Job summary
The post holder will provide
senior-level dedicated expertise and capacity to support practices in
understanding, achieving and maintaining high quality
standards. They will act as the named, trusted point of contact for GP practices
within Sussex in relation to regulatory requirements,
quality improvement and practice resilience. They will work
proactively with practices to identify needs, coordinate support, and
improve sustainability, performance, and quality of care. They will have a
comprehensive understanding of CQC compliance, as well as the support
offers available across the system.
Main duties of the job
The role will operate with a high level of autonomy, influencing system partners and providing expert advice to senior clinical, operation a land commissioning leaders.
This role is hosted by the Local Medical Committee and is practice-facing in its purpose and accountability. The postholders primary function is to support, advise and advocate for general practices. The role operates independently of regulatory and commissioning bodies, while working collaboratively with system partners where this clearly benefits practices.
This role will be employed
by Alliance for Better Care and seconded to Sussex and Surrey Local Medical
Committee for the duration of the fixed-term contract.
About us
About Alliance for Better Care CIC
Alliance for Better Care (ABC) is a GP Federation uniting 77 NHS GP member
practices across 98 sites within 24 Primary Care Networks in Sussex and Surrey.
We support our Primary Care colleagues - and their patients - to transform how
healthcare is delivered in their communities.
About Sussex Primary Care
Provider Collaborative
Sussex PCPC is a partnership
of NHS-funded primary care providers including general practice, community
pharmacy, dentistry and optometry.
Together we:
- Ensure primary care is part of Sussex health system
decision-making
- Connect practices, neighbourhoods and system partners
- Share learning, amplify messages, and support
collaboration
Sussex Integrated Health CIC
is the delivery arm of the Primary Care Provider Collaborative (PCPC) creating
a single, coordinated vehicle for delivering services and managing contracts
across Sussex.
About Surrey and Sussex LMC
Surrey and Sussex Local
Medical Committees represent and support general practice across Surrey, Sussex, Kingston & Richmond and Croydon. The LMC works with GP practices to provide professional leadership, advocacy and practical
support to practices navigating challenges.
In Sussex, the LMC works
closely with practices, Practice Manager Associations, federations and system
partners to ensure that general practice remains sustainable and able to
deliver high quality patient care.
Job description
Job responsibilities
CQC Readiness and Compliance
- Act as the subject matter expert on CQC regulations
and inspection frameworks for general practice, supporting practices to
interpret and apply requirements proportionately andrealistically.
- Provideand sign-post totailored
supportforpractices to prepare for CQC inspections,
includingreflectivegap analysis,prioritisedaction
planning, and mockor peer-supportedinspectionswhere appropriate
- Develop and share best practice guidance and
resourcesto support continuous quality improvement and inspection
preparedness, grounded in real-world general practice.
Practice-Level Support
- Work closely with practice
managersandclinical leads toidentifyareas for
improvement and implement solutions.
- Facilitate training and workshops for practice
teams on CQC requirements and quality improvement.
- Support practices to develop practical, realistic
improvement plans
- Maintain and signpost to a curated set of exemplar
policies,protocolsand resources, drawing on recognised good
practice, to support practices efficiently andproportionately.
- Provideconfidential, non-judgemental support
to practices experiencing challenge or regulatory anxiety, helping them to
prioritise actions and accessappropriate support.
- Co-ordinate access to offers of supportwithin
the system, includingtheLocal MedicalCommittee and Practice
Manager Associations
Collaboration & System Working
- Act as a bridge between practices and the wider
system, ensuring practiceperspectives, constraints and emerging risks are
clearly articulated andunderstood.
- Workclosely withpractices, individually
and atPCNandNeighbourhoodlevel
- Form strong relationships and collaborative
workingbetweenthe LMC,general practices, Practice Manager
Associations, GP Federations, ICB teams (including training hubs) and
otherpartners.
- Sharelearning, themes, and emerging risks to
inform system planning and support
- Support the CQC registration process for the newly
formed PCPC delivery arm, Sussex Integrated Health CIC
- Contribute to Practice Manager Forum meetings,
sharing anonymised learning, themes and feedback from inspections and support
activity to promote collective learning and preparedness.
- Liaise, whereappropriate, with external
bodies including the CQC to support practices in understanding processes and
expectations, without acting in a regulatory, inspection or assurance
capacity.
Reporting & Governance
- Maintainaccuraterecords of practice
engagement and support provided, in line withappropriate
confidentialityand information governance standards.
- Produce reports highlighting:
- Common challenges
- Emerging risks
- Impact of support interventions
- Overall themes
- Escalate concernsin a proportionate and
supportive way, primarily within the LMC, with the aim of enabling support and
risk mitigation rather than performance management or regulatory action. Any
wider escalation will be undertaken transparently and, wherever possible, with
the knowledge of the practice involved.
Programme Integration
- Contribute to wider improvement programmes within
Sussex Integrated Health CIC and PCPCwhere these align with and support
the core practice-facing purpose of the role.
