Practice Development Manager

Hillingdon Council; Uxbridge; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

A local council in England seeks a Practice Development Manager to improve safeguarding and quality assurance for children. This role involves coordinating multi-agency efforts, analyzing audits, and promoting best practices. Candidates should have a background in safeguarding, excellent communication skills, and be committed to enhancing outcomes for children and families. Join a supportive team and make a meaningful impact in the community.

Benefits

Flexible Working Hours

36 Hour Work Week

Generous Holiday Entitlement

Discounts at leisure centres

Salary Sacrifice Schemes

Cycle to Work Scheme

Local Government Pension Scheme

Mental Health Support Services

Travel Support

Qualifications

• Experience in a safeguarding, quality assurance or partnership development role.
• Strong analytical skills with ability to interpret data.
• Confidence to lead meetings and coordinate multi-agency groups.

Responsibilities

• Support high-quality safeguarding and quality assurance activity.
• Progress strategic priorities of the Safeguarding Children Partnership.
• Develop tools, strategies and resources for effective safeguarding.

Skills

Experience in safeguarding

Knowledge of statutory safeguarding duties

Strong analytical skills

Experience coordinating audits

Excellent communication skills

Confidence to lead meetings

Ability to deliver training

Collaborative approach

Commitment to continuous improvement

Job description

About the role

We are recruiting for a Practice Development Manager to join the Hillingdon Adult and Children’s Safeguarding Partnership and Quality Assurance function on a permanent basis. This is an exciting opportunity to support the delivery of high-quality, effective safeguarding and quality assurance activity for children and young people.

You will play a central role in progressing the strategic priorities of the Safeguarding Children Partnership, leading on partnership-based quality assurance activity. The role involves coordinating multi-agency subgroups, overseeing and analysing audits and reviews, and promoting learning from practice to strengthen safeguarding and improve outcomes for children across the borough. You will help develop practical tools, strategies and resources that support high-quality, safe and consistent practice. As part of the wider Quality Assurance service, you will also contribute to internal frameworks and drive improvements through professional challenge, consultation and support.

About You

We are looking for someone with a strong understanding of safeguarding, confident working across systems and committed to improving outcomes for children and families.

You will need:

• Experience of working in a safeguarding, quality assurance or partnership development role.
• Knowledge of statutory safeguarding duties and multi-agency working.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret both quantitative and qualitative data.
• Experience coordinating audits, reviews or learning activity across services.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including report writing and presentation.
• Confidence to lead meetings and support multi-agency groups.
• Ability to design and deliver training, briefings or learning events.
• A collaborative and reflective approach to working with internal and external stakeholders.
• A commitment to continuous improvement and promoting high standards of safeguarding practice

About us

We value our employees and are committed to ensuring that they enjoy a fulfilling and rewarding career with us. We understand that a happy and motivated workforce is essential for the success of our organisation. That is why we offer a wide range of employee benefits to enhance your work-life balance, financial wellbeing, health, and professional development.

Here’s a comprehensive overview of the fantastic benefits we provide:

• Flexible Working Hours – We recognise the importance of flexibility in managing your work and personal life.
• 36 Hour Week – Enjoy a standard 36-hour workweek for all full time staff.
• Generous Holiday Entitlement – increasing with length of service (for non-casual roles).
• Hillingdon Sports & Leisure – Stay active and healthy with discounts at council owned leisure centres and swimming pools across the borough.
• Salary Sacrifice Schemes – option to join schemes for cycle purchase, electric vehicle leasing and additional voluntary pension contributions (subject to scheme rules).
• Cycle to Work – Eco-friendly commuting with our cycle purchase scheme. We also provide bicycle parking, lockers, and showers at the Civic Centre.
• Local Government Pension Scheme – access to Local Government Pension Scheme and membership to the Credit Union.
• Vivup Benefits – Access a variety of offers and discounts through our Vivup Benefits.
• Mental Health Support and Counselling Services – Our mental health first aiders are trained to identify, understand, and help employees experiencing mental health issues. Access free 24-hour confidential advice and counselling as well as a legal advice service for you and your immediate family.
• Travel Support – Make your daily commute easier with our season ticket loans and free car parking.

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Statement

At the London Borough of Hillingdon, we are committed to creating a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace. This commitment means that all employees, job applicants and others who work for us will be treated fairly. The aim is for our workforce to be representative of all sections of society and Hillingdon residents so we welcome applicants from a wide variety of backgrounds. We strive to ensure that our recruitment process is free from discrimination and bias, and we are dedicated to providing reasonable adjustments to applicants with disabilities. Join us in building a workplace where everyone feels respected, able to give their best and be themselves at work, whilst contributing meaningfully to our organisation's success.

Recruitment Information

Hillingdon Council operates a guaranteed interview scheme for candidates with disabilities that meet the essential criteria for the role and wish to be considered under this scheme. We believe in the option to choose, so candidates declaring a disability have the choice to opt in for consideration under this scheme, on a ‘per application’ basis.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable groups and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Some posts are subject to The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2019 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service. In addition to verifying Right to Work in the UK and a new starter health questionnaire, the post is subject to the following pre-employment screening:

• Enhanced DBS Check
• Qualifications Check
• Professional Registration Check
• 5 years of Referencing

Please note: Priority will be given to those at risk of redundancy within Hillingdon Council. Current employees who are part of the redeployment pool must meet the essential criteria for shortlisting to be prioritised. It may be necessary due to a high volume of applications to close this role early. We therefore recommend you apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.