Practice Development Manager

West Sussex County Council; Littlehampton; On-site; GBP 63,000 - 67,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension contribution details

Annual leave 38 days

Job summary

West Sussex County Council is seeking a Practice Development Manager within the QA service. You will provide robust advice on application of legislative and inspection frameworks for Children’s Social Care, SEND and Youth Justice, and contribute to service and practice development.

The role requires excellent interpersonal skills, credibility with stakeholders, and the ability to collaborate across Children’s Social Care, SEND, Inclusion and Youth Justice. 37 hours per week.

Qualifications

• Proven ability to apply legislation and inspection frameworks within Children’s Social Care, SEND and Youth Justice.

Skills

Legislative guidance

Inspection frameworks

Interpersonal skills

Stakeholder collaboration

Reflective practice

Job description

Opportunity

Salary: Hay A 1 - 4: £62,561 to £66,848 per annum, inclusive of Market Rate Supplement

Contract Type: Permanent

Working Pattern: 37 hours per week, full time

Location: Countywide role; your base location will be agreed with you at interview

Closing date: 21 October 2026

Interview date: 03 November 2026

The Quality Assurance (QA) service at West Sussex County Council aims to maximise organisational effectiveness in responding to the needs of children and families and improving their outcomes. This involves providing the organisation with specialist advice on how to improve practice in order to optimise service delivery within Children’s Social Care, SEND and Youth Justice.

About You

• The technical expertise to provide robust and accurate advice and guidance relating to the application of legislative and inspection frameworks, as well as internal procedures and guidance relating to Children’s Social Care, SEND and Youth Justice.
• Experience in contributing to both service and practice developments.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and a high level of credibility amongst professional colleagues, customers, senior managers and other key stakeholders.
• The ability to work collaboratively across Children’s Social Care, SEND and Inclusion and Youth Justice as necessary.
• Reflective practitioner skills with the ability to analyse your own experiences to improve the way you learn and work, in order to help the practitioners and managers learn and gain experience in reflective practice to increase their confidence and self-awareness.

Benefits

As an employer we recognise that it is our employees that are central to everything we do. We aim to create a supportive and dynamic working environment where employees can achieve their full potential, achieve a healthy work-life balance, and are rewarded for the work they do.

For a full list this can be found at our Rewards and Benefits page.

Upon joining us you will have access to a range of benefits including the following:

• Employer Pension Contribution: 15% (this alters per annum on the 1 April each year)
• Annual leave: 30 days holiday + Bank Holidays = 38 days

Job Description

Practice Development Manager QA Job Description

Safeguarding Statement

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults.

This post is subject to Social Work England registration, an enhanced DBS check, five years referencing, and an occupational health check.

Equity, inclusion, and accessibility is very important to West Sussex County Council. We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, as this helps us build a diverse and talented workforce, that reflects the communities we serve. We ensure our approach to recruitment is flexible and supportive to enable all applicants to be at their best and to ensure they have the best possible chance of success.

We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants that have a disability, are a veteran or are a care leaver. More information can be found on our application help page.

If you require any reasonable adjustments to support your application, please contact Natalie Greene, Recruitment Specialist, at [e-mail]