Quality Assurance Reg 44 Lead in Ipswich

Suffolk County Council Address: Endeavour House, Ipswich IP1 2BX - Hybrid

Salary: £49,752 - £60,792 per annum (pro rata for part time)

Hours: 37 per week

Contract: Permanent

We are focused on making a meaningful difference to children and families across Suffolk. How? By listening to our people, learning from what they say and creating a culture of mutual respect, where everyone works together to achieve great things. As a Quality Assurance and Regulation 44 Lead in the Quality Assurance Team, you will be as keen to collaborate and build a bright future as we are. So, to make a positive impact, connect with us and connect with a fantastic career. Reimagine the possibilities.

Your role and responsibilities

As the Quality Assurance and Regulation 44 Lead, you will play a pivotal role in ensuring the highest standards of practice for children, young people, and families across Suffolk. Your daily activities will be both varied and impactful, requiring a balance of analytical, advisory, and collaborative skills.

A typical day in this role may include:

• Engaging with children, young people, families, and professionals to ensure their experiences inform and shape quality assurance activities.
• Conducting vital face to face Regulation 44 visits, evaluating the quality of care in our children’s homes, assessing whether our children are safeguarded and their wellbeing is effectively promoted.
• Preparing and presenting analytical reports highlighting strengths and recommending improvements, monitoring actions and reviewing progress.
• Providing expert guidance, support, and constructive challenge to colleagues and partners, enabling them to deliver improved outcomes.
• Leading and participating in quality assurance reviews, gathering and analysing feedback, and identifying areas for development.
• Designing and facilitating workshops, reflective sessions, and coaching opportunities to support continuous professional growth.
• Collaborating with internal and external partners to share best practice and foster effective multi-agency working.
• Monitoring legislative and policy developments to ensure that practice remains current and compliant.
• Supporting safeguarding and risk management, with a focus on promoting the welfare of children and young people.

You will be expected to manage your own workload with autonomy, respond flexibly to emerging priorities, and contribute to the ongoing improvement of services. The opportunity to make a tangible difference, both to service quality and to the lives of children and families, is at the heart of this role.

You will need to have:

• a suitable professional qualification at post graduate level and equivalent experience in a relevant area of work
• experience in quality assurance work in Children and Young People’s Services, and/or Children’s Homes (Regulation 44 work) and/or other sector work which demonstrates transferable skills
• management and leadership experience and/or qualification (desirable)
• an analytical/forensic approach to your work
• excellent communication skills (written and verbal)
• strong ability to work both on your own and as part of a team
• to be able to work at pace within agreed timescales
• effective ICT skills, use of internet and other digital methods of communication
• to be aware of local and national research and frameworks

If you believe you can succeed in this role, apply. Even if you don't meet all requirements, still apply. We would appreciate the opportunity to consider your application.

The Team

The Quality Assurance Team is a multidisciplinary group of professionals within the Children and Young People’s Services directorate. The team’s purpose is to support and enhance quality assurance processes across all services, ensuring that every intervention is meaningful and every child’s voice is heard. The team members are motivated by the positive impact they make, supporting colleagues, celebrating excellence, and driving continuous improvement. The team culture is collaborative, supportive, and committed to learning and professional development. Open communication, mutual respect, and a shared sense of purpose underpin all that we do.

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 underrepresented in the organisation, as shown in our Workforce Equality Report.

For more information

Please contact Rachel Cogman for a casual conversation. You can reach them by calling 01473264704 or emailing: rachel.cogman@suffolk.gov.uk

How to apply

Step 1 - Read the Job and Person Profile (JPP)
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).

• Describe a time you carried out an in‑depth quality assurance activity. What methods did you use to evaluate practice, and what impact did your findings have?
• Describe your experience of conducting (or contributing to) Regulation 44 visits or similar assurance work. What key elements do you focus on, and how do you ensure children are effectively safeguarded?
• Describe a time where you have demonstrated creativity or innovation to improve practice and the outcomes for children.

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, 29 September 2026
Interview dates: 2 or 5 October 2026 at Endeavour House, Ipswich

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.