Associate Director of Quality Assurance

About the role

You will oversee a comprehensive programme of audits and reviews, transforming raw data into sophisticated intelligence that shapes our strategic priorities. Your work ensures that we don't just meet statutory requirements but we exceed them.

As the lead for our independent safeguarding functions, you will hold a broad and vital portfolio. You will oversee Quality Assurance, Independent Reviewing and Child Protection Service, alongside Children, Young People and Family Participation, ensuring the 'voice of the child' is not just heard, but is the primary driver of service design and delivery.

Your key responsibilities will include:

• Leading an integrated Quality Assurance Framework that triangulates evidence from audits, complaints, and direct feedback to achieve 'outstanding' outcomes.
• Spearheading the preparation and response for all external inspections, including ILACS, JTAIs, SEND, and CQC.
• Taking an active lead on Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews and Serious Incident Notifications, while collaborating closely with multi-agency Safeguarding Partnerships.
• Providing oversight to the Principal Social Worker to ensure the successful embedding of Signs of Safety (SoS) and Systemic practice frameworks.
• Strengthening the role of the Participation Team to ensure that children, young people, and families actively influence decision-making at every level of the council.

If you wish to have an informal discussion about the role please contact Sarah Moran, Deputy Director Children's Social Care & Early Help on sarah.moran@achievingforchildren.org.uk

About you

We are looking for a visionary leader who combines strategic thinking with commitment to children's rights. To excel in this role, you will bring:

• A degree in Social Work (or equivalent) with current Social Work England registration and a proven track record of continuous professional development in leadership.
• Significant experience leading and improving practice within a complex children’s services environment. You should have an excellent understanding of current legislation, statutory guidance and inspection regimes.
• The ability to utilise data and intelligence to evaluate the impact of interventions, identifying exactly where and how we can improve.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills with the ability to negotiate, influence and build strong partnerships across a diverse range of stakeholders.
• A strength-based approach to leadership, with the personal energy to thrive in an independent role and the determination to solve complex problems creatively.
• A demonstrated commitment to addressing equality and diversity issues within practice and the workplace.

About our benefits

We are focused on creating a positive supportive environment, where you will have access to a really wide range of resources, as well as a competitive salary and all the perks to enable hybrid working. In AfC you will also have access to:

• 29 days annual leave, increasing to 33 days after 2 years and 35 days after 4 years with an additional day off in your birthday month (Or for term-time workers, your leave entitlement consists of the non-working periods in your contract)
• Tailored induction sessions commencing on the date you start working for AfC
• Local Government salary and pension scheme (LGPS or Teachers Pension)
• Flexible working options - helping to keep a good work life balance
• A comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme
• A range of staff benefits and discounts
• An excellent learning and development offer to support your career pathway

To find out about all of the breadth of benefits of working for Achieving for Children click here. For our social work offer click here. For our Recruitment Journey, click here.

Important Information

Start dates: Achieving for Children have set start dates meaning successful candidates join on a set date in each month. Candidates are advised to prepare for this should a job offer be accepted to ensure eligible continuous service is not affected.

Right to work: The UK has introduced a new points-based immigration system affecting EU and Non-EU workers and sponsorship requirements. We advise checking the GOV.UK website for right to work guidance.

Equality: We particularly welcome applications from sections of the community who are currently underrepresented within our teams. Achieving for Children are committed to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone. We are committed to promoting equality and diversity and developing a culture that values differences, recognising that employees from a variety of backgrounds bring important and positive contributions and can improve the way we deliver services. We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer.

Safeguarding: We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. This post is exempted under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and as such appointment to this post will be conditional upon the receipt of a satisfactory response to a check of police records via Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).

We reserve the right to close this vacancy once a sufficient number of applications has been received. Therefore, it is strongly advised that you complete and return your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.