Continuous Improvement & Inspection Lead

Opus People Solutions Limited; Peterborough; Hybrid; GBP 58,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

Shropshire Council is seeking an experienced Continuous Improvement & Inspection Lead to join Children's Services on an interim basis, driving inspection readiness, quality assurance, and organisational learning across Children’s Services and Family Help. The role leads self-evaluation, performance improvement, and governance to secure measurable outcomes for children, young people and families.

The post requires senior leadership experience, Ofsted framework knowledge, and a proven track record

Qualifications

• Extensive experience within Children's Services at Team Manager, Operational Manager, Service Manager, or equivalent senior level.
• Significant experience of quality assurance, inspection readiness, and continuous improvement activity.
• Strong understanding of Ofsted inspection frameworks and self-evaluation.
• Proven experience leading service improvement and performance management initiatives.
• Knowledge of Children's Social Care, Family Help, Education, and SEND services.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Children's Services Continuous Improvement Framework and associated governance arrangements.
• Provide strategic leadership for inspection readiness across Children's Services.
• Lead service-wide self-evaluation activity, ensuring performance, quality assurance, and service intelligence are effectively triangulated.
• Oversee quality assurance frameworks, audit programmes, thematic reviews, and service evaluations.
• Drive the implementation of improvement plans and ensure actions result in sustainable improvements for children and families.
• Lead organisational responses to Ofsted inspections, monitoring visits, focused visits, peer reviews, and assurance activity.
• Support senior leaders through strategic advice, challenge, performance analysis, and assurance reporting.
• Evaluate the effectiveness and impact of Families First Partnership reforms.
• Lead organisational learning activity, ensuring learning from audits, inspections, complaints, safeguarding reviews, workforce intelligence, and feedback is translated into service improvement.
• Prepare strategic reports and assurance reports for senior leaders, partnership boards, and elected members.
• Represent Children's Services on local, regional, and national improvement and assurance forums.

Job description

About the Role

Shropshire Council is seeking an experienced Continuous Improvement & Inspection Lead to join Children's Services on an interim basis. This is a senior leadership opportunity focused on driving strategic improvement, inspection readiness, quality assurance, and organisational learning across Children's Services and Family Help. The successful candidate will play a key role in ensuring services remain inspection‑ready, supporting the delivery of Families First Partnership reforms, and embedding a culture of continuous improvement that delivers measurable outcomes for children, young people, and families.

• Rate: £50 per hour (Inside IR35)
• Contract: 6 Months
• Hours: 37 Hours per Week
• Location: Guildhall, Frankwell Quay, Shrewsbury
• Working Pattern: Hybrid working with 1-2 office days per week and the remainder working from home.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the Children's Services Continuous Improvement Framework and associated governance arrangements.
• Provide strategic leadership for inspection readiness across Children's Services.
• Lead service‑wide self‑evaluation activity, ensuring performance, quality assurance, and service intelligence are effectively triangulated.
• Oversee quality assurance frameworks, audit programmes, thematic reviews, and service evaluations.
• Drive the implementation of improvement plans and ensure actions result in sustainable improvements for children and families.
• Lead organisational responses to Ofsted inspections, monitoring visits, focused visits, peer reviews, and assurance activity.
• Support senior leaders through strategic advice, challenge, performance analysis, and assurance reporting.
• Evaluate the effectiveness and impact of Families First Partnership reforms.
• Lead organisational learning activity, ensuring learning from audits, inspections, complaints, safeguarding reviews, workforce intelligence, and feedback is translated into service improvement.
• Prepare strategic reports and assurance reports for senior leaders, partnership boards, and elected members.
• Represent Children's Services on local, regional, and national improvement and assurance forums.

Requirements

• Extensive experience within Children's Services at Team Manager, Operational Manager, Service Manager, or equivalent senior level.
• Significant experience of quality assurance, inspection readiness, and continuous improvement activity.
• Strong understanding of Ofsted inspection frameworks and self‑evaluation.
• Proven experience leading service improvement and performance management initiatives.
• Knowledge of Children's Social Care, Family Help, Education, and SEND services.
• Ability to provide strategic leadership, challenge, and support to senior stakeholders.

This role is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975. A DBS check may be applicable to this role, applicants are required to declare any cautions and convictions that are not protected under current filtering rules.