Service Manager – Placements and Quality Assurance (E3753) in Crewe

About us

At Cheshire East Council we are resident and partner focused with a vision to enable prosperity and wellbeing for all. People really are at the heart of everything we do and that starts with our incredible workforce. We promote a culture of high performance where people can aspire, thrive and flourish, where we strive to deliver best value in everything we do. For us, success isn’t just about what we achieve, but how we achieve it together. We promote curiosity, excellence, innovation and continuous improvement. We are values led and committed to wellbeing and inclusion for all, where our employees co-created our values of drive, integrity, respect and collaboration which inform all that we do.

We’re on a meaningful journey in Children’s Social Care and we’d love for you to be part of it. Joining us means becoming part of a supportive, forward-thinking team that’s passionate about making a real difference in the lives of children and young people. Everything we do is about putting them first, helping them grow, thrive and reach their full potential so they can build brighter futures. If this sounds like the kind of impact you want to make, we’d be delighted to hear from you. Come and join us in shaping positive change for our young people.

At Cheshire East we’re making significant, tangible investments in our foundations. This includes strengthening our commissioning function, expanding workforce development and creating clearer, more ambitious pathways. To realise these ambitions, we’re seeking exceptional Senior leaders who want to help us shape the future.

The job purpose is to provide strong operational leadership and management of the Placements and Quality Assurance (QA) functions within Children’s Commissioning.

About the Role

The holder of the role is to ensure the timely and safe securing of placements, robust Quality Assurance of commissioned provision, and effective oversight of provider performance across Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), Alternative Education provision and Children’s Social Care. Close links with commissioning colleagues should be maintained.

• Provide operational leadership of the Placements, Brokerage and QA function across SEND and Children’s Social Care including directly line managing and supporting staff within the Placements and QA team, setting clear expectations, managing performance and supporting development.
• Ensure placements are secured in a timely manner, meet assessed needs and represent best value within available resources.
• Lead the Quality Assurance (QA) function across commissioned provision, including residential care, supported accommodation (16+), independent fostering agencies, alternative provision and specialist/SEND education.
• Oversee responses to quality concerns, safeguarding risks, provider underperformance and provider failure, including embargo and exit arrangements.
• Maintain oversight of provider performance, quality and compliance, working closely with commissioning and data colleagues to triangulate intelligence.
• Work closely with operational social care, SEND and education colleagues to manage demand, capacity and risk.
• Build constructive relationships with providers, partners and regional networks to support market stability and quality improvement.
• Support providers with Ofsted and Care Quality Commission frameworks, inspections and any improvement plan following Ofsted inspections where children and young people are placed by the council.
• Contribute to inspection readiness and activity, including Ofsted ILACS, SEND area inspections and other external assurance processes.

The successful candidate will bring:

• Degree or equivalent experience.
• Significant management experience within children’s services or commissioning.
• Experience of the oversight of placements, providers or quality assurance.
• Strong understanding of placement markets, safeguarding expectations, quality assurance principles and provider oversight.
• Experience and understanding of Children’s Act 2024, Children and Families Act 2014, SEND Code of Practice, Safeguarding and inspection expectations.
• Excellent understanding of Ofsted regulations in relation to children’s residential care and SEND.

What we offer in return:

• A competitive salary– Between £54,994 per annum – £62,777 per annum (CEC NJC – Grade 12) with guaranteed yearly pay increases!
• 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 flexitime and hybrid/remote working arrangements where possible.
• Salary sacrifice green car scheme– Drive green and save green! Lease a brand-new electric or hybrid car through our salary sacrifice scheme.
• White goods salary sacrifice scheme – Upgrade your home with ease. Purchase home and electronic items through our salary sacrifice scheme.
• 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.
• 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.

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. Cheshire East Council is committed to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults across the Borough.