3 Month Contract With A Local Authority

We are seeking an experienced Senior Practitioner to join our Quality Assurance and Improvement Service on an interim basis. This role will focus on auditing, reviewing, and improving the quality of Pathway Plans for young people leaving care.

The successful candidate will bring strong practice knowledge of leaving care services, a clear understanding of what “good” looks like in pathway planning, and the ability to provide constructive feedback and learning to practitioners and managers to improve outcomes for care-experienced young people.

Key Responsibilities:

• Undertake high-quality audits of Pathway Plans for young people leaving care, evaluating quality, compliance, and impact.
  

• Identify areas of good practice and practice shortfalls, providing clear, evidence-based feedback.
  

• Support practitioners and managers in understanding statutory requirements, best practice standards, and Ofsted expectations for leaving care work.
  

• Contribute to the development of audit tools, practice standards, and learning resources to improve the consistency and quality of service delivery.
  

• Produce audit reports, data summaries, and quality improvement recommendations to inform senior management oversight and service development.
  

• Participate in practice learning forums, moderation meetings, and quality assurance panels.
  

• Promote a culture of continuous learning and reflective practice across the Children’s Social Care workforce.
  

Requirements:

• Qualified Social Worker (Degree in Social Work, CQSW, DipSW, or equivalent).
  

• Registered with Social Work England.
  

• Significant post-qualifying experience within Children’s Social Care, specifically Leaving Care / Care Leavers services.
  

• Proven experience in auditing, quality assurance, or practice improvement.
  

• Excellent understanding of Pathway Planning, Care Leaver entitlements, and relevant legislation (Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000, Children and Social Work Act 2017).
  

• Ability to critically analyse practice, identify themes, and articulate what good looks like in a clear, evidence-based manner.
  

• Strong report writing and communication skills, with the ability to engage practitioners in constructive dialogue about practice quality.