Internal Quality Assurance Officer

Social Work England are the specialist regulator for social work in England, focused on enabling positive change in social work. Every day, social workers support millions of people to improve their chances in life. We are taking a new approach to regulating social workers in their vital roles. 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.

The internal quality assurance and stakeholder experience team sits within our people and business support directorate. The team has a varied and rewarding remit which includes developing and implementing quality standards and frameworks; providing assurance that departments (in particular our regulatory functions) are operating effectively in line with our overarching statutory purpose to protect the public, and identifying and promoting improvements in those areas; managing the relationship with our oversight body, the Professional Standards Authority; leading our feedback and complaints processes and managing our responsibilities as a prescribed persons for the purposes of whistleblowing.

The role of internal quality assurance officer is a key role which supports our culture of continuous improvement. Under the direction of the internal quality assurance and stakeholder experience you will be responsible for supporting the design and delivery of a range of assurance activities; contribute to the development and delivery of quality standards and supporting frameworks across our regulatory functions; lead and work on process reviews and audits across our regulatory functions to provide assurance to operational managers and our leadership that our regulatory processes are fit for purpose, and that decisions made are appropriate and in line with our regulatory frameworks.

• Support the design and delivery of the annual programme of quality assurance activities; liaising with key stakeholders to identify operational risks within our regulatory processes and develop independent audits and reviews to provide assurance that these processes are fit for purpose and operating in line with our regulatory frameworks.
• Work independently to research, plan, design and manage the delivery of audits and reviews that you are leading on. Working collaboratively with other members of the team to ensure that the audit/review is delivered effectively and in line with the teams’ priorities, delivering any necessary training to your colleagues prior to the audit/review.
• Gather the information and evidence you need to support you in making robust decisions regarding compliance with our regulatory frameworks and to make recommendations on how processes, policies, procedures and guidance can be improved to better achieve our business objectives, mitigate risks, and better protect the public.
• Undertake audits of regulatory casework and decision making; ensuring that your judgements are evidence-based and supported by reference to the relevant legislation, agreed policies and guidance, and that your feedback supports continuous improvement and learning.
• Analyse quantitative and qualitative data arising from audits/reviews to identify themes and opportunities for improvement.
• Draft high quality reports in relation to your work and the work of the team, presenting information in the most appropriate format for the audience; ensuring that they assist the recipients (senior leaders within the organisation) in making robust decisions about corporate, operational and reputational risks, and the mitigations they may want to implement to address them.
• Monitor and report on the implementation of corrective/improvement actions arising from recommendations made by the team.
• Build and maintain strong professional relationships across teams and directorates, particularly the regulatory functions, and with key external stakeholders such as the Professional Standards Authority; contribute to departmental planning to support the delivery of our corporate objectives.
• Support the ongoing development of policies and procedures governing the work of the team, including the completion of both data protection and equality impact assessments.
• Support the delivery of our responsibilities as a prescribed persons for the purposes of whistleblowing.
• Support the management of our corporate feedback and complaints processes, by providing quality assurance of complaint investigations and responses; and undertaking the investigation of complaints under the supervision of the customer experience and insights manager on an ad-hoc basis.

We are looking for someone who has a strong commitment to quality improvement. You will have proven experience of using quality assurance methods to drive continuous improvement. A strong communicator with a passion for collaboration, you will be able to challenge and motivate others at all levels of the organisation.

You will be or have:

• Previous experience of using quality assurance methods, preferably in a regulatory setting.
• Excellent analytical skills and an ability to collate and evaluate qualitative and quantitative data from multiple sources and use this to support your decisions and to identify risks or opportunities. A degree or equivalent qualification, or relevant professional experience.
• A strong team player, capable of developing effective relationships at all levels within our organisation and with external stakeholders.
• Proven ability to assimilate complex information quickly to identify risks, process improvements and to be able to communicate these succinctly.
• A good understanding of professional regulation including fitness to practise is desirable.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills including the ability to draft clear and comprehensive reports and presentations for a range of stakeholders, often addressing difficult and/or contentious issues.
• Strong interpersonal skills, and the ability to effectively handle sensitive situations with tact, diplomacy and professionalism.
• The ability to work on your own initiative and demonstrate flexibility.
• The ability to support and motivate your colleagues to work effectively to deliver audit/review activities for which you are the designated lead.
• Strong IT skills with good working knowledge of Microsoft Outlook, Word and Excel.

• Job type: Permanent.
• Working pattern: Full-time position. However, job share, part time, or compressed hours will be considered in line with our flexible working arrangements. 
• Salary: £31,364 per year, rising to £33,605 per year after successful completion of a 6-month probationary period.
• Location: Sheffield/hybrid remote.
• Benefits: Flexible working, contributory pension, life insurance and benefits portal.
• Interview date: 29 May 2024

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.

Location

Sheffield

£31,364 per year, rising to £33,605 per year after successful completion of a 6-month probationary period.

Type of Contract

Full Time

Hours

37

Benefits: Flexible working, contributory pension, life insurance and benefits portal.

Closing Date

15-05-2024

How to Apply

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