- Share learning and insights across federations to
promote consistency and continuous improvement.
Job description
Job responsibilities
CQC Readiness and Compliance
- Act as the subject matter expert on CQC regulations
and inspection frameworks for general practice, supporting practices to
interpret and apply requirements proportionately andrealistically.
- Provideand sign-post totailored
supportforpractices to prepare for CQC inspections,
includingreflectivegap analysis,prioritisedaction
planning, and mockor peer-supportedinspectionswhere appropriate
- Develop and share best practice guidance and
resourcesto support continuous quality improvement and inspection
preparedness, grounded in real-world general practice.
Practice-Level Support
- Work closely with practice
managersandclinical leads toidentifyareas for
improvement and implement solutions.
- Facilitate training and workshops for practice
teams on CQC requirements and quality improvement.
- Support practices to develop practical, realistic
improvement plans
- Maintain and signpost to a curated set of exemplar
policies,protocolsand resources, drawing on recognised good
practice, to support practices efficiently andproportionately.
- Provideconfidential, non-judgemental support
to practices experiencing challenge or regulatory anxiety, helping them to
prioritise actions and accessappropriate support.
- Co-ordinate access to offers of supportwithin
the system, includingtheLocal MedicalCommittee and Practice
Manager Associations
Collaboration & System Working
- Act as a bridge between practices and the wider
system, ensuring practiceperspectives, constraints and emerging risks are
clearly articulated andunderstood.
- Workclosely withpractices, individually
and atPCNandNeighbourhoodlevel
- Form strong relationships and collaborative
workingbetweenthe LMC,general practices, Practice Manager
Associations, GP Federations, ICB teams (including training hubs) and
otherpartners.
- Sharelearning, themes, and emerging risks to
inform system planning and support
- Support the CQC registration process for the newly
formed PCPC delivery arm, Sussex Integrated Health CIC
- Contribute to Practice Manager Forum meetings,
sharing anonymised learning, themes and feedback from inspections and support
activity to promote collective learning and preparedness.
- Liaise, whereappropriate, with external
bodies including the CQC to support practices in understanding processes and
expectations, without acting in a regulatory, inspection or assurance
capacity.
Reporting & Governance
- Maintainaccuraterecords of practice
engagement and support provided, in line withappropriate
confidentialityand information governance standards.
- Produce reports highlighting:
- Common challenges
- Emerging risks
- Impact of support interventions
- Overall themes
- Escalate concernsin a proportionate and
supportive way, primarily within the LMC, with the aim of enabling support and
risk mitigation rather than performance management or regulatory action. Any
wider escalation will be undertaken transparently and, wherever possible, with
the knowledge of the practice involved.
Programme Integration
- Contribute to wider improvement programmes within
Sussex Integrated Health CIC and PCPCwhere these align with and support
the core practice-facing purpose of the role.
- Share learning and insights across federations to
promote consistency and continuous improvement.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Degree level qualification or equivalent experience
Desirable
- Coaching and mentoring qualification or comparable experience
- Programme Management qualification or comparable experience
Experience
Essential
- Significant experience working inprimary careor NHS system roles
Desirable
- Experience in practice management
- Proven experience supporting practices through CQC inspections or recovery processes
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
Essential
- Strong understanding ofgeneral practice operations, pressures, and regulatory requirements
- Knowledge ofCQC frameworksand quality governance in primary care
- Excellent relationship-building and stakeholder engagement skills.
- Excellent communication skills (including written reports)
- Highly organised, pro-active and able to manage own workload
Desirable
- Strong network within Sussex primary care
Behaviours and Values
Essential
- Commitment to own professional development and maintaining up to date relevant knowledge
- Committed to improving patient care through sustainable general practice
- Collaborative and non-judgmental approach, adept at building rapport and trust
- Demonstrable credibility and trust within general practice, with a clear understanding of the LMC role and its representative function.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Degree level qualification or equivalent experience
Desirable
- Coaching and mentoring qualification or comparable experience
- Programme Management qualification or comparable experience
Experience
Essential
- Significant experience working inprimary careor NHS system roles
Desirable
- Experience in practice management
- Proven experience supporting practices through CQC inspections or recovery processes
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
Essential
- Strong understanding ofgeneral practice operations, pressures, and regulatory requirements
- Knowledge ofCQC frameworksand quality governance in primary care
- Excellent relationship-building and stakeholder engagement skills.
- Excellent communication skills (including written reports)
- Highly organised, pro-active and able to manage own workload
Desirable
- Strong network within Sussex primary care
Behaviours and Values
Essential
- Commitment to own professional development and maintaining up to date relevant knowledge
- Committed to improving patient care through sustainable general practice
- Collaborative and non-judgmental approach, adept at building rapport and trust
- Demonstrable credibility and trust within general practice, with a clear understanding of the LMC role and its representative function.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
