Audit Manager – Children’s Social Care

Audit Manager - Children’s Social Care

Permanent, Full Time

£47,405 to £58,727 per annum

Location: Chelmsford

Working Style: Fixed-base worker

Job Purpose

Children and Families is recognised as a service in which social work can develop and prosper, with a culture of collaboration, integrity and compassion; promoting the development and wellbeing of children, young people and their families; protecting them from neglect and abuse. Working together with partners delivering a range of early help, family support and effective social work interventions which build resilience, remove barriers and enable children and young people to look forward to a brighter future.

The Professional Standards and Audit Services (PSAS) Audit Team Manager is responsible for driving practice evaluation and audit activity across Children and Families as a central component to the Quality Assurance Framework. The role leads, influencing strong audit ethos and activity, implementing key quality assurance processes and practices across the Function to inform management insight and broader organisational development and training needs that emerge .

Leading on the continuous evaluation of social work practice and improvement work at all levels of the organisation within the context of local and national practice standards, the role is required to provide high quality management insight into practice standards and direction using professional and specialist knowledge to provide consultation for staff in order to achieve best practice. Working proactively and collaboratively with other professionals and with partner agencies the role will ensure the best possible outcomes for children and young people are achieved via Quality and Assurance Framework.

Organisational Accountabilities

Roles at this level will be focused on delivering results in a specific functional area. They will hold expertise on the application of policy and improvement of service delivery. These roles have clear team budgets and targets set within the overall service requirements.

The role is accountable for:

• Operational planning and performance review to maintain exceptional service delivery and ensure the political objectives and priorities of the council are met
• Working collaboratively within and across functions and thinking commercially to support the delivery of best possible outcomes for our customers on a financially sustainable basis
• Maintaining and nurturing collaborative relationships with other teams in the function and external organisations that support the delivery of annual plans
• Implementing changes and continually evaluating the service to improve the area of work, while maintaining continual delivery of the highest possible levels of service quality.
• Managing complex issues and resources to meet the needs of customers and deliver the best possible outcomes
• Effective utilisation of digital technologies and innovation across the function
• Celebrating Equality and Diversity and ensuring it is considered as part of all decisions taken
• Using professional expertise to translate goals and plans into ways of working that comply with relevant legislation and statutory requirements and manages a level of appropriate risk
• Delivering exemplar customer interactions to individuals and communities which support strong relationships and a reputation for achieving outcomes and resolving issues

Service/Functional Accountabilities

• Responsible for the management of the day to day functions of the Children & Families Audit portfolio including driving monthly case file audit, thematic audit and multi-agency case audit activities, and using the learning from audit findings to develop, promote and support high quality practice and effective performance across the County
• Responsible for building and developing systems and approaches to audit, collating, analysing and reporting on qualitative and quantitative information accumulated through PSAS audit activity - identifying areas of practice and performance requiring further scrutiny.
• Responsible for writing business and management information reports on audit activity proactively and efficiently and presenting these at all levels of the service.
• Responsible for ensuring that the PSAS service meets its objectives and has effective means in place to assess its own performance against requirements in Working Together to Safeguard Children and other relevant guidance, for example Ofsted measures and SET Procedures.
• Responsible for using expert professional knowledge to give management direction to colleague Team Managers using the latest research and policy initiatives to drive performance improvement, ensuring any practice and performance issues are bought to the attention of the Service Manager.
• Responsible for taking a strategic view of the quadrant needs and services to identify areas of improvement; using professional expertise and knowledge to lead service development projects, and ensuring that audit activity is delivered to the expected standards and timescales when responding to practice curiosities that arise from local learning, Serious Case Reviews and Ofsted recommendations/issues.
• Lead in the development and delivery of Practice Workshops, both Multi-
• Disciplinary and other relevant subjects as required.
• Act as a source of expert advice and consultation for staff within Schools, Children and
• Families on quality assurance and audit related issues including being responsible for critically appraising practice and challenging this within identified forums to create a culture of continuous improvement.
• Responsible for maintaining a current and active interest and knowledge of key policy/legislation changes, research, and best practice initiatives. And for the development and implementation of relevant policies and procedures including quality standards and governance.
• Specific individual and shared targets and objectives are defined annually within the performance management framework.

Dimensions

People management (including direct reports): To provide leadership and management to the Professional Standards and Audit Team including regular high quality, reflective supervision of staff.

Skills, Knowledge and Experience

• A recognised social work qualification i.e. Diploma, degree or Masters in social work, CQSW, CSS or equivalent, with current registration with Social Work England as a registered social worker
• Evidence of continuing professional development, aligned to any relevant Professional Competency/Capability frameworks or Knowledge & Skills Statements
• Sound working knowledge and experience of planning and service delivery within local or central government with demonstrable and proven record of achievement in same.
• Demonstrable understanding and awareness of leading and managing change within a large complex organisation.
• Proven experience of working with performance targets within a results lead environment.
• Proven experience of developing and implementing planning and performance frameworks in a multi-disciplinary and partnership environment.
• Excellent knowledge and application of research and analytical tools and techniques including advanced Excel skills.

To read more about us please visit: https://www.workingforessex.com/role/children-families

Please take a look at our ‘No Magic’ Children & Families video here

Why Essex?

Essex County Council has a location to be proud of. Our 1,300 square miles stretch from Constable Country to the Thames Estuary, from the dynamic M11 corridor to the traditional seaside resorts of Clacton and Walton. England’s oldest town, Colchester, and two of its newest – Basildon and Harlow – are right here. Along with the City of Chelmsford, the county town, they form our major population centres. It means real choice and makes Essex the ideal place for your career. Read more about us here.

To view our Organisational Behaviours information please follow this link.

As part of employment with Essex County Council (ECC) should your role require a DBS check you will be required to register with the DBS update service. The DBS update service ensures all registered DBS certificates are kept up to date and allows authorised parties to view the status of your certificate. This is an annual subscription and you will be responsible for ensuring this is maintained. For further information on the DBS update service please go to https://www.gov.uk/dbs-update-service

Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.

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