Head of Regulation

Head of Regulation – Fixed Term Contract (2 year contract) – Mental Health Commission 
 
Osborne are delighted to be partnering with the Mental Health Commission in the recruitment of a Head of Regulation on a full-time, fixed term contract basis. For details of this position and information on how to apply please see details below: 
 
How to apply: 
To apply for this role candidates must submit the relevant, signed and completed application form to mhc@osborne.ie  
You can find the information booklet and application form at https://osborne.ie/mhc-employment-opportunities/  
**CV’s will not be accepted as an application form** 
 
The Organisation:
The MHC is an independent statutory body established in April 2002 under the provisions of the Mental Health Acts 2001-2018 (“the 2001 Act”). The principal functions of the MHC, as specified in the 2001 Act, are to promote, encourage and foster the establishment and maintenance of high standards and good practices in the delivery of mental health services and to take all reasonable steps to protect the interests of persons detained in approved centres. The MHC is also empowered to undertake such activities, as it deems appropriate to foster and promote these standards and practices. 
The Assisted Decision Making (Capacity) Act 2015 (“the 2015 Act”) provides for the establishment of the Decision Support Service (“the DSS”) within the MHC to support decision-making by and for adults with capacity difficulties and to regulate individuals who are providing support to people with capacity difficulties. The 2015 Act reforms Ireland’s capacity legislation which has been in place since the 19th century. It establishes a modern statutory framework to support decision-making by adults who have difficulty in making decisions without help. 
Please note that all reference to the Mental Health Commission include the Decision Support Service. 
 
The Role:
The Head of Regulation will be responsible for managing and overseeing the delivery of a regulatory programme under the 2001 Act, aimed at driving improvements and good practices in mental health services. 
The post holder will report to the Director of Regulation and will work closely with the Head of Standards and Inspectorate to ensure alignment with the MHC’s regulatory functions and strategic objectives.
The successful candidate will be part of the Regulation Directorate and will be a member of the wider Regulatory Team. Proactive and forward-thinking in their approach, they will be responsible for leading and managing the MHC’s regulatory staff and will have lead responsibility to deliver a programme of regulation, monitoring and enforcement in accordance with the requirements of the 2001 Act. They will play a central role in developing regulatory resources, internal capacity, as well as policies and procedures to support the expanding remit of the MHC, in accordance with current proposals to amend the 2001 Act. They will be required to adopt and implement organisational and operational changes to facilitate this expanding remit. 
The Head of Regulation will have internal quality assurance role and will develop and monitor adherence to internal standards and practice across the regulatory team.
Engaging with sector experts, government stakeholders, staffing representatives, and people who use and deliver services, they will be responsible for delivering a work programme that aligns with the MHC’s strategic objectives and reflects the MHC’s values and priorities. They will be directly responsible for delivering and managing the regulation directorate’s business plans under the direction of the Director of Regulation. They will maintain a detailed understanding of the 2001 Act and the MHC’s regulatory function and they will participate in formal regulatory activities in accordance with MHC’s official scheme of delegation of powers.
The MHC’s regulatory function aims to support services providers to not only achieve regulatory compliance but to exceed minimum legal standards and to strive for excellence in meeting the needs of people who use mental health services.
The Head of Regulation will:


Lead and deliver a programme of regulation under the 2001 Act which ensures that the MHC fulfils its legal duties and responsibilities.
Ensure that the programme of regulation is founded on rights-based principles and the attainment of high-quality services and positive outcomes for people who use mental health services.
Actively oversee and manage the regulatory function to ensure it is based on high standards of regulatory practice demonstrating fairness, openness, transparency, accountability and responsiveness.
Consult with and work collaboratively with the wider regulatory team and other internal and external stakeholders to drive measurable sectoral improvement.
Actively implement a stakeholder management programme to ensure MHC has ongoing access to key expertise and experience.
Contribute to the MHC’s programme of internal standards development, aligned with the  MHC’s Learning and Development Strategy, aimed at driving consistent high quality work practices across the MHC regulatory functions. 
Lead and direct the regulatory programme to support the MHC’s business plan objectives, expanding regulatory remit, human rights objectives and wider MHC strategic objectives.
Ensure that all staff within the team fulfil their duties in line with the MHC’s policies and procedures.


 
Key Responsibilities: 
Under the overall direction of the Director of Regulation, the Head of Regulation’s key duties and responsibilities include:


Leading, managing and supporting staff working across the regulatory team and their workloads, to ensure work is of the highest standards and at all times aligned to the MHC’s strategic objectives and statutory functions.
Working collaboratively and in conjunction with the Head of Standards and Inspectorate colleagues to contribute to the objectives of the wider regulatory team and those of the organisation as a whole.
Ensuring that the quality of life and rights of people using mental health services and decision support services are at all times the priority throughout the delivery of the regulatory programme.
Communicating with and encouraging service providers to understand and adhere to their regulatory responsibilities.
Managing and delivering a responsive regulatory framework aimed at ensuring compliance with the relevant legislation, while promoting continuous improvement in the quality and safety of mental health services, in line with MHC business objectives. 
Responding to regulatory risk and putting appropriate and proportionate regulatory plans in place. 
Ensuring that the regulatory processes, including registration, monitoring activities and enforcement procedures, adhere to the 2001 Act, policies and procedures as defined by the MHC and are to the highest standards of objectivity and quality. 
Establishing, monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to assess the integration of quality improvement priorities into the work of the regulatory team 
Developing, implementing and reviewing regulatory policies and procedures as required
Providing professional supervision and guidance to the team in line with agreed policies and procedures 
Assisting with the ongoing training and development of the team, as well as the induction and probation of new employees and PMDS 
Deputising for the Director of Regulation and the Head of Standards as required and in accordance with the MHC’s scheme of delegation of powers.
Providing activity, assurance and other reports as required by the Director of Regulation and wider senior leadership team.
Attending and contributing to all relevant training, meetings and committees as appropriate to the role.
Assuming overall responsibility for various functional areas within the directorate as allocated by the Director of Regulation.
Any other tasks and responsibilities as may be required from time to time in line with the exigencies of the organisation.


Essential Requirements:  
The ideal candidate must possess, by the closing date, the following:


Educated to Honours Bachelor degree level (NFQ Level 8 on the Irish National Framework of Qualifications).
Minimum 2 years’ senior experience in a similar role leading, managing and delivering a programme of regulation for health, mental health or social care services.
Knowledge and experience in the development and application of relevant health, mental health or social care standards, patient/resident quality improvement initiatives and patient safety methodologies.
Knowledge and understanding of the regulatory processes and the legislative framework the MHC works under
Demonstrated project management skills and the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
Ability to lead, manage and motivate a team of professional staff.
The requisite competencies to carry out the role as outlined below.



Please find the information booklet pertaining to the position and a link to the relevant application form at https://osborne.ie/mhc-employment-opportunities/ 
 
All interested parties must complete the relevant application form and submit to mhc@osborne.ie. Only candidates who complete the application forms will be considered within the remit of this competition. 
 
Closing Dates
 
Head of Regulation Deadline for application: Please note latest receipt for applications is strictly Tuesday 4th February 2025 at 5pm GMT. Incomplete applications, postal applications or CV’s will not be accepted. Any applications received after the closing date and time will not be considered. 
 
An acknowledgement email will be issued for all applications received. If you do not receive acknowledgement of your application within two working days of submission, please contact Osborne Recruitment at mhc@osborne.ie to ensure your application has been received. 
 
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