Job Description

To lead on the delivery of a quality assurance function across Children's Services and Early Help and contribute to Medway's safeguarding arrangements.


To lead the development, delivery and implementation of high-quality social work and early help practice, working with the Principal Social Worker across all of Children's Services and the wider children's multi-disciplinary partnership.


To manage a team of Practice Development Leads supporting them to provide specialist and expert advice, consultation, coaching and challenge in the management of complex casework to operational staff.


To maintain a lead responsibility for developing, implementing, and overseeing the Learning and Accountability Framework and specific quality assurance initiatives across services. Ensuring the delivery of quality standards within children's services, including identification through audit of the effective implementation of policies and procedures and national requirements. Undertake quality assurance activity to support and constructively challenge social work management and practice.


To celebrate good practice as well as follow up and follow through on learning arising from quality assurance and audit activities ensuring timely action is taken and lessons are learnt, with a whole systems approach to learning.


Provide regular, analytical and evidence based reports with a focus on "closing the loop" for quality assurance activities.


Ensuring that all quality assurance work considers and produces recommendations for change and development in policy, service provision and planned continuous improvements in the quality of our work with children and families in Medway.

####

In return, we can offer you:

Generous annual leave entitlement Generous local government pension scheme package Access to wider training and development qualifications Flexible working scheme Travel plan discounts MedPay - opportunity for pay progression Access to CAREFIRST advice & counselling service Employee discount scheme for national and local retailers The Government has introduced new ways of supporting parents with childcare costs. Further details are available here: - https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/
####

Our organisation:

Medway is a unitary authority in the South East of England, made up of the towns of Strood, Rochester, Chatham, Gillingham and Rainham and more rural areas, including the Hoo Peninsula.


Situated in Kent in the South-East of England, the area has plenty of green spaces, excellent facilities and easy access to the national motorway and rail networks, facilitating superb transport links to London.


We provide all local Government services for a quarter of a million people, looking after education, environment, social care, housing, planning, business and much more - everything from frontline services such as rubbish collection and events like the Dickens Festival to work that goes on behind the scenes to ensure services in Medway run smoothly and cost effectively.


Working at Medway Council means that you get to be part of this journey working alongside talented, professional colleagues to drive forward change to transform the lives of our residents and the communities they live in.

####

Important Information

Applicants must be able to demonstrate all essential requirements as listed in the job profile


Equal Opportunities Commitment Statement


Medway Council is committed to creating an inclusive work environment with a diverse workforce. All appropriately qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, disability or age


For further information please refer to the Medway information pack available as a download or to view online


Please be advised that if you are not contacted within 3 weeks of the advert closing date then you have not been shortlisted. All recruitment correspondence, including interview letters and contracts of employment will usually be sent out via email.


Please visit http://www.mindfulemployer.net/ for information on how Medway Council put good practices in place to ensure employees and job applicants who declare mental health issues receive the right level of support.


We reserve the right to close this vacancy at any time prior to the closing date.