Children's Placements and Quality Assurance Manager

Service Care Solutions; England; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A regional children’s services provider in Wokingham is seeking an experienced Children’s Placement & Quality Assurance Manager for a 3-month interim contract. The role involves establishing commissioning functions, developing operational models for SEND placements, and implementing Quality Assurance frameworks. Ideal candidates should have a track record in children’s placement and strong leadership skills. Immediate start is available with a competitive rate of £513 per day.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in Children’s placement commissioning and quality assurance.
• Strong understanding of SEND placement needs and operational models.
• Ability to build effective working relationships with stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Establish a Children’s Placement Commissioning function.
• Develop operational models for SEND placement needs.
• Design Quality Assurance frameworks across Children's Social Care.

Skills

Children's placement commissioning

Quality assurance

Analytical skills

Organisational skills

Leadership skills

Job description

Children's Placements and Quality Assurance Manager

Children’s Placement & Quality Assurance Manager

Location: Wokingham

Contract: 3 months (initial)

Hours: 37 per week

Rate: £513 per day (umbrella) - (£390 PAYE per day)

About the Role

Following increased investment and internal changes, Wokingham Borough Council is seeking an experienced Children’s Placement & Quality Assurance Manager to join us on an interim basis for 3 months while a permanent appointment is made.

We are a small but busy Children’s Team, and we need someone who can hit the ground running, building effective relationships with social workers, managers, providers, partners, and staff across children’s services and the wider council.

This is an exciting time for the team as we work to integrate Independent Non-Maintained Special School placements into our remit. Candidates with relevant experience – or strong ideas about how this can be achieved – will be particularly welcome.

Key Objectives

• Help establish a new Children’s Placement Commissioning function, including supplier relationships, brokerage, contract management, and quality assurance.
• Develop an operational model to meet SEND placement needs.
• Design and implement a placement Quality Assurance framework across Children’s Social Care and SEND placements.
• Support the development of sufficiency strategies.
• Contribute to the work of the Strategic Placement Board by developing insights into placement usage, cost, and impact for children.
• Establish reporting mechanisms and embed a clear, information-led approach across the team.

About You

We are looking for an individual with:

• Proven experience in Children’s placement commissioning and quality assurance.
• A strong understanding of SEND placement needs and associated operational models.
• The ability to work at pace and build effective working relationships across multiple stakeholders.
• Strong analytical, organisational, and leadership skills.
• A commitment to improving outcomes for children and young people.

If you are an experienced Children’s Placement professional ready to make an immediate impact, we’d love to hear from you.