Head of Compliance – Bristol

Overview

Our client is a well-respected, multi-academy charitable Trust, responsible for a number of schools across its region. There continues to be investment in the Trust by way of new senior leadership, processes and operational development. As part of their plans to professionalise the operations function, they have a new requirement for a Head of Compliance to take primary responsibility for strategic leadership and direction for the Trust on matters of compliance and statutory requirements. Working with the CEO, Operations Director and external stakeholders to ensure the Trust is compliant with areas such as oversight of the admissions process, GDPR/Data Protection, management of FOI requests and co-ordination of the complaints process.

The role will ensure that the Trust and its schools maintain appropriate policies and procedures to be compliant with statutory responsibilities by fulfilling the role of Company Secretary, maintaining up to date knowledge of the statutory responsibilities within the Trust schools. The postholder will also fulfil the role of Clerk to the Members, Trust Board and relevant committees.

The post will require liaison with a number of internal teams across the trust, i.e. with school administration teams via the Trust Administrator regarding general school processes are compliant, with the Operations Team and Head of Safeguarding regarding areas such as Data Protection/GDPR, Safeguarding, Health and Safety compliance and risk management, and providing due diligence support to the Operations Director regarding the potential for new schools to join the Trust.

Responsibilities

Provide strategic leadership across the Trust for the following areas, ensuring compliance with statutory requirements:

 Policy management

• Oversight of Admissions processes
• Co-ordination of the complaints process
• Oversight of GDPR and to act as the Data Protection Officer, managing SAR and FOI requests as appropriate
• To act as the Trust Company Secretary
• Ensure the Trust and its schools maintain appropriate policies and procedures to be compliant with statutory responsibilities
• Fulfill the role of Clerk to the Members, the Board and its committees and relevant school LGCs and to oversee clerking
• Liaison with school and central based teams, providing support and advice
• Coordinating our Covid response (eg reviewing newly published government guidance/flowcharts etc, point of contact for school policy queries related to this guidance)
• Medium/Long term: Project Management - especially around academy transfers/conversion 

 Experience/Attributes 

• Excellent A Level or Higher Qualifications and a good general education
• Knowledge of school inspection requirements would be an advantage but not a pre-requisite
• Knowledge of relevant areas of legislation e.g. Health and Safety/Data Security/Safeguarding
• The ability to interpret legislation and other laid down procedures and be able to explain the requirements in simple, practical terms to non- specialists.

Safeguarding Statement 

Our client is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. They expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Successful candidates are subject to child protection screening appropriate to the post, which will include an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check for the children’s workforce and a Children’s Barred List check.

If this opportunity is of interest, please email your CV