Quality Assurance & Practice Improvement Lead

Quality Assurance & Practice Improvement Lead

Walsall Council – Fixed Term for 12 Months – Grade G13;
Salary £60,839 – £63,567.

• Lead quality assurance activity for children’s social care and utilise evidence, audit findings and feedback from children, families and partners to drive learning and improve outcomes.
• Support the Safeguarding and Review Service by providing high‑quality practice, effective scrutiny and continuous improvement.
• Oversee the operational functions and strategic direction of the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) service, ensuring practice is effective, child‑focused and compliant with statutory responsibilities.
• Collaborate with a leadership team to promote a learning organisation that maintains effective, accountable relationships with internal and external stakeholders.

• Experienced social worker with substantial post‑qualifying experience in children’s social care.
• Strong understanding of safeguarding, care planning, quality assurance and practice improvement.
• Demonstrated ability to use evidence and audit findings to identify learning opportunities and drive meaningful change.
• Experience in the role of an Independent Reviewing Officer or Local Authority Designated Officer is desirable.
• Commitment to improving outcomes for children and families, promoting equity and inclusion.

• Manageable workloads with high support from managers and minimal essential paperwork.
• Access to enabling technologies and a comprehensive training and development programme.
• Flexible working arrangements, specialised clinical supervision, employee assistance and therapeutic support to promote well‑being and work/life balance.
• Competitive salary within the G13 band.

Required checks and clearances: enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) clearance, baseline personnel security standard (BPSS) check and, where applicable, Overseas Criminal Records Certificate (OCRC) or Statement of Good Conduct (SOGC).

Contact:
Dhyal Samra () or Hannah Thompson (Ha). Closing date 20 July 2026;
Interviews 30 July 2026.

Walsall Council is an equal opportunities employer and complies with the Government’s Code of Practice on the English Language Fluency Duty for public sector workers.

Walsall Council acknowledges its responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare of all children, young people and vulnerable adults. It encourages a safe, inclusive, and equitable workforce and must ensure recruitment processes support a safeguarding culture.