Quality Development Officer - Sandyford -Full Time

Odyssey Social Care (OSC) is a leading provider of residential care for young people, committed to fostering an environment of support and continuous growth. The Quality Development Officer reports directly to the Head of Quality & Risk within Odyssey Social Care. This role is responsible for planning, auditing, analysing trends, and developing quality systems, policies, procedures, and compliance tools across the organisation. While the role does not include management or performance oversight of teams, it plays a key part in supporting services to embed quality, consistency, and continuous improvement.

In addition to auditing responsibilities, the Quality Development Officer will support the development of new auditing tools, data dashboards, and quality systems, ensuring that organisational learning is captured, analysed, and translated into practical improvements. The postholder must be knowledgeable in all current legislation and regulations relevant to our sector and able to determine quality indicators of care.

This office-based/ Hybrid role requires significant stakeholder engagement to implement policies aligned with organizational goals, including the 3X10X journey and fostering a workplace culture aligned with the H.A.V.E. strategy.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

1) To audit services using our internal audit tools, ensuring strong alignment to the regulatory framework and internal systems.

2) To guide management within services during the onsite audit supporting consistency and high-quality implementation of protocols & policies and procedures.

3) To support the development, refinement, and enhancement of auditing tools, templates, and digital audit systems that strengthen the organisation’s ability to monitor quality and promote best practice. requirements for compliance. This may be within the auditing structure or on a day a day to review.

4) To Analyze qualitative and quantitative data to highlight strengths, identify opportunities for improvement, and support evidence‑based decision‑making across the organization.

5) Identify trends, patterns, and emerging themes across services to inform organizational learning, strategic planning, and continuous improvement.

6) To Complete themed audits when required by Senior Management to deepen understanding of specific practice areas and support targeted development

7) To conduct interviews with team members to understand their knowledge of policies and procedures and to reinforce expected care practice codes and frameworks.

8) To conduct interviews with young people to ensure their voices are heard, their rights are upheld, and they have an independent forum to share feedback that contributes to service enhancement.

9) To Report concerns relating to child protection, code of conduct or relevant subjects immediately to SMT, ensuring a culture of safety and accountability.

10) Control quality system – Design Control Documentation & Change Control. Ensure the portal and related systems are kept up to date with all current policies and procedures and that these are accessible and user‑friendly for all teams.

11) To recommend training and development opportunities for teams to support excellence in practice.

12) To Write policies, procedures, and design systems that enhance service quality and contribute to better outcomes for young people.

13) To Promote Quality in Odyssey Social Care – internally and externally, through seminars, workshops, training, audit feedback, and action planning that celebrates strengths and supports improvement.

14) To apply learnings quarterly through various forms of reporting to all stakeholders and to provide training in these areas to management to ensure consistency, replication, and improvement across all services.

15) To Communicate with all stakeholders to support shared learning, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

16) To Provide constructive problem‑solving and recommendations that strengthen practice and support high‑quality outcomes.

17) To Design and apply principles of risk management to support safe, effective, and forward‑looking service delivery.

18) Maintain knowledge of the requirements under HIQA in the areas of Registration, staffing requirements, Statement of Purpose, Child Protection, Person in Charge and how these apply within Odyssey Social Care.

19) To Support the Head of Quality & Risk in developing organizational dashboards, KPI reporting, and quality improvement cycles that strengthen governance and transparency.

20) To contribute to the design and implementation of organisation-wide quality systems, processes, and governance tools that enhance consistency, transparency, and continuous improvement across all services.

21) Control quality system – Design Control Documentation & Change Control. To ensure the portal and or related systems are kept up to date with all current policies and procedures and that these are available to all teams.

22) To recommend training deficits in teams when required.

23) Write policies, procedures, and design systems to enhance our services for better outcomes for young people.

24) Represent Odyssey Social Care in inspections with TUSLA when required.

25) Promote Quality in Odyssey Social Care – Internally and externally, through seminars, workshops, training and in audit feedback and action planning.

26) To apply learnings quarterly through various forms of reporting to all stakeholders and to provide training in these areas to management to ensure consistency and replication and improvement across all services.

27) Communicate with all stakeholders for learnings and improvements

28) Design and apply principles of risk management when required.

