Improvement Lead - National Social Work Agency in Edinburgh

Do you want an exciting opportunity to join the new National Social Work Agency (NSWA), established in early 2026? This is an exciting opportunity to join the new National Social Work Agency (NSWA), which will be established in early 2026. The Agency will have oversight of social work – raising the profile and strengthening the cohesion of the profession across public, third and independent sectors, including students. It will advance social work practice and support implementation of national policy – driving support, change and continuous improvement in social work education and learning.

The NSWA will be an Executive Agency with responsibility for advising Ministers and policy teams with an interest in all aspects of social work policy and practice, including adults, children, and justice social work. Additionally, the NSWA will provide cross governmental policy input in areas including health and social care, mental health, children and families, prisons and all aspects of public protection.

This is a new agency with highly motivated staff, who take pride in their work and strive to ensure effective person-centred, and trauma responsive support is available for people of all ages in Scotland. The work is fast-paced, high profile, varied and rewarding.

We are seeking a highly experienced improvement professional to lead the National Social Work Agency’s work to promote partnership and collaboration with improvement agencies and partners. The Improvement Lead will collaborate and build strong partnerships to align improvement work across agencies that supports the delivery of high-quality social work services and practice across Scotland’s social work systems.

As part of the NSWA Improvement and Implementation Unit, you will help ensure improvement is embedded as a strategic driver of better outcomes by providing expert improvement advice and building capacity for improvement across the agency. Our work aims to support evidence informed approaches to social work, with a highly valued and skilled profession that consistently delivers high quality services, and enhances the quality, equity and impact of social work services, systems and practice.

• Lead national alignment of improvement activity, ensuring coordination across improvement agencies and sector partners to support shared priorities and high-quality, evidence-based social work. To support this, you will develop the structures, processes and relationships that enable effective partnership working between the NSWA, national improvement agencies impacting on social work, and other key stakeholders.
• Provide expert improvement advice across the NSWA and work with relevant policy teams to use evidence, insight and improvement methodology to strengthen social work systems and practice.
• Building improvement capacity and capability across the NSWA, supporting practical experience of improvement science and championing the use of improvement approaches, coaching and supporting the NSWA to deliver quality as a business strategy.
• Work closely with the Implementation Team Leader to design, test and deliver programmes of improvement that support the social work workforce and respond to national priorities.
• Strengthen links with research and evidence partners, including universities and UK-wide research networks, to ensure improvement activity is informed by robust, innovative and current evidence.
• Contribute to the NSWA’s leadership team to ensure delivery of the strategic priorities of the agency.
• Contribute to a strategic overview of social work policy and practice, engaging and collaborating with other relevant areas across government to explore, support and progress joint policy outcomes.
• Provide line management duties, including leadership, direction and support for team members.

Holds (or is working towards/willing to undertake) a formal recognised qualification in improvement methodology, for example Scottish Improvement Leader Programme (ScIL).

• Extensive experience leading the design and delivery of improvement programmes in complex social work and/or social care contexts.
• Strong track record of working across organisational boundaries to build and maintain effective partnerships with stakeholders that generates confidence, respect and collaborative working.
• Deep understanding of Scotland’s improvement landscape and experience contributing to national reform and improvement priorities.
• Ability to lead and operate with confidence at a national level.

• Changing and Improving - Level 4
• Communicating and Influencing - Level 4

How to apply: Apply online, providing a CV and Supporting Statement (of no more than 1000 words) which provides evidence of how you meet the skills, experience and behaviours listed in the Success Profile above. Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools can be used to support your application, but all statements and examples provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, and presented as your own) applications will be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action.

Successful candidates must complete the Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS), before they can be appointed. BPSS is comprised of four main pre-employment checks – Identity, Right to work, Employment History and a Criminal Record check (unspent convictions).

We are committed to equality and inclusion and we aim to recruit a diverse workforce that reflects the population of our nation.