Head of Service for Quality Assurance & Safeguarding – Children’s Services

Are you a strategic, influential leader with a passion for driving high-quality practice and improving outcomes for children and families? We’re looking for an experienced safeguarding and quality assurance professional to lead our Quality Assurance & Safeguarding Service and help shape the future of practice across Wokingham.

Wokingham is embarking on a period of transformation as we refresh our structures and strengthen our service offer. This is a pivotal and exciting moment to join us. You will play a key role in embedding high standards, championing partnership working, and ensuring our services remain child‑centred, forward‑thinking and responsive.

As the Head of Service for Quality Assurance & Safeguarding, you will take a strategic lead across Children’s Social Care, Early Help and SEND — driving continuous improvement, delivering robust quality assurance, and ensuring safeguarding excellence across the Berkshire West footprint.

In this role, you will:

• Hold strategic responsibility for the Quality Assurance Framework, ensuring consistent high standards across Children's Social Care, Early Help, and SEND.
• Act as the Quality Assurance Lead for the Berkshire West Safeguarding Children’s Partnership, providing expert insight on safeguarding standards and best practice.
• Lead and develop collaborative multi-agency relationships, driving joint auditing, learning, and system-wide improvements.
• Manage the Family Group Conferencing Service, promoting child‑centred and restorative approaches.
• Provide effective leadership to the Quality Assurance & Safeguarding Service, including overseeing the Team Manager for QA & Safeguarding.
• Lead on the development, delivery and evaluation of quality assurance activity, including case audits, learning reviews and thematic analysis.
• Manage the Children’s Services & SEND Complaints Manager, ensuring complaints are handled effectively and learning is embedded.
• Oversee the Participation Manager to ensure children and young people have access to advocacy, participation opportunities and co‑production that shapes service delivery.
• Contribute to multi-agency safeguarding policies and procedures, ensuring alignment with national requirements and emerging research.
• Represent Wokingham at local and national forums, horizon scanning for policy changes and emerging best practice.
• Participate in the Emergency Duty Team rota (every 6–8 weeks).
• Be an active member of the wider departmental and council management team.

This is a rare and exciting opportunity for a skilled QA and safeguarding professional to shape strategic direction, influence practice across multiple agencies, and ensure that children and families receive the highest quality support.

What we can offer you:

• Salary: £73,452 – £80,878 per annum +£3k Market Supplement
• 31 days annual leave, rising to 36 with continuous service
• On-site Gym access
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)
• Local and national discounts
• Access to Tusker Car Scheme
• Enhanced Local Government Pension Scheme

All applications must be submitted online.

For more information or if you would like to have an informal discussion with regards to this vacancy, please contact either: 

Carrie Mark, Service Director Practice Improvement Quality: carrie.mark@wokingham.gov.uk  

Or  

Alix Williams, Recruitment & Retention Specialist for Children’s Social Care: 

Alix.williams@wokingham.gov.uk  

Closing date: Sunday 8^th March at 11pm

Interviews: Monday 23^rd March, in person at our Wokingham offices. 

Please be aware that we will be reviewing the applications we receive on a daily basis, and we reserve the right to close the advert early if suitable candidates are identified.      

If your application is shortlisted for an interview, you will be required to provide proof of your right to work in the UK at that stage. Additionally, successful candidates must present proof upon receiving a job offer.  

Please note that all offers are conditional and subject to the satisfactory completion of pre-employment checks. 

Wokingham Borough Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff, other workers and volunteers to share this commitment. All successful candidates for this role will be subject to Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) checks along with other relevant employment checks.  

Due to the high volume of applications we receive, we regret that we are unable to respond to every applicant individually. 

If you do not hear from us within 4 weeks of the application closing date, please assume that your application has not been successful on this occasion. 

We appreciate your interest in joining Wokingham Borough Council and thank you for taking the time to apply. 

Wokingham is an equal opportunities employer.