Details
Education Quality Assurance Operations Manager
The Role
Social Work England is the specialist body that regulates social workers in their vital role. Every day, social workers support millions of people to improve their chances in life. We believe in the power of collaboration and share a common goal with those we regulate – to protect the public, enable positive change, and ultimately improve people’s lives.
Working with the head of education programmes and another education quality assurance manager, you will lead the education quality assurance function, responsible for all operational processes connected with the quality assurance of Social Work England approved courses to fulfil statutory requirements. You will ensure that in delivering the education quality assurance function the team works collaboratively with course providers and engages with key stakeholders in education. Responsible for a range of diverse work streams, including data management, implementation of strategy, work planning and continuous improvement.
What you will do
- Lead the education quality assurance function to ensure the effective delivery and smooth running of all approval and monitoring activities. This includes determining use of resources, partner allocation, and emerging issues that pose a risk to delivery of the service.
- Provide leadership and management to direct reports and the wider team supporting development and providing constructive challenge and feedback. Building capability and continuously improve ways of working, ensuring the work of the team is aligned to our strategic objectives.
- Lead and develop strategic ambitions and operational processes for associates and partners including recruitment, training and competency frameworks, responding to concerns as they arise.
- Make robust, well-reasoned complex decisions that balance regulatory risks, and provide expert education quality assurance advice, in accordance with our statutory framework; ensuring advice is proportionate, transparent and fair, and capable of withstanding challenge through judicial review and internal audits.
- Representing the organisation to build and maintain strong professional relationships across external stakeholders. Drawing on specialist knowledge and skills as the subject matter expert to advise, deliver complex and ongoing messaging, support, guidance and challenge. Ensuring messaging is accurate and delivered in a sensitive manner, acknowledging the impact for stakeholders and responding appropriately to immediate and ongoing queries.
- Lead the team in the development and delivery of Social Work England’s ambitions for regulated programmes. Lead on the scoping, development, design and implementation of complex education quality assurance processes and ensure effective delivery of objectives identified in the business plan.
- Support the head of education programmes to ensure that learning from the service is disseminated across the organisation and with key stakeholders. Deputise for the head of education programmes as and when required.
- Lead on the analysis, delivery and reporting of approval and monitoring activity. Identify appropriate actions to embed standards and drive change to improve performance of activities, managing risk and considering the long-term impact on the achievement of objectives.
- Monitor and make proportionate decisions in relation to the allocation of the education quality assurance budget with respect to regulatory activity, working with the finance team to forecast spend against the budget, highlighting potential risks and escalating as appropriate.
- Oversee and ensure that the education quality assurance team maintains accurate records and course information. Ensure compliance with our policies on data protection and handling of sensitive information
Your skills, knowledge and experience
- Experience of working in a quality assurance, governance or inspection/audit field with knowledge of best practise in governance.
- Experience of planning and scheduling programmes of work with challenging time and resource requirements within complex and varied settings.
- Experience of successfully managing operations and employees with the ability to motivate, support and develop a team, including where team members are based remotely or are partners to an organisation.
- Ability to think strategically, with strong planning, scheduling and organisational skills.
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with experience of building successful relationships and sharing subject matter expertise with a variety of internal and external stakeholders and developing collaborative working at a senior level.
- Strong data management and management information skills, ensuring operational targets are met/exceeded.
- Good use of initiative in managing own and suggesting new, more efficient ways of working.
- A proven role model for respectful, open and honest behaviour including a demonstrable commitment to equality and diversity in service delivery.
- Flexibility and willingness to work outside normal working hours and to travel on an occasional basis. This role will also require regular travel to locations throughout England and may require staying within pre-booked accommodation.
Details
- Job type: Permanent
- Working pattern: Full-time. We offer flexible working subject to business need.
- Salary: £47,735 per year, rising to £50,066 per year after successful completion of a 6-month probationary period.
- Location: Sheffield/hybrid
- Benefits: flexible working, contributory pension, life insurance and benefits portal.
Application
During the application process, you'll be asked to provide answers to three questions from the job description. These answers will be what your application is scored on, please answer in as much detail as possible using examples where necessary.
About us
Our behaviours and values - Social Work England
What our people say - Social Work England
Contact
If you have any queries about the appointment process, please contact recruitment@socialworkengland.org.uk.
How to apply
To apply, complete the application form by the closing date.
Interview
At interview we will seek to further understand your skills, knowledge, experience and motivation and test the key competencies of the role. If you are successful, we will undertake routine security checks.
Find out more about our application and interview process.
Want to know more about the role?
If you would like to discuss the role or have any other questions, please contact our recruitment team:
recruitment@socialworkengland.org.uk