Practice and Quality Lead

Gloucestershire County Council; Gloucester; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 53,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

LGPS

Employee Assistance Programme

Career development and qualification机会

Cycle to Work Scheme

Flexible working arrangements

Job summary

Gloucestershire County Council is seeking an experienced Practice and Quality Lead to shape Family Help services across the county, with roles based in Gloucester.

The post provides professional leadership, coaching and quality assurance across Family Help, supporting Newly Qualified Social Workers during ASYE, supervising student placements, and driving continuous improvement in practice quality and performance.

Qualifications

• Qualified Social Worker registered with Social Work England.
• Extensive experience in statutory children's social work.
• Experience mentoring, supervision, coaching or workforce development.

Responsibilities

• Lead on quality assurance and improvement activities across Family Help, including audits and reviews.
• Provide mentoring, coaching, reflective supervision and professional support to Social Workers, Apprentices and Students.
• Support implementation of Family Help by embedding new ways of working and evidence-based practices.
• Analyze performance information with Managers to identify improvement opportunities.
• Facilitate reflective group supervision to encourage learning and professional curiosity.

Skills

Quality assurance

Mentoring

Coaching

Leadership

ASYE support

Education

Qualified Social Worker

Registered with Social Work England

Practice Educator qualification (advantageous)

Job description

Practice and Quality Lead

Job Location:Gloucestershire

This is a Gloucestershire County Council job.

• Job Location: Gloucester/Gloucestershire




• Salary: £49,817 - £53,051 per annum




• Hours per Week: 37.00




• Contract Type: Fixed Term/Permanent




• Closing Date: 27/09/2026




• Job Requisition Number: 14867




• This post is open to job share

1x Fixed Term Contract position for 12 months based in Gloucester.

1x Permanent position based in Gloucester, covering Gloucestershire in the Disabled Children's Service.

Make a real difference to children and families

Following significant investment in Gloucestershire Children's Services and the implementation of the Department for Education's Families First Partnership Programme reforms, we are seeking an experienced and passionate Practice and Quality Lead to help shape the future of Family Help services across the county.

This is a unique opportunity for an experienced Social Worker who is passionate about practice excellence, workforce development and improving outcomes for children and families. Working alongside Family Help Team Managers, Team Leaders, the Academy and Senior Leaders, you will play a key role in developing a strong learning culture, supporting Social Workers at the beginning of their careers and driving continuous improvement in practice quality and performance.

About the role

As a Practice and Quality Lead, you will provide professional leadership, coaching and quality assurance across Family Help services. You will support Newly Qualified Social Workers during their Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE), supervise and develop Student Social Workers on placement, and work closely with teams to embed excellent practice and drive improvement.

You will:

• lead on quality assurance and improvement activities, including audits, dip sampling and thematic reviews to ensure high standards of practice

• provide mentoring, coaching, reflective supervision and professional support to Social Workers, Apprentices and Students

• support the successful implementation of Family Help by embedding new ways of working and evidence-based practice approaches

• work alongside Managers and Practitioners to analyse performance information and identify opportunities for improvement

• facilitate reflective group supervision sessions that encourage professional curiosity, critical thinking and learning

• take a lead role in developing and improving a key thematic area of practice across the county, such as domestic abuse, neglect, child sexual abuse or supporting children with disabilities

What we offer

• the opportunity to be part of significant national reform and service development

• a supportive,experiencedand values-led workforce

• practice underpinned by Systemic Practice and a commitment to learning and development

• meaningful work that helps prevent escalation to higher-level services

• flexible working arrangements where service needs allow

You will be joining an authority that is committed to delivering the best possible outcomes for children and families, recognising the importance of reflective practice, collaboration, and professional curiosity

Reward and support

For all your hard work, you will receive the following:

• between£49,817- £53,051per annumsubject to experience

• flexible and agile working opportunities

• 25.5 days annual leave rising to 30.5 days after 5 years continuous service

• optiontopurchase10 days ofadditionalleave per year

• family friendly policies and benefits to help support you and your family

• supportive and positive working environment with regular, robust supervision

• Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)

• access to our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)

• in-house Occupational Health service

• employee discount scheme

• employee networks including Prism (LGBT+) and the Young Employees Network

• career development and qualification opportunities

• access to ourAcademy

• cycle to Work Scheme

• green Car Salary Sacrifice Scheme

About you

We are looking for an experienced and motivated Social Worker who will:

• be a qualified Social Worker registered with Social Work England

• have extensive experience in statutory children's social work

• have experience of mentoring, supervision, coaching or workforce development

• demonstrate a strong understanding of quality assurance, practice improvement and evidence-based interventions

• be passionate about supporting the development of students, apprentices and newly qualified social workers

• hold a full driving licence

• aPractice Educator qualification, or willingness to work towards one, would beadvantageous.

We reserve the right to close an advertisement earlier than the stated closing date if we receive a suitable number of applications.

Interviews are due to take place in person week commencing 12th October.

If you would like to find out more about our children's services, please look at our: Children's Social Care Careers | Careers hub

We may be able to offer sponsorship for this role, in line with Home Office guidance and subject to pre-employment checks. Applicants must already hold a valid right to work in the UK that Gloucestershire County Council can transfer.