Head of QA, Performance and Planning role profile

Primary purpose of role

Lead a function that provides the central intelligence focus for the business planning and infrastructure requirements of Children’s Services.

Lead on data management, systems development, performance and sufficiency to support the provision of business critical information which improves the outcomes for children, young people and their families.

Work with the Director of Children’s Services and Service Directors for Social Care and Education to understand their service improvement needs and develop child and family focussed strategic and operational solutions to meet these requirements.

Be the lead on Quality Assurance, Strategy, Performance and Planning for Children’s Services, including professional social work standards.

Ensure that all annual assurance processes e.g. Ofsted Self Evaluation Framework, statutory performance returns and annual plans or reports e.g. LADO or Corporate Parenting Reports are produced and meet the statutory expectations for Children’s Services.

Lead for operational partnership arrangements to protect and safeguard children.

Lead responsibility for School Admissions and School Transport functions, including accountability for associated budget control.

Manager of a £9 million budget.

Key accountabilities and key measures

Role outcomes

• Lead Quality Assurance, Performance and Planning Team to transfer and redesign business intelligence, performance planning and information, from traditional departmental structures to support the Target Operating Model for Children’s Services.
• Develop sufficiency requirements within the education, social care, youth and health arena.
• Deliver planning, performance services for all Children’s Services; service plans and performance reviews.
• Deliver responsibilities relating to the Safeguarding Partnership and Working Together.
• Accountable for the delivery of the associated departmental budgets as aligned to the corporate plan.
• Lead accountability for sufficiency of school places, school transport and associated budgets.
• Ensure there is an appropriate performance framework in place for Service Directors to manage service performance and delivery objectives within department.
• Deliver the statutory performance reporting functions within CYPF.
• Ensure the Council’s obligations for safeguarding of vulnerable groups is reflected across all areas of service delivery with direct responsibility for children’s social care safeguarding.

Role measures

• Clear forward plan in place for accurate and timely statutory returns.
• The performance management framework is clearly communicated, implemented and monitored to ensure good performance is recognised.
• Optimise forward planning and improve the flow of data and automated use of systems.
• Directorate is able to demonstrate how it is performing against a range of performance indicators. Action is taken if performance fails to meet required standards.
• Clear action plans are in place where performance is below requirements.
• There are robust business continuity arrangements in place.
• All business and performance information is held securely, safely and in line with legal and statutory requirements.

Key activities

• Ensure that detailed plans are in place and maintained so that Service Directors are equipped for ILACs, JTAIs, Adult Learning, Local Area SEND inspections etc.
• Facilitate continuous quality improvement across Children’s Services, with Adults Social Care and the appropriate partnership structures through the Safeguarding Business Office.
• Develop and implement effective performance management, information systems and management within the directorate to drive business improvement and optimised reporting.
• Support directorate Heads of Service ensuring that all their service plans are up to date and meeting the expected corporate standard.
• Act as the nominated Children’s Services lead for identified areas of corporate work as assigned by the Director of Children’s Services.
• Ensure own department delivers the policies set by the Director ensuring all staff understand and act on the these.
• Contribute to the strategic vision of Children’s Services ensuring that all regulatory requirements are met and that the Annual Plan for the Quality Assurance Framework is agreed and delivered across Early Help, Social Care and Education, Participation and Skills.
• Ensure the department has clear performance management systems and from these shape the subsequent development of sufficiency requirements for the Directorate.
• Ensure effective measures are in place to manage and mitigate risk to protect the liability of the Directorate.
• Attend meetings with Members including Scrutiny panels to present and explain data and performance information.
• Carry out other duties appropriate to the grade of the post.

Essential qualifications/knowledge

• Degree or equivalent qualification relevant to the management and/or improvement of performance and business processes.
• A relevant management qualification or extensive senior or middle management experience in a relevant sector.
• Social work or education qualification or equivalent experience.

Desirable qualifications/knowledge

• Local government experience.
• Experience in highly regulated statutory settings.

Essential experience

• Extensive knowledge of early years, education, social care, youth and family services, of commissioning frameworks and legislation, as well as current and future policy developments within the social care system.
• Substantial experience of leading and developing a successful performance department, including a strong commissioning experience and enabling model of delivery linked to outcomes.
• Substantial experience of maintaining high safeguarding standards and understanding of systems to protect vulnerable groups.
• Experience of working and succeeding in complex partnership arrangements.
• Experience of leading a multidisciplinary workforce to drive performance and a successful culture.
• Experience of working within and promoting a safeguarding and health and safety culture.

Desirable experience

Social Work or Education qualifications.

Essential skills

• Able to provide and translate complex information to support continuous improvements in the work that the directorate undertakes with children, young people and their families.
• Able to work as part of a high functioning non siloed Directorate Team.
• Business planning skills - including analysing demand, priorities, trends and predicting future customer needs.
• Commercial acumen and budget management skills.
• Ability to influence, coach and mentor team to improve and build a high performance culture.
• Ability to deal with competing interests while maintaining effective working relationships and a productive work environment.
• Ability to establish pragmatic solutions and agreed outcomes.
• Innovative and able to challenge traditional ways of doing things in a positive, constructive way.

Corporate standards

• In accordance with Council policies and guidance on information management and security, it is your personal responsibility for data protection, client confidentiality and information governance.
• Act at all times in accordance with appropriate legislation and regulations, codes of practice, the provisions of the Council’s constitution and its policies and procedures.
• Work within the requirements of the Council’s Health and Safety policy, performance standards, safe systems of work and procedures.
• Undertake all duties with due regard to the corporate equalities policy and relevant legislation.