Primary Eyecare Services

Governance Officer

The closing date is 09 June 2025

Job summary

Primary Eyecare Services is looking for a Governance Officer. This is to support the Quality and Governance team in the delivery of key aspects of work across Quality and Compliance, including ongoing registration with Care Quality Commission (CQC). The role will include reviewing and policies, audits, DPIAs and development of resources and reports as required for compliance against the NHS standard contract. The successful applicant will report to the Director of Quality and Governance.

Main duties of the job

This role involves supporting the development, review, and implementation of policies, SOPs, and compliance frameworks across the organisation. Key responsibilities include contributing to Information Governance and Data Protection processes, such as DPIAs, training, and the Data Security and Protection Toolkit, assisting with procurement, preparing for CQC and external reviews, and developing reports and strategic plans e.g., Annual Quality Plan, PSIRF, Carbon Reduction. The role also includes testing Business Continuity Plans, maintaining accreditations like Cyber Essentials Plus, conducting compliance audits, and ensuring adherence to NHS and regulatory requirements. The postholder must stay informed on national guidance, meet tight deadlines, and adapt to evolving organisational needs

About us

Primary Eyecare Services (PES) is an established provider of high-quality extended eye care services (those beyond sight testing), utilizing a large network of optical practice subcontractors across England (~2000). PES currently holds and manages contracts on behalf of the primary eye care network, spanning ~70 NHS commissioners and delivering over 380,000 episodes of patient care each year, with a total annual turnover of ~£25+ million. PES is a not-for-profit company, limited by guarantee. This sees the majority of generated income pass through to frontline eye care services in optical practices.

Details

Date posted

04 June 2025

Pay scheme

Other

Salary

Depending on experience

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

U0069-25-0011

Job locations

Waulk Mill [2.3]

51 Bengal Street

Manchester

Cheshire

M4 6LN


Job description

Job responsibilities

We have an exciting opportunity for a Governance Officer to join our expanding team at Primary Eyecare Services!

About Us:

Primary Eyecare Services (PES) is an established provider of high-quality extended eye care services (those beyond sight testing), utilizing a large network of optical practice subcontractors across England (~2000). PES currently holds and manages contracts on behalf of the primary eye care network, spanning ~70 NHS commissioners and delivering over 380,000 episodes of patient care each year, with a total annual turnover of ~£25+ million. PES is a not-for-profit company, limited by guarantee. This sees the majority of generated income pass through to frontline eye care services in optical practices.

Join us and be part of a company that is shaping the future of optometry!

Role Overview:

Primary Eyecare Services is looking for a Governance Officer. This is to support the Quality and Governance team in the delivery of key aspects of work across Quality and Compliance, including ongoing registration with Care Quality Commission (CQC). The role will include reviewing and policies, audits, DPIAs and development of resources and reports as required for compliance against the NHS standard contract. The successful applicant will report to the Director of Quality and Governance.

Salary:

FTE salary starting from £30,000 per annum

Location:

The role will be hybrid, and there is a requirement to attend the PES Head Office in Manchester.

General Responsibilities:

  • Supporting the development, review and implementation of policies and SOPs.
  • Support organisation with Information Governance and Data Protection processes, including but not limited to Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIA), reporting, investigation, training and support the completion of the Data Protection and Security Toolkit (DSPT).
  • Support procurements across the organisation.
  • Support the preparation of information in relation to the organisation of CQC assurance checks and other external reviews as they arise.
  • Development of reports for quality and compliance.
  • Report writing, support the development of Annual Quality Plan, Carbon Reduction Plan, PSIRF Plan and other plans as required within NHS standard contract and/or ongoing CQC registration.
  • Testing and Review of Business Continuity Plans with development of mitigations.
  • Achieving and maintaining accreditations e.g. Cyber Essentials Plus, ISO accreditations, etc.
  • Developing the necessary knowledge and expertise to be able to respond effectively to enquiries from internal and external stakeholders.
  • Compliance audits across the organisation based on commissioner requests and regulators.
  • Support the delivery of compliance requirements for an NHS organisation E.g. Modern Slavery Act, Counter Fraud, etc.
  • Review national guidance and provide opinion
  • Needs to be time conscious to meet deadlines

The Organisation reserves the right at any time during your employment to vary your duties and responsibilities where necessary to meet the needs of the Organisation.

Take advantage of our comprehensive benefits and rewarding career opportunities.

Why You'll Love Working with Us:

  • Performance-Related Pay
  • Pension Match up to 5%
  • Sick and Critical Illness Pay Cover
  • Electric Car Scheme
  • Enhanced Family Leave
  • Paid Compassionate Leave
  • 25 Days Annual Leave + Bank Holidays (increase with 1 day annually after 2 years of service, up to 30 days)
  • Training and Development Opportunities
  • Employee of the Month and Year Awards
  • Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
  • NHS Blue Light Card
  • Hybrid Working (60% home, 40% in office on a weekly basis)
  • Cycle to Work Scheme

What We're Looking For:

Qualifications

  1. Qualified to degree level (desirable)

Experience

  1. Devising work schedules and progressing to meet agreed target dates (essential)
  2. NHS / Healthcare background (desirable)
  3. Experience in Information Governance and Data Protection (desirable)

Job description

Job responsibilities

We have an exciting opportunity for a Governance Officer to join our expanding team at Primary Eyecare Services!

