CYP Inspection Lead in Ipswich

Suffolk County Council is 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’s 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; included in the above expectations of this key role, 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.

You will:

• 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’re big believers in potential, possibility and the power of different ideas. We’re 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 underrepresented in the organisation, as shown in our Workforce Equality Report.

For more information, please contact Rachel Cogman (she/her) for a casual conversation. You can contact her by calling 01473 264704 or emailing rachel.cogman@suffolk.gov.uk.

How to apply

• Step 1 - Read the Job and Person Profile (Word).
• Step 2 - Click ‘Apply Now’ to start your online application.
• Step 3 - Upload a supporting statement answering the following questions below (no more than 400 words per question). You should use the Supporting Statement template (Word).

Tell us about your experience of working with inspection or regulatory frameworks (e.g. Ofsted, CQC, HMIP or similar). How have you used your knowledge of frameworks to support improvement, manage risk, or influence practice?

Give an example of how you have worked with senior leaders, elected members, or external partners to prepare for scrutiny, inspection, or challenge. How did you influence others and manage differing perspectives?

Tell us about a piece of written or verbal communication you produced for a senior or external audience (e.g. report, briefing, presentation). How did you ensure it was clear, accurate, and influential?

Please note: Without a supporting statement, your interest will not be progressed. Any supporting documents must be in either PDF or MS Word format.

For guidance on completing your application, please see our How to Apply page.

Planning to use Artificial Intelligence (AI)? Please ensure your application still reflects your own skills, experience and ideas. If used inappropriately, your application may not be processed. Please read our guidance for using AI to understand what’s acceptable.

Do you need any reasonable adjustments to help you to apply? If you are disabled and/or have additional support needs, you can request reasonable adjustments. You can do this by contacting our Recruitment Team at recruitment@suffolk.gov.uk or 03456 014412. You can find examples of possible adjustments on our Reasonable Adjustment pages.

Closing date: 11.30pm, 4 June 2026

Interview date: 12 June 2026

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 (Disclosure and Barring Service) checks or police vetting will be required for relevant posts.