Head of Children's Quality Assurance

LONDON BOROUGH OF CAMDEN; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 86,000 - 97,000; Full time

Job summary

A London local authority is looking for a Head of Quality Assurance to drive improvements in children’s services. The role involves leading a high-performing team, ensuring quality assurance across services, and fostering transformational change. Candidates must be qualified social workers with proven leadership experience in children's services and should demonstrate a commitment to anti-racist and relational practices. The position offers a competitive salary and various benefits including flexible working options.

Benefits

Reimbursement of SWE fees

27 days annual leave, rising to 31 days

Local Government Pension Scheme

Career development and training

Qualifications

• Proven leadership in local authority children’s services.
• In-depth theoretical knowledge of social work practice.
• Demonstrated experience leading transformational change.

Responsibilities

• Drive positive change for children and families.
• Strategic responsibility for quality assurance framework.
• Ensure quality assurance runs across all children’s and learning services.

Skills

Leadership

Social Work Practice

Quality Assurance

Change Management

Education

Appropriate Leadership/Management Qualification

Qualified Social Worker with current SWE registration

Job description

Head of Quality Assurance (Job Ref: 3956)

Salary: £86,889 - £96,983

Location: 5 Pancras Square, London N1C 4AG / Hybrid

Hours per week: 37

Contract Type: Permanent / Full Time

Closing Date: Sunday 1^st February 2026 at 23:59

Interview: Friday 13^th February 2026

About Camden

Camden is changing on the inside to make life better for everyone. Our residents and communities are at the heart of everything we do. We’re home to the most important conversations happening today and we’re making radical social change a reality, so that nobody gets left behind. Here’s where you can help decide a better future for us all.

What You’ll Be Doing / How You’ll Be Involved

We are seeking an exceptional leader to join our team and drive positive change for children and families. This is an exciting opportunity to make a real impact by shaping services and leading transformational improvements across our local authority children’s services.

Reporting to our Director of Relational Practice, you will be a key member of Camden’s Children and Learning Directorate and will play a vital role in the development of children and learning services and will be responsible for providing leadership across quality assurance, safeguarding, practice improvement, and workforce development.

Leading a high‑performing, supportive and cohesive team, that is keen to achieve even more, you will be tasked with:

• Strategic responsibility for our quality assurance framework, building on the achievements we have already delivered, reviewing and enhancing where required
• Ensuring that quality assurance runs across all children’s and learning services (e.g. including SEND and Youth Justice) and that all services are relational, attend to rigour, imagination, and are innovative
• Enabling social workers and practitioners to consistently deliver exceptional services
• Collaborating with our Principal Social Worker to embed continuous improvement and evidence impact

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act and will require an Enhanced DBS. Please note Camden also offers the DBS update service.

All About You

To be considered for this exciting opportunity it is essential the successful candidate is a fully qualified Social Worker with current registration with Social Work England (SWE). You will have a proven track record of successful leadership within local authority children’s services and possess in-depth theoretical knowledge of social work practice. Additionally, you’ll also have a Leadership/Management Qualification (e.g. ILM Level 4 or 5) and/or previous demonstrable experience managing teams or services, leading change and building strong partnerships.

A strong commitment to anti‑racist and relational approaches is essential, along with demonstrable experience in leading transformational change that delivers measurable improvements for children and families.

This role is a unique and exciting opportunity to make a real difference for children and young people in the London Borough of Camden.

We strongly encourage applicants to write their applications themselves. While we understand the growing use of AI tools, we believe that personal reflection and authenticity are key to a strong application. Please avoid using AI‑generated content when applying.

What We Offer

At Camden, you’ll receive a host of benefits including:

• Reimbursement of SWE fees
• 27 days annual leave for new starters, rising to 31 days after 5 years
• Local Government Pension Scheme
• Flexible working opportunities
• Interest free loans
• Access to our incredible staff networks
• Career development and training
• Wellbeing support and activities

Visit www.camdenjobs.co.uk/staff-benefits for more details.

Inclusion and Belonging

At Camden, we want every colleague to feel they belong and can thrive. We welcome applications from all parts of our community, and particularly encourage people from Black, Asian and Other Ethnic Heritage communities, LGBTQ+ people, disabled and neurodiverse people, survivors of domestic abuse, and those from lower socio‑economic backgrounds or with care experience. We know that different voices and perspectives make us stronger, and we are committed to providing the support, adjustments and flexibility people need to succeed.

Click here for more information on our commitment.

To discover more about Camden and our commitment towards diversity, equality and safeguarding, please visit https://www.camdenjobs.co.uk/inclusion-and-diversity

Asking for Adjustments

Camden is committed to making our recruitment practices barrier‑free and as accessible as possible for everyone. This includes making adjustments or changes for disabled people, neurodiverse people or people with long‑term health conditions. If you would like us to do anything differently during the application, interview or assessment process, including providing information in an alternative format, please contact us on 020 7974 6655, at [e-mail] or post to 5 Pancras Square, London, N1C 4AG.

Anonymised Application

Anonymised Application – in keeping with Camden’s commitment to inclusion the recruitment to this role is anonymised and supports the objective of reducing the impact of unconscious bias.