About Us:

Primary Eyecare Services (PES) is an established provider of high-quality extended eye care services (those beyond sight testing), utilizing a large network of optical practice subcontractors across England (~2000). PES currently holds and manages contracts on behalf of the primary eye care network, spanning ~70 NHS commissioners and delivering over 380,000 episodes of patient care each year, with a total annual turnover of ~£25+ million. PES is a not-for-profit company, limited by guarantee. This sees the majority of generated income pass through to frontline eye care services in optical practices.

Join us and be part of a company that is shaping the future of optometry!

Role Overview:

Primary Eyecare Services is looking for a Governance Officer. This is to support the Quality and Governance team in the delivery of key aspects of work across Quality and Compliance, including ongoing registration with Care Quality Commission (CQC). The role will include reviewing and policies, audits, DPIAs and development of resources and reports as required for compliance against the NHS standard contract. The successful applicant will report to the Director of Quality and Governance.

Salary:

FTE salary starting from £30,000 per annum

Location:

The role will be hybrid, and there is a requirement to attend the PES Head Office in Manchester.

General Responsibilities:

  • Supporting the development, review and implementation of policies and SOPs.
  • Support organisation with Information Governance and Data Protection processes, including but not limited to Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIA), reporting, investigation, training and support the completion of the Data Protection and Security Toolkit (DSPT).
  • Support procurements across the organisation.
  • Support the preparation of information in relation to the organisation of CQC assurance checks and other external reviews as they arise.
  • Development of reports for quality and compliance.
  • Report writing, support the development of Annual Quality Plan, Carbon Reduction Plan, PSIRF Plan and other plans as required within NHS standard contract and/or ongoing CQC registration.
  • Testing and Review of Business Continuity Plans with development of mitigations.
  • Achieving and maintaining accreditations e.g. Cyber Essentials Plus, ISO accreditations, etc.
  • Developing the necessary knowledge and expertise to be able to respond effectively to enquiries from internal and external stakeholders.
  • Compliance audits across the organisation based on commissioner requests and regulators.
  • Support the delivery of compliance requirements for an NHS organisation E.g. Modern Slavery Act, Counter Fraud, etc.
  • Review national guidance and provide opinion
  • Needs to be time conscious to meet deadlines

The Organisation reserves the right at any time during your employment to vary your duties and responsibilities where necessary to meet the needs of the Organisation.

Take advantage of our comprehensive benefits and rewarding career opportunities.

Why You'll Love Working with Us:

  • Performance-Related Pay
  • Pension Match up to 5%
  • Sick and Critical Illness Pay Cover
  • Electric Car Scheme
  • Enhanced Family Leave
  • Paid Compassionate Leave
  • 25 Days Annual Leave + Bank Holidays (increase with 1 day annually after 2 years of service, up to 30 days)
  • Training and Development Opportunities
  • Employee of the Month and Year Awards
  • Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
  • NHS Blue Light Card
  • Hybrid Working (60% home, 40% in office on a weekly basis)
  • Cycle to Work Scheme

What We're Looking For:

Qualifications

  1. Qualified to degree level (desirable)

Experience

  1. Devising work schedules and progressing to meet agreed target dates (essential)
  2. NHS / Healthcare background (desirable)
  3. Experience in Information Governance and Data Protection (desirable)

Person Specification

Qualifications

Desirable

  • Qualified to degree level

Experience

Essential

  • Devising work schedules and progressing to meet agreed target dates.

Desirable

  • NHS / Healthcare background
  • Experience in Information Governance and Data Protection

Skills and qualities

Essential

  • Understand the principles of governance, compliance and quality improvement
  • Able to analyse complex and sensitive information from a wide variety of sources in relation to CQC requirements, External Agency visits and Quality Accounts
  • Report writing
  • Ability to use standard IT packages.
  • Ability to prioritise against a background of competing priorities.
  • Ability to perform literature searches to identify areas of best practice and national guidance, using these to inform policy development.
  • Accuracy and attention to detail
Person Specification

Qualifications

Desirable

  • Qualified to degree level

Experience

Essential

  • Devising work schedules and progressing to meet agreed target dates.

Desirable

  • NHS / Healthcare background
  • Experience in Information Governance and Data Protection

Skills and qualities

Essential

  • Understand the principles of governance, compliance and quality improvement
  • Able to analyse complex and sensitive information from a wide variety of sources in relation to CQC requirements, External Agency visits and Quality Accounts
  • Report writing
  • Ability to use standard IT packages.
  • Ability to prioritise against a background of competing priorities.
  • Ability to perform literature searches to identify areas of best practice and national guidance, using these to inform policy development.
  • Accuracy and attention to detail

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.

Employer details

Employer name

Primary Eyecare Services

Address

Waulk Mill [2.3]

51 Bengal Street

Manchester

Cheshire

M4 6LN


Employer's website

https://primaryeyecare.co.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

Primary Eyecare Services

Address

Waulk Mill [2.3]

51 Bengal Street

Manchester

Cheshire

M4 6LN


Employer's website

https://primaryeyecare.co.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Details

Date posted

04 June 2025

Pay scheme

Other

Salary

Depending on experience

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

U0069-25-0011

Job locations

Waulk Mill [2.3]

51 Bengal Street

Manchester

Cheshire

M4 6LN


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