understanding of GDPR and Data Protection legislation.
• Experience supporting Board or Committee governance.

Skills and Behaviours

• Excellent organisational and administrative skills.
• Strong attention to detail.
• Ability to manage competing priorities.
• Good written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to build positive relationships across departments.
• Analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to challenge constructively and professionally.
• High levels of integrity and professionalism.
• Commitment to continuous improvement.

Wilberforce Trust also offers a wide range of benefits including:

• Milestone-Based enhanced annual leave entitlement
• Benenden Health Care scheme (following successful probation)
• A paid day off to celebrate your birthday
• Flexible and hybrid working arrangements where possible
• Paid exceptional leave days
• Blue Light discount card
• Pension scheme
• Life insurance (1 x salary)

To Apply:
Please submit your CV to applications@wilberforcetrust.org.uk and a
supporting statement outlining how your skills and experience meet the
requirements of the role.
The Wilberforce Trust is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and
welcomes applications from all backgrounds