Head of Risk and Compliance

 Peter McVerry Trust is a national housing and homeless charity committed to reducing homelessness & the harm caused by substance misuse & social disadvantage.

The charity provides low-threshold entry services, primarily to younger people and vulnerable adults with complex needs, and offers pathways out of homelessness based on  the principles of the Housing First model.

 The Purpose for the Role:

 The Head of Risk and Compliance will lead on the development and continuous improvement of PMVT's risk and compliance management in order to strengthen and expand risk and governance capabilities within PMVT, and support a strong and effective risk management culture within their team and across the organisation.

In doing so, they will work directly with the Director of Corporate Services, and support the senior management team, Risk Committee and the Finance Audit & Governance committee in order to achieve overall alignment of governance, risk, and compliance functions, initiatives and decisions in PMVT.

PMVT is committed to ensuring the highest standards of governance, financial, HR, & operational management. The post holder has a key role to play in ensuring that this commitment is met through responding to agreed outcomes arising through audit, reviews and investigations. This work will focus on ensuring that control procedures identified as risks are being properly implemented, managed and used across the organisation on a daily basis, in emergency situations and by our operational and service delivery partners.

The post holder will support PMVT to implement continuous improvement, providing an assurance that any risks which threaten the achievement of our strategy, objectives and activities are managed efficiently and effectively.

Specialist Knowledge, Expertise & Self Development:

• A working knowledge of governance within the charities sector, and associated regulations and regulatory bodies
• Experience of the regulatory and compliance requirements relevant to PMVT (Charity Regulator Authority, AHBRA, Companies Registration Office, TUSLA, DRHE, HSE, GDPR, Health and Safety, Safeguarding etc.)
• Experience of information management systems and quality assurance tools
• Technical knowledge of the Data Protection Act and confidentiality guidelines.
• Knowledge of both theoretical and practical aspects of project management.

Risk Management

•  Responsible for ensuring PMVT has the necessary policies and procedures in place to enable risks to be identified, evaluated and managed efficiently and effectively.
• Responsible for regularly reviewing and updating PMVT's risk management system in line with best practice.
• Responsible for implementation of the PMVT risk management policy and procedures, including:  co-ordinating the centralised Active Risk Register, monitoring gaps, updating leadership teams and ensuring regular reviews and  preparing reports for the Finance, Audit & Governance committee & the Board on organisational risk.
• Develop and implement proactive strategies to mitigate identified risks, improving safety outcomes for both participants and staff.
• Work closely with management to ensure corrective actions for any identified risks are swiftly enacted.

Governance

• Responsible for designing/reviewing/adapting structures, policies and processes to ensure PMVT is fully compliant with all applicable legal, regulatory, governance and best practice guidance. This includes responsibility for adherence to the Charities Governance Code published by the Charities Regulator, the AHRBA Standards Framework & our other regulatory stakeholders.
• Keep  the CEO and senior leadership appraised of new developments in the applicable legal and regulatory environment.

Policy Development:

• Ensure all required organisational policies and procedures are in place and easily accessible and that reviews of these documents are carried out as necessary.
• Embedding best practice into PMVT in relation to Compliance and contributing to the learning and further development of this activity.

Health & Safety:

• Ensure the PMVT Safety Statement is regularly reviewed and updated in line with best practice and legal/regulatory developments.
• Act as liaison with insurers in relation to health and safety issues
• Issue recommendations on control measures to reduce adverse effects on the health, safety and wellbeing of staff, service users and members of the public.
• Actively participate in committees & working groups, including health & safety & risk committees

Data Protection

• Operate as the organisation's Data Protection Officer (DPO) and lead on GDPR compliance issues.
• Responsible for designing and ensuring the implementation of reporting structures, policies and processes to ensure that PMVT data processing activities comply with all applicable data protection laws and regulations.
• Promote a positive data protection compliant culture.
• Keeping the Board, CEO and Senior Team appraised of key developments in the data protection environment and ensuring ongoing training for all staff on GDPR compliance.

Reporting & Analysis:

• Identify and develop data and reporting systems which meet the organisational need in real-time, informative, accurate data to inform policy development using the available platforms.
• Conduct data analysis to identify trends, risks, and opportunities for improvement in policy development
• Prepare presentations and briefings for internal and external stakeholders, committees, and working groups.
• Provide monthly reporting on key areas of works ensuring reports are accurate and concise
• Prepare documentation for the Board and contribute to executive reports.