Data and Quality Officer
Who we are
People First is an independent customer-led charitable organisation that has worked in Cumbria for over 30 years.
The Well Communities is a not-for-profit Community Interest Company, led by people in recovery from substance misuse.
This role will work across both People First and The Well Communities, who work in Partnership across the North of England.
We are passionate about our values of equality, respect, and inclusion. We provide a wide range of support and information services across Cumbria, Lancashire, and Teesside, all aimed at helping people to live informed, respected, healthy and fulfilled lives.
Purpose of job
An opportunity has arisen to work for our organisations during an exciting time of growth and development.
This role will support the Data and Quality Manager within the central Business Team.
Main tasks involve supporting all departments within the organisations, such as Learning & Communities, Carers & Self-Directed Support, Advocacy & Engagement, the Core Business Team and The Well Communities, to accurately collect, collate and analyse their data. This data is used to identify cross-organisational themes across all geographical areas and support the organisation’s quality, performance, and risk processes. This includes identifying areas of best practice and areas of improvement across the organisation.
The person
As a prerequisite, the successful candidate must believe in the core values of People First and The Well Communities and be driven by their missions.
We are seeking a candidate who is highly organised with a focus on attention to detail; someone who is a quick learner, has a ‘can-do’ attitude, has experience with data analysis and report writing and has a flexible approach to working to support the changing needs of a growing and thriving organisation.
- Must be highly organised with a keen eye for detail.
- Be able to prioritise tasks to meet deadlines.
- Be an effective communicator and able to liaise with Trustees, Directors, Managers, staff, members, customers, and key stakeholders.
- Be a team player.
- Be proactive and able to work in a fast-paced environment.
Skills, knowledge, and experience
Essential
- Experience working within a data management/analysis role.
- At least an intermediate level of Excel proficiency.
- Excellent verbal and written communication.
- Ability to build strong working relationships.
- Effective communication with people on all levels across the organisation: management, staff, volunteers and young people.
- Strong organisational skills with the ability to follow direction, use your own initiative and meet deadlines.
- Experience of working to set objectives/targets.
- Experience of qualitative and quantitative research methods, including surveys, interviewing and focus groups.
- Good presentation skills – proven ability to present to others in a clear and confident manner.
- Good attention to detail and ability to quality check all work to a high standard.
- Excellent time management skills, and a proven ability to meet deadlines.
- Discreet and able to maintain confidentiality, including working in a sensitive, participative, and ethical manner.
Desirable
- Knowledge and understanding of the local and national health and care services is advantageous.
- Good working knowledge of Data Protection legislation.
- Practical experience of all stages of the research process including research design, fieldwork, analysis, and report writing.
- Cross-organisational working, with the ability to manage time effectively and prioritise work accordingly.
Duties will likely include:
- Administration of the annual Staff Survey, quarterly staff temperature checks and EDI Survey – monitoring response rates, liaising with Heads of Service and supporting staff members to complete the surveys.
- To take actions and answer Data queries during the quarterly Performance and Development conferences, and any other meetings that may require support.
- Support the Quality, Performance and Organisational Risk Committee by taking minutes and overseeing the progress of the Committee.
- To plan, design and write high-quality reports using case studies and data analysis to inform recommendations.
- Support staff and people with lived experience to understand data processes, supporting them where necessary.
- Support the management team to collate and analyse data that supports our quarterly performance review process.
- Maintenance of the organisation’s Risk Register – highlighting areas requiring further mitigation and flag any concerns to Data and Quality Manager.
- Collate information for the Quality Assurance processes including ISO 9001 – Monitoring progress & ensuring deadlines are met.
- To support the implementation of data collection methodologies, working across all departments.
- Data cleansing and manipulation of complex data sets.
- Monthly data exports from our in-house developed CRM, departmental dashboards and monthly monitoring reports.
- Work closely with our in-house and external Principal Software Engineers to support with the development and sustainability of our internal CRM.
- Support the Data and Quality Manager to make changes and develop our bespoke database including a focus on innovation and integration with AI and other machine learning software.
- Work closely with departments to understand their needs and identify relevant solutions.
- Undertake discussions with Head of Service regarding Contractual KPI updates and alterations.
- Be the first point of contact for data related and Excel queries.
- Working alongside out Data Protection Officer and Data and Quality Manager to oversee GDPR processes such as Subject Access Requests, Data breaches and information redaction.
- Understanding the role of the Data and Quality Manager, to be contingency in the case of absence.
Other duties
- Evening and weekend work may be required.
- The duties outlined above are not intended to be exhaustive and may change as the needs of the organisation alter in line with current agendas. Due to the developing nature of our organisation, we require staff to remain highly flexible in their approach, and work to meet the changing needs of the projects.
- Please note that the successful candidate will be required to subscribe to the DBS update service, which requires all People First staff to pay an annual subscription fee.
For more information
If you’d like any further information about the role or if you have any questions, please contact our Data and Quality Manager: [email protected]
Salary Band Justification
Probationary Salary
£26,000 FTE (£15,900 pro rata)
The probationary salary reflects that the postholder will initially be developing an understanding of:
- The organisation’s bespoke CRM system
- Reporting requirements across multiple departments
- Risk management and governance processes
- ISO 9001 quality assurance procedures
- GDPR and information governance requirements
- Internal performance review and committee arrangements
During this period, support and supervision will be required to ensure competency across the breadth of technical and governance responsibilities.
Post-Probationary Salary
£27,500 FTE (£16,500 pro rata)
The Increase following successful completion of probation recognises the expectation that the postholder is able to:
- Independently produce monthly monitoring reports and dashboards
- Maintain the organisations Risk Register
- Support performance reviews and committee processes
- Act as the first point of contact for data and Excel queries
- Manage complex datasets and data quality activities
- Support CRM development, testing and continuous improvement
- Contribute to GDPR, quality assurance and organisational governance activities
- Provide contingency support for the Data & Quality Manager
The salary reflects a role requiring a combination of technical data analysis skills, governance knowledge, compliance responsibilities, system development support, and stakeholder engagement across the organisation. The postholder is expected to operate with a high degree of autonomy following probation and contribute to organisational improvement initiatives.
Competency Framework
- Data Management and Analysis
- Reporting & Performance Monitoring
- Quality Assurance & Compliance
- Risk & Governance maintenance & support
- Systems Development & Contrinous Improvement
To apply
If you’re interested in the role and think you’d be a good fit, we’d like to hear from you.
To apply for this position, please email a copy of your CV including details of two references, to [email protected] or alternatively, you can post for the attention of Barry to People First Conference Centre, Milbourne Street, Carlisle, CA2 5XB
All applications should be clearly marked: Confidential – Data & Quality Officer
To arrive no later than 5pm, Friday 17th July 2026 (this date may change depending on volume of applications). Interviews to take place on Friday 24th July 2026.