CYP Inspection Lead in Ipswich

We are committed to making a meaningful difference to people and communities across Suffolk by championing high standards in Children and Young People Services (CYP). We do this by listening to our practitioners, learning from lived experiences, and fostering a culture of mutual respect and collaboration, where everyone plays a part in achieving the best possible outcomes.

Your role and Responsibilities

We are seeking an experienced and driven professional to take on the role of Inspection Lead within our Children and Young People Directorate (CYP). You will play a pivotal role in ensuring the council is fully prepared for all inspections, maintains oversight and governance, and delivers continuous improvement across services for children and young people. If you are passionate about working collaboratively and hold expert knowledge of inspection frameworks, methodologies, and best practice to support service development, readiness, and continuous improvement, we would love to hear from you.

You will coordinate all inspection readiness activity, support the requirements and coordinate and collate all the evidence for inspections (including the Annex A documentation). You will be the directorates expert on every inspection framework; you will act as the primary liaison with our governing bodies, including Ofsted, HMIP, CQC and partner organisations. You will be highly organised, confident in working autonomously, and proactive in supporting activity that maintains an inspection‑ready organisation. You will work closely with directors, senior managers, partners, operational staff and stakeholders to ensure all documentation, data and preparatory work are in place. This role sits within the Quality Assurance Service and will also support the delivery of audit and quality assurance activity that interface with inspection.

• Provide expert, up to date advice on statutory inspection frameworks and requirements relevant to Suffolk.
• Coordinate and manage the inspection portfolio, ensuring activity is well planned, organised and tracked.
• Lead inspection planning meetings, including agenda setting, action tracking and progress reporting to senior leaders.
• Work confidently with senior managers, elected members, partners and frontline staff to ensure inspection readiness and responsiveness.
• Coordinate the preparation, collation and management of inspection documentation, including the Library of Evidence.
• Act as a key point of contact and conduit between Suffolk and Ofsted Lead Inspectors.
• Identify, communicate and escalate areas of strength, risk and improvement arising from inspection activity.
• Oversee and monitor actions resulting from inspections, ensuring timely follow up and resolution.
• Analyse and triangulate learning from inspection outcomes at local, regional and national levels.
• Produce clear and engaging outputs, including briefings, bulletins, presentations and workshop materials.
• Build and maintain effective relationships with internal and external partners involved in inspection activity.
• Contribute to wider quality assurance and assurance related work within the QA Service.

You Will Need

• A relevant postgraduate qualification or equivalent experience in a related professional area.
• Experience of delivering or supporting complex projects or programmes in a large organisation.
• Strong organisational skills, with experience coordinating large volumes of data and documentation.
• Confidence in working with data, spreadsheets and reporting tools, with good numerical literacy.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to influence and engage senior stakeholders.
• Experience of working in, or alongside, regulatory or inspection‑led environments (desirable).
• The ability to build effective relationships at all levels, including senior leadership and external partners.
• A proactive and resilient approach, with the ability to prioritise, meet deadlines and work calmly under pressure.
• Strong judgement, problem‑solving skills, and the ability to anticipate risks and develop practical solutions.
• An interest in national social work policy and its relationship to inspection and regulatory frameworks.

Empowering Everyone

We are big believers in potential, possibility and the power of different ideas. We are always searching for ways to encourage, respect and enable everyone to be the best they can be. We want to represent the diverse communities we serve. We welcome applications from all individuals, especially those from groups that are currently under‑represented in the organisation. This authority is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. DBS checks or police vetting will be required for relevant posts.