Essential Qualifications, Knowledge and Skills:

• Degree in Social Care or relevant discipline.
• Experience in management of care systems with young people.
• Experience in implementing quality control systems.
• Understanding of Quality and Continuous Improvement and the principles within Odyssey Social Care.
• To have an in-depth knowledge of Odyssey Social Care’s Policies and Procedures.
• Strong Knowledge of Health and Safety, Fire Safety, Risk Management, Medication Management, Infection Control, HIQA Standards, Regulatory Inspection Framework, Social Care Codes of Practice, Employee Supports.
• Ability to problem solve and apply logical thinking regardless of current events and situations to ensure better outcomes for young people.
• To have effective communication to apply and guide learnings to colleagues and ensure clarity and impactful implementation.
• Ability to manage own time and schedule whilst travelling from location to location and adhere to deadlines.
• Full, clean driving license.

Desirable Qualifications, Knowledge and Skills:

In order to become a successful internal auditor, you need to show evidence of the following:

• Organisation skills.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• An ability to work well under pressure.
• The capacity to adapt to change.
• Good critical-thinking skills to gather all of the available data and make informed decisions.
• Teamwork skills but also the ability to work on your own.
• Meticulous attention to detail and analytical thinking.
• Strong ethics and exemplary integrity
• Experience in data analysis, trend identification, or quality improvement methodologies
• Experience in system design, digital tools, or process mapping is an advantage

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Work Conditions

• Traveling will be a large component of this role; you will need a full clean driving license in order to visit the different locations of the business.
• Hybrid model with a mixture of home working and office based days for administrative duties, with a requirement to travel to Odyssey Locations
• Requirement to keep abreast of new legislation and regulatory frameworks.

About The Role

When you work with Odyssey Social Care, you’re part of a dedicated team that’s as supportive to each other as we are to the young people in our care. Because we know that our success depends on yours, you’ll get continuous on the job training. Quite simply, our supportive, adaptive and flexible approach is designed to give you the best opportunities to progress through the company and further your career.

Required Criteria

• Must have a minimum of a level 7 Degree in Social Care or relevant discipline.
• Must have a full, clean Irish/Eu driving license.
Must be open to regularly travelling to different locations across the business

Skills Needed

About The Company

Overview

Mission: Odyssey Social Care provides safe homes where children and young people can heal from trauma, rebuild trust, and discover their own strengths. We give them the support and opportunities they need to build resilience and step into a brighter future.

Working for Odyssey Social Care involves being part of a team (led by CEO Stacey McGrath, above) dedicated to supporting children and young people.

As professional caregivers, we are caring, compassionate and resilient. We work with children who have experienced trauma, and believe in healing through trusting care relationships.

The Odyssey Way

We put the needs of the child at the forefront of everything we do. Our care framework is designed to be flexible, responsive and provide holistic care to our young people.

Our care model, The Odyssey Way, is trauma-informed, evidence-based, and outcome-led. It supports the needs of each individual child, helping them to work through trauma by focusing on overall wellbeing.

Our unique, specialised intervention, the Odyssey Saoirse Project, uses eco-therapy, adventure-based life skills and positive mentoring to help young people heal, grow and thrive.

Company Culture

Our Values

• Safety – safe homes, safe care, safe relationships

• Quality – trauma-informed, evidence-based, outcome-led

• Trust – built through honest communication and consistency

• Empowerment – giving young people and staff the tools to succeed

• Inclusion – equity and belonging for all

• Impact – measurable difference for young people, staff, communities & planet

Accessibility & Sustainability

Odyssey Social Care is committed to encouraging a culture of diversity and inclusion across our organisation.

As a Certified B Corp, we also believe in providing care sustainably, measuring our impact across our people, our communities, and the planet.

Company Benefits

On joining Odyssey, you’ll be supported every step of the way.

Competitive salary & incremental pay progression

Flexible rostering that supports work-life balance

Accredited training & continuous development

Education assistance grants

Health & life insurance supports

Social events & wellbeing supports

Real career progression – 80%+ of our leaders Have grown from within

We believe in caring for our staff with the same commitment we bring to the young people in our homes.

For more details, visit About Us

Flexible schedule, Employee development programs, A diversity program, Cycle to work, Referral bonus, Company retreats, Life insurance, Employee Assistance Scheme, Social Opportunities, Culture of recognition, On the job learning, Long service awards

Salary

€49,920.00 per year