Service Manager - QA & Practice Development

At Cheshire East we’re offering a rare opportunity to help shape the strategic direction of a system in transformation and to play a defining role in the next chapter for children and families in Cheshire East as we build something special, to last. 

We have an exciting opportunity for a Service Manager – Quality Assurance & Practice Development, based at Delamere House, Crewe.  Providing high quality social work practice across children’s services by implementing quality assurance frameworks and leading service improvement activities.

About the Role

The role is to drive high quality social work practice across children’s services by implementing quality assurance frameworks and leading service improvement activities. The role promotes the meaningful involvement of children, young people, and families, ensures compliance with regulatory standards, and strengthens organisational learning by integrating performance and qualitative insights. It also contributes to inspection preparation, training and the development of quality social work

The role supports inspection preparation activity as required by the Director - Quality, Partnerships and Children’s Commissioning and / or the Head of Service – Practice, Workforce & Quality Assurance

The role supports the Head of Service to ensure that the services comply with regulatory standards and best practices, addressing any issues of non-compliance.

In this role you will lead on

• Working closely with the central data team to ensure the provision of comprehensive date reports
• Preparing comprehensive reports on quality assurance activities, improvement initiatives and participation outcomes
• The collaborative audit, to audit and dip sample activity of the service areas
• Initiatives identified for improvement to enhance service delivery and outcomes for children and families
• Promoting and facilitating the active participation of children, young people and families in service planning, delivery and evaluation.
• Contribution to the Practice Education program, providing support to Service Manager – Social Work Academy.
• Collaboration with service providers, community organisations and other stakeholder to promote best practices and share knowledge.

The successful candidate will bring

• Qualified social worker registered with Social Work England
• Advanced social work qualification
• Proven record of implanting QA processes and driving service improvements.
• Extensive experience in children’s services with at least 1 year supervisory or managerial role
• Experience in preparing detailed reports and contributing to policy development
• In-depth understanding of audit, quality assurance processes and frameworks with children’s services.
• Comprehensive knowledge of child welfare practices, regulatory standards and best practices
• Understanding of policy development and implementation in the context of children’s services.
• Demonstrable development and maintenance of positive working relationships
• Experience of producing documents / reports / presentations
• Effective 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

Join us and experience a workplace that truly values and supports you!   

Organisation

Cheshire East Council

Location

Crewe

Job Category

Children and Young People Services

Grade

CEC NJC - Grade 12

Salary Min

£54,994 Per Annum

Salary Max

£62,777 Per Annum

Hours per week

37

Weeks per year

52.143

Employment Type

Permanent

Closing Date

21/09/2026

Ref No

E3704

Documents

• Service Manager - QA & Practice Development Job Description and Specification.pdf
  (PDF, 1584.01kb)

We’re delighted that you’re considering applying for this role!

As an equal opportunities’ employer, we warmly welcome applicants from all backgrounds. We believe that a diverse workforce helps us better reflect and serve our local communities, and together, we can build something truly special.

To join our team, simply click ‘Apply for this job’ at the bottom of the page. If you’d prefer an informal chat first or have any questions about the role, feel free to reach out to Janet Bullock at: Show email, they will be happy to hear from you! Please remember to include the job reference so we know which role you are interested in.

Once you’ve applied for the position, please keep an eye on your email inbox (including your junk and spam folders), as we’ll send any correspondence there to stay in touch with updates about your application.

If you haven’t heard from us within four weeks of the closing date, it likely means we weren’t able to move forward with your application at this time but please don’t let this discourage you as your interest means a lot to us, and we’d truly love to hear from you again in the future!

Cheshire East Council is committed to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults across the Borough. As such, any cautions, convictions, reprimands or final warnings that are ‘not protected’ as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) order 1975 (as amended in 2013) relating to the non-disclosure of spent convictions do not apply to this job. You must therefore, disclose whether you have any previous convictions where prompted to do so within the application process.