**Role & seniority: ** Head of Service – Quality Assurance; senior leadership role reporting to Executive Director (Children, Education & Families).

**Stack/tools: ** Not specified; role focuses on QA, safeguarding governance, performance improvement, and leadership.

**Top 3 responsibilities: **

Lead quality assurance and performance improvement across Children’s Services and partner agencies.
Oversee safeguarding quality functions including IROs, Child Protection Chairs, and LADO, embedding standards organisation-wide.
Act as Prevent Lead for the local authority and deliver/lead improvement work through Family First / Families First reforms.
Must-have skills:
- Experienced registered social work leader.
- Demonstrated quality assurance and service improvement track record.
- Strong partnership working and ability to lead through portfolio change.
- Ability to provide strategic leadership and accountability culture.
Nice-to-haves:
- Familiarity/experience with Family First reforms, post-Ofsted improvement work, and local safeguarding structures.
Location & work type: Bedford (Bedford Borough Council); work type not explicitly stated (appears full-time senior leadership).
Additional notes: No visa sponsorship; role is exempt from ROA 1974 and requires declaration of certain convictions/cautions.

Full Description

This is a career-defining opportunity to lead improvement, influence strategy and help shape the future of children's services in Bedford.

As our Head of Service for Quality Assurance, you'll play a critical role in delivering the national Family First reforms, working across Children's Services and partner agencies to strengthen safeguarding, improve practice and deliver better outcomes for children and families. You'll lead quality assurance, performance improvement, IROs, Child Protection Chairs, LADO and improvement delivery services, ensuring high standards are embedded across the organisation. You will be the Prevent Lead for the local authority. Reporting directly to the Executive Director for Children, Education & Families, you'll be at the heart of our post-Ofsted improvement journey, providing strategic leadership, driving a culture of learning and accountability, and influencing change at the highest levels.

As we move to the Families First model there will be substantial change to the service and successful candidates will need to be able to to lead through these time adapting to a changing portfolio.

We're looking for an experienced, registered social work leader with a strong track record of quality assurance, service improvement and partnership working.

If you're passionate about improving children's lives and ready to lead meaningful change, we'd like to hear from you.

Closing date: 15th September 2026

Interview date: week commencing 21st September 2026.

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. If your application is successful you will be required to declare any spent and unspent convictions, adult cautions (simple or conditional) that are not "protected" as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2013 and 2020).

How To Apply

When you are ready to apply, click on ‘Apply for Vacancy’; you will be asked to upload a CV and answer some application questions. The application questions require a yes/no response. Please make sure your CV shows how you meet the requirements for the role you are applying for, the job profile below will show the essential selection criteria. An optional CV template is provided below.

Please Note

The Council will not normally re-employ ex-employees in receipt of

a severance payment (within 12 months of leaving) a local government pension (applies to Senior Officers only) unless the appointment is business critical For further information, please email recruitment.team@bedford.gov.uk

Bedford Borough Council is proud to be a member of the Armed Forces Covenant and the Care Leavers Covenant, we pledge to interview any eligible job applicant who meets the minimum criteria for the job they are applying for. Bedford Borough Council is also a Level 2 Disability Confident employer.

Bedford Borough Council is unable to offer visa sponsorship for this role.