Ability West provides a wide range of high-quality services to children and adults with intellectual disabilities and autism across Galway City and County. Services provided are day, residential, short breaks, community support, rehabilitative training, and multi-disciplinary support. The ethos of service provision is underpinned by our Vision, Mission, Core Values and Strategic Plan, which is to empower people with disabilities to live self-directed lives in an equal and inclusive society. Each person is supported and valued within an environment which promotes their overall autonomy, health and wellbeing and enables them to reach their potential.

Purpose of the Role

Ability West is seeking to appoint a Director of Quality, Compliance and Nursing to lead the organisation in a challenging environment, steering its strategic development and implementing its progressive vision for individualised, rights-based, integrated service delivery in the community.

Key Duties

The ongoing development of the Quality and Service Improvement Team, development of an integrated quality and compliance management system, in line with the National Standards and all service-related regulatory requirements of Ability West across all areas of the Organisation.

Support an organisational culture that embraces positive risk taking within a person-centred and self-directed model of service in line with people we support's priorities, rights, will and preference.

Culture and Strategy

• Provide input to the organisational strategy to ensure the quality, compliance and risk agenda is forefront in the delivery of services, and to enhance the culture of the organisation.

Governance

• Develop and support the key governance structures responsible for the oversight of quality and compliance , including but not limited to the Quality Committee and any relevant committees as required.
• Develop and support the governance structure responsible for the oversight of safe effective nursing care provided to people we support within Ability West.

 Policies and Procedures

• Maintain a centralised register and / or repository of Ability West policies and procedures.
• Monitor the development, review and approval of policies and procedures to ensure it is in line with the Ability West related policy and procedure process.

Audit Management

• Develop a programme of audit for Ability West. This should address all relevant clinical and non-clinical aspects of the service.
• Support with the implementation of Audit Programmes as required. This may include communication of the schedule of audits; liaising with auditors; ensuring audits are undertaken as per the Audit Schedule; supporting auditors to collate findings; ensuring audit findings are closed out; and ensuring the audit is closed out.

Regulatory Compliance

• Develop and implement a programme to assist with the process of compliance preparedness required in relation to regulations and standards.
• Support Senior and frontline Managers in understanding the legislation and standards that are applicable to their service, the assessment process undertaken by HIQA, the HSE and other regulatory bodies, and their obligations to communicate with / report to same.

Quality Improvement Plans

• Support Line Managers to identify areas for quality improvement. This may arise from internal audit, HIQA, the HSE and other regulatory bodies inspection reports, incident reports, proactive identification of areas for improvement, etc.
• Support Line Managers to apply standard methodology to quality improvement initiatives.
• Lead on the communication of Quality Initiatives across Ability West to enable departments to learn from the quality initiatives of each other.

Risk Management

• Ensure there is a robust system in place to manage all incidents and complaints received in line with best practice and policy.
• Ensure effective System Identification Analysis is undertaken on high-risk incidents and that the results are used to drive improvement.
• Ensure a robust risk management process that identifies incidents and risks and manages these risks to minimise impacts to people we support and staff and minimise the opportunity for reoccurrence of errors.

Complaints Management

• Oversee the implementation of the complaint's management process for people we support and families, in a manner that is accessible to them, e.g. poster displays, notices etc.
• Ensure all complaints are logged in a centralised data base and relevant reporting to the HSE is completed as required.
• Collate and prepare data relating to closed complaints for analysis and interrogation with the objective of identifying areas for improvement.

 Best Practice and Quality Improvement

• Establish a clear framework for the management and control of processes throughout the organisation which promotes practice and corporate governance, through effective document control.
• Coordinate and embed internal quality audit to evaluate compliance and adherence to processes.

The list of key duties is not exhaustive.

Person Specification

• A professional qualification in a health related or comparable area.

AND    

• Be a registered nurse on the live Register of Nurses kept by Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI).

OR

• Be registered in the Intellectual Disability Division of the Register of Nurses kept by NMBI/be registered in the Mental Health Division of the Register of Nurses kept RNID/RGN/RMHN qualification is desirable.

• Have the clinical and administrative capacity to properly discharge the functions of the role.

• Post holders must maintain annual registration with An Bord Altranais (NMBI).

• Post graduate higher diploma in Quality and Compliance or equivalent

Key Competencies

• Management experience at a senior level in a healthcare setting for a minimum of five years'
• Excellent understanding of clinical governance, service planning, service provision and resource management.
• Robust understanding Regulation and HIQA framework.
• Experience of working in a post that has involved safety, risk management, quality improvement and regulatory compliance.
• Experience of working in a senior managerial nursing position
• Experience of leading change at a senior organisational level.

What we offer

• Have an opportunity to work in a person centred organisation and make a positive difference to people's lives and communities.
•  A supportive and inclusive work environment where your ideas and input are valued
• The opportunity to grow and develop professionally in this role through training and experience.
•  Contributory pension scheme of 7%
• Flexible benefits and above statutory minimum
•  Bike to Work Scheme

Closing date 15th of June 2026

INAW