This is a rare opportunity to define what outstanding care looks like at scale. Every day, almost 1,000 people with learning disabilities and mental health conditions rely on the quality of support they receive to live independently, build relationships, achieve their ambitions and play an active role in their communities. At Alternative Futures Group, we believe quality is not measured by processes alone. It is measured by the difference we make to people's lives.



For more than 30 years, AFG has been creating opportunities for people to live the lives they want to lead. Today, we are one of the North West's largest and most respected health and social care charities, supporting around 900 people across more than 300 locations through the commitment and expertise of over 2,000 colleagues. As we continue to grow our impact and deliver our ambitious Positively Impacting More Lives strategy, we are seeking an exceptional Chief Quality Officer to join our Executive Team and help shape the future of our organisation.



At a time of significant opportunity for the social care sector, you will help shape not only the future of AFG, but also contribute to wider conversations about quality, innovation, safeguarding and the delivery of genuinely person-centred support. Sitting at the heart of the organisation, the Chief Quality Officer will play a pivotal role in shaping strategy, driving continuous improvement and ensuring that quality, safety and person-centred support remain central to every decision we make. More than a functional leader, you will be an influential executive voice, helping to create the conditions in which people thrive, colleagues excel and services continuously evolve.




The Opportunity



Quality is fundamental to everything we do. As Chief Quality Officer, you will lead the development of a culture where high-quality support is everyone's responsibility and where innovation, learning and improvement are embedded across the organisation. Working closely with the CEO, Board and Executive Team, you will ensure AFG continues to set high standards for quality, safeguarding, safety and outcomes, while helping us respond confidently to the opportunities and challenges shaping the future of social care.



You will influence the experience of hundreds of people who draw on our services and thousands of colleagues who deliver them. Through visible leadership and strategic insight, you will help ensure that quality is not simply maintained but continually strengthened as AFG grows and evolves.




Why Join AFG?



AFG combines the scale and ambition of a leading social care organisation with a deeply held belief in human potential. We are recognised as a Great Place to Work, have a strong financial platform, an ambitious strategy and a reputation for putting people at the centre of everything we do. We are committed to continuous improvement, innovation and creating environments where both the people we support and our colleagues can flourish.This role offers the opportunity to:

• Shape quality and safeguarding practice across one of the largest health and social care charities in the North West.


• Influence organisational strategy as a member of the Executive Team.


• Drive innovation and continuous improvement across diverse services and communities.


• Develop a culture where quality is measured not only through compliance, but through the lives people are enabled to live.


• Help position AFG as a recognised leader in delivering outstanding person-centred

Why This Role Matters



Few roles offer the opportunity to combine executive leadership, strategic influence and social impact on this scale. As Chief Quality Officer, you will help shape the future of one of the UK's most respected social care organisations, influencing not only how services are delivered today, but how quality, safety and person-centred support evolve in the years ahead. You will join an organisation with a strong reputation, a talented executive team and an ambitious vision for the future. Together, we are seeking to raise standards, challenge expectations and demonstrate what is possible when quality is defined by the outcomes people achieve rather than the services they receive.Most importantly, you will help ensure that more people are able to live with independence, dignity, choice and opportunity.



If you are energised by the opportunity to lead at scale, shape sector-leading practice and make a lasting difference to people's lives, we would love to hear from you.



For a confidential discussion, please contact:

• emma.french@gatenbysanderson.com


• liz.dean@gatenbysanderson.com

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Recruitment Timetable



Closing date

9th November 2026



Informal Stakeholder Meetings

16-20 November 2026



Assessment Centre

Monday 23 November 2026



Final Panel Interviews

Week commencing 30 November 2026




How to Apply

• Please submit your CV along with a Supporting Statement addressing the person specification criteria, evidencing how you meet the criteria.


• Detail any employment or education gaps.


• Be ready to provide the names, positions, organisations and contact details for two referees; one should be your current or most recent employer. Referees will be contacted for those proceeding to final stages. We will always gain your permission before we contact referees.


• Let us know any difficulty you may have with the indicative timetable.


• Check that your contact details are correct before you submit.

Once you have submitted your application, you will receive an automated email confirmation. If you do not receive, please email contactus@gatenbysanderson.com