Job Description: Head of Service – Quality Assurance & Review
Swindon Borough Council
Role Purpose
The Head of Service for Quality Assurance & Review provides strategic leadership for the Council’s Quality Assurance (QA) and practice improvement function across Children’s and/or Adults’ Social Care. The role ensures that statutory safeguarding responsibilities, care standards, and regulatory requirements are consistently met while driving continuous improvement in service delivery.
This is an independent oversight role, responsible for challenging practice, identifying risk, and improving outcomes for children, adults, and families.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership
- Lead the development and delivery of the Council’s Quality Assurance and practice improvement framework.
- Ensure compliance with statutory duties including the Children Act 1989 and Care Act 2014.
- Contribute to wider strategic leadership across Children’s or Adults’ Services.
Independent Quality Assurance & Oversight
- Provide independent scrutiny and professional challenge to operational social care teams.
- Promote strengths-based, safe, and effective practice across services.
- Ensure robust oversight of safeguarding practice and decision-making.
Audit, Review & Inspection Readiness
- Design and deliver structured audit programmes across casework, including child protection, fostering, and care planning.
- Undertake thematic reviews to identify patterns, risks, and areas for improvement.
- Lead preparation for external inspections (e.g. Ofsted and CQC), ensuring readiness and compliance.
Service Improvement & Transformation
- Lead continuous improvement initiatives across social care services.
- Work in partnership with internal teams, external agencies, families, and service users to improve outcomes.
- Translate audit findings into actionable service improvements.
Performance & Risk Management
- Monitor key performance indicators and quality metrics across services.
- Identify emerging risks, trends, and areas of concern through data and case analysis.
- Ensure timely escalation and resolution of safeguarding or quality issues.
Person Specification
Qualifications
- Qualified Social Worker or relevant professional qualification (e.g. CQSW, DipSW).
- Registered with Social Work England (or equivalent regulatory body).
Experience
- Significant senior management experience within a local authority social care setting.
- Proven track record in quality assurance, safeguarding, and service improvement.
- Experience of leading audit frameworks and preparing for regulatory inspections.
Knowledge & Expertise
- In-depth understanding of safeguarding legislation and statutory guidance.
- Strong knowledge of Ofsted and/or CQC inspection frameworks.
- Experience of applying QA frameworks to improve practice and outcomes.
Skills & Competencies
- Strong analytical and critical thinking skills.
- Ability to provide clear, evidence-based professional challenge.
- Excellent communication and influencing skills across multi-agency environments.
- Ability to lead change and build consensus at senior level.
- Strong report writing and data interpretation skills.
Role Impact
This role is critical in ensuring that social care services are safe, effective, and continuously improving. It provides the independent oversight needed to strengthen practice, reduce risk, and improve outcomes for vulnerable children and adults.
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