Quality Assurance Reg 44 Lead

Suffolk County Council; Ipswich; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 61,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Up to 29 days annual leave (pro rata)

LGPS

Travel and wellbeing benefits

Performance-based pay progression

Training and development

Career development opportunities

Flexible working options

Job summary

Suffolk County Council in Ipswich is seeking a Quality Assurance and Regulation 44 Lead to drive high standards of practice across children and family services. You will balance analytical duties, advisory work, and collaboration to safeguard children and promote wellbeing.

The role requires post graduate-level qualifications, leadership experience, and strong analytical and communication skills. The position is hybrid with a focus on continuous improvement and multi-agency partnership work.

Qualifications

• To have a suitable professional qualification at post graduate level and equivalent experience in a relevant area of work.
• Experience in quality assurance work in a Children and Young People's Services, and/or Children's Homes (Regulation 44 work) and/or other sector work which demonstrates transferable skills.
• Management and leadership experience and/or qualification (desirable)
• An analytical/forensic approach to your work
• Excellent communication skills (written and verbal)
• Strong ability to work both on your own and as part of a team
• To be able to work at pace within agreed timescales
• Effective ICT skills, use of internet and other digital methods of communication
• To be aware of local and national research and frameworks

Responsibilities

• Engaging with children, young people, families, and professionals to ensure their experiences inform and shape quality assurance activities.
• Conducting vital face to face Regulation 44 visits, evaluating the quality of care in our children's homes, assessing whether our children are safeguarded and their wellbeing is effectively promoted.
• Preparing and presenting analytical reports highlighting strengths and recommending improvements, monitoring actions and reviewing progress.
• Providing expert guidance, support, and constructive challenge to colleagues and partners, enabling them to deliver improved outcomes.
• Leading and participating in quality assurance reviews, gathering and analysing feedback, and identifying areas for development.
• Designing and facilitating workshops, reflective sessions, and coaching opportunities to support continuous professional growth.
• Collaborating with internal and external partners to share best practice and foster effective multi-agency working.
• Monitoring legislative and policy developments to ensure that practice remains current and compliant.
• Supporting safeguarding and risk management, with a focus on promoting the welfare of children and young people.

Skills

Postgraduate qualification

Quality assurance

Leadership experience

Analytical/forensic approach

Excellent communication

Team player

Time management

ICT skills

Research awareness

Education

Postgraduate professional qualification

Job description

• Suffolk County Council
• Address: Endeavour House, Ipswich IP1 2BX - Hybrid
• Salary: £49,752 - £60,792 per annum (pro rata for part time)
• Hours: 37 per week
• Contract: Permanent

We are focused on making a meaningful difference to children and families across Suffolk. How? By listening to our people learning from what they say and creating a culture of mutual respect, where everyone works together to achieve great things. As a Quality Assurance and Regulation 44 Lead in the Quality Assurance Team,you will be as keen to collaborate and build a bright future as we are. So, to make a positive impact, connect with us and connect with a fantastic career.

Reimagine the possibilities.

Your role and responsibilities

As the Quality Assurance and Regulation 44 Lead, you will play a pivotal role in ensuring the highest standards of practice for children, young people, and families across Suffolk. Your daily activities will be both varied and impactful, requiring a balance of analytical, advisory, and collaborative skills.

A typical day in this role may include:

• Engaging with children, young people, families, and professionals to ensure their experiences inform and shape quality assurance activities.
• Conducting vital face to face Regulation 44 visits, evaluating the quality of care in our children's homes, assessing whether our children are safeguarded and their wellbeing is effectively promoted.
• Preparing and presenting analytical reports highlighting strengths and recommending improvements, monitoring actions and reviewing progress.
• Providing expert guidance, support, and constructive challenge to colleagues and partners, enabling them to deliver improved outcomes.
• Leading and participating in quality assurance reviews, gathering and analysing feedback, and identifying areas for development.
• Designing and facilitating workshops, reflective sessions, and coaching opportunities to support continuous professional growth.
• Collaborating with internal and external partners to share best practice and foster effective multi-agency working.
• Monitoring legislative and policy developments to ensure that practice remains current and compliant.
• Supporting safeguarding and risk management, with a focus on promoting the welfare of children and young people.

You will be expected to manage your own workload with autonomy, respond flexibly to emerging priorities, and contribute to the ongoing improvement of services. The opportunity to make a tangible difference, both to service quality and to the lives of children and families, is at the heart of this role.

You will need

• to have a suitable professional qualification at post graduate level and equivalent experience in a relevant area of work
• experience in quality assurance work in a Children and Young People's Services, and/or Children's Homes (Regulation 44 work) and/or other sector work which demonstrates transferable skills
• management and leadership experience and/or qualification (desirable)
• an analytical/forensic approach to your work
• excellent communication skills (written and verbal)
• strong ability to work both on your own and as part of a team
• to be able to work at pace within agreed timescales
• effective ICT skills, use of internet and other digital methods of communication
• to be aware of local and national research and frameworks

The Team

The Quality Assurance Team is a multidisciplinary group of professionals within the Children and Young People's Services directorate. The team's purpose is to support and enhance quality assurance processes across all services, ensuring that every intervention is meaningful and every child's voice is heard.

The team members are motivated by the positive impact they make, supporting colleagues, celebrating excellent, and driving continuous improvement. The team culture is collaborative, supportive, and committed to learning and professional development. Open communication, mutual respect, and a shared sense of purpose underpin all that we do.

Empowering Everyone

We are big believers in potential, possibility and the power of different ideas. We are always searching for ways to encourage, respect and enable everyone to be the best they can be. We want to represent the diverse communities we serve. We welcome applications from all individuals, especially those from groups that are currently underrepresented in the organisation, as shown in our Workforce Equality Report

For more information

Please contact Rachel Cogman for a casual conversation. You can reach them by calling 01473264704 or emailing: rachel.cogman @suffolk.gov.uk

Closing date: 11.30pm, 29 September 2026

Interview dates: 2 or 5 October 2026 at Endeavour House, Ipswich

This authority is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checks or police vetting will be required for relevant posts. #LI-Hybrid

In return, you'll enjoy:

• up to 29 days annual leave entitlement (pro rata), plus UK bank holidays and two paid volunteering days
• membership of a competitive Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
• travel, lifestyle, health and wellbeing benefits
• performance-related annual pay progression, in addition to an annual cost-of-living pay increase
• training and encouragement to expand your knowledge
• a variety of career development opportunities across our organisation
• diverse and active staff networks
• flexible working options, with the right to request flexible working from your first day

Plus lots more!

If you want to know more about our benefits, values and equality commitments please visit our Suffolk County Council careers website (careers.Suffolk.gov.uk) .