Quality Assurance Officer

Cheshire East Council; Crewe; Hybrid; GBP 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Enhanced annual leave (34 days) with增长

Hybrid/remote working where possible

Salary sacrifice green car scheme

Salary sacrifice white goods

Career average pension

Cycle to work scheme

Employee assistance programme

Discounted gym membership

Job summary

Cheshire East Council is recruiting a Quality Assurance Officer to monitor the quality and effectiveness of commissioned provision across children's services. Based at Delamere House, Crewe, the role requires audits, provider visits and reports to drive improvement.

You will work with commissioning, placements and operational teams to ensure safeguarding, compliance and outcomes for children and young people, with a focus on continuous improvement and inspection readiness.

Qualifications

• Experience of quality assurance, compliance, monitoring or safeguarding activity within children's services or a related sector.
• Strong understanding of safeguarding principles, quality standards and provider oversight.
• Ability to analyse information, identify trends, risks and areas for improvement.
• Working knowledge of information governance, confidentiality and relevant procedures.
• Strong analytical and organisational skills with excellent attention to detail.
• Confidence to professionally challenge where standards are not being met.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Undertake planned and responsive quality assurance activity across commissioned services.
• Conduct provider visits, audits, desktop reviews and compliance checks.
• Assess quality, safeguarding arrangements, contractual compliance and outcomes for children and young people.
• Identify areas of risk, concern and good practice, escalating issues where required.
• Produce clear reports and evidence-based findings to support decision-making and provider improvement.
• Support inspection readiness and continuous improvement activity.
• Work collaboratively with providers and internal stakeholders to improve service quality and standards.

Skills

Quality assurance

Safeguarding

Data analysis

Information governance

Attention to detail

Communication

Professional challenge

Job description

At Cheshire East we’re making significant, tangible investments in our foundations. This includes strengthening our commissioning function, expanding workforce development and creating clearer, more ambitious pathways. To realise these ambitions, we’re seeking ambitious and flexible individuals who want to help us shape the future.

We have an exciting opportunity for a Quality Assurance Officer based at Delamere House, Crewe.

This is an exciting opportunity to undertake quality assurance activity across a broad range of commissioned provision, helping to ensure services are safe, effective, compliant and delivering positive outcomes for children and young people.

Working alongside commissioning, placements and operational colleagues, you will carry out audits, provider visits, compliance checks and monitoring activity across children's social care, SEND and alternative provision services. Your work will help identify good practice, highlight risks and support continuous improvement across the provider market.

About the Role

As a Quality Assurance Officer, you will play a key role in monitoring the quality and effectiveness of commissioned provision across Cheshire East.

The successful candidate will:

• Undertake planned and responsive quality assurance activity across commissioned services.
• Conduct provider visits, audits, desktop reviews and compliance checks.
• Assess quality, safeguarding arrangements, contractual compliance and outcomes for children and young people.
• Identify areas of risk, concern and good practice, escalating issues where required.
• Produce clear reports and evidence-based findings to support decision-making and provider improvement.
• Support inspection readiness and continuous improvement activity.
• Work collaboratively with providers and internal stakeholders to improve service quality and standards.

The role will primarily focus on:

• Residential Children's Homes
• Independent Fostering Agencies
• Supported Accommodation (16+)
• Independent and Non-Maintained SEND Provision
• Alternative Provision

The successful candidate will bring:

• Experience of quality assurance, compliance, monitoring or safeguarding activity within children's services or a related sector.
• A strong understanding of safeguarding principles, quality standards and provider oversight.
• The ability to analyse information, identify trends, risks and areas for improvement.
• Working knowledge of information governance, confidentiality and relevant procedures.
• Strong analytical and organisational skills with excellent attention to detail.
• Confidence to professionally challenge where standards are not being met.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

In return we are able to offer:

• Enhanced annual leave - Start with an impressive 34 days of annual leave (including bank holidays) from day one, and watch it grow to 39 days after just five years of service
• Purchase of annual leave – Want more time off? You can purchase up to 10 extra days of annual leave each year, giving you the flexibility to balance work and life just the way you want (Pro-rata for part-time staff)
• Flexible working pattern - Enjoy a 37-hour standard full-time work week with the added perks of flexi-time and hybrid/remote working arrangements where possible. Your work-life balance just got a whole lot better
• Salary sacrifice green car scheme - Drive green and save green! Lease a brand-new electric or hybrid car through our salary sacrifice scheme. There’s no credit checks, no deposits, just significant savings and exclusive offers on a three-year lease
• White goods salary sacrifice scheme - Upgrade your home with ease. Purchase home and electronic items through our salary sacrifice scheme, spreading the cost of big-ticket purchases like appliances, computers, and tech gadgets directly from your salary
• Enhanced public pension - Secure your future with our career average pension, where contributions are built at a rate of 1/49th of your yearly pensionable pay
• Cycle to work scheme - Save up to 25-39% on the retail price of bikes and safety equipment through Income Tax and National Insurance savings. Get fit and save money!
• Employee assistance programme - Access a completely free and confidential assistance service to help manage, reduce, and overcome life’s challenges, both at work and in your personal life
• Discounted gym membership - Stay active and healthy with corporate membership prices for Everybody Leisure, including:
  • Gym, Swim and Group Fitness at all 16 facilities
  • Off-Peak Racket Sports
  • Athletics Tracks
  • Sauna/Steam/Spa