Strategic Service Improvement Partner - Children and Young People Services

All children and families in Suffolk have the right to be safe, to have the best education, physical and emotional health and successful preparation for adulthood and employment. Too many children do not have these opportunities, and we are committed to changing that.
To meet that aim Suffolk County Council, Children and Young People (CYP) Services are investing in our transformation, and improvement leadership capacity.

Your role and responsibilities
We are pleased to be recruiting to our Strategic Service and Improvement Partner post, you will play a key role in helping to continually improve the quality and impact of practice to children and families. With a focus on improvement and 'inspection readiness', you will work to our Assistant Director for Transformation and Improvement and closely with Children and Young People services (CYP) Leadership Team and be responsible for activities including;
- developing and implementing service improvement strategies and action plans arising from Ofsted, CQC / SEND and Youth Justice inspections.
- leading on specific Ofsted and SEND improvement projects and developing robust governance structures to support those.
- supporting the CYP Leadership Team in developing and embedding our vision for reform, framed by the Government's Strategy 'Stable Homes, Built on Love' (February 2024)
- bringing together key partners and chairing key strategic board meetings to drive our collective change agenda.

You will need
You will need to bring demonstrable improvement and transformation experience within Children's Services and will enjoy working at pace, and with focus, to progress and deliver impact for local children, young people, and families, so they achieve and maintain consistently good and better outcomes as quickly as possible.
You can view a full list of requirements in the Job and Person Profile (docx) . 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.

Empowering Everyone
We're big believers in potential, possibility and the power of different ideas. We're 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., Step 3 - Upload a supporting statement answering the following questions below (no more than 500 words per question). You should use the Supporting Statement template.
1. This role requires the ability to work alongside operational leads to effect transformation at pace. Give an example when you had to take colleagues with you through a change programme where you were not directly responsible for the leading the services impacted?
2. Tell us about the largest programme you have managed - How did you ensure all aspects of the programme were delivered on time and within budget?
3. A key aspect of this role is to support our inspection readiness agenda. Can you share examples of where you have delivered service improvement within Children's Services settings?
Step 4 - Upload a CV (without name and personal details).
Please note: Without a supporting statement and CV, your interest will not be progressed. Any supporting documents must be in either PDF or MS Word format. If you would like an adjustment to this process due to a disability, please contact us at or recruitment@suffolk.gov.uk

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.
As a modern and effective council, we offer a wide variety of careers to suit people with a range of skills, abilities and ambitions. We offer working options that flex to reflect the way people work today and take the time to understand and support your individual needs. We're driven to make a positive difference to the world around us and encourage everyone with drive and focus to join us and build an influential and impactful career. Reimagine the possibilities.
In return, you'll enjoy:

up to 29 days annual leave entitlement (pro rata), plus UK bank holidays and two paid volunteering days
membership of a competitive Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
travel, lifestyle, health and wellbeing benefits
performance-related annual pay progression, in addition to an annual cost-of-living pay increase
training and encouragement to expand your knowledge
a variety of career development opportunities across our organisation
diverse and active staff networks
flexible working options, with the right to request flexible working from your first day

Plus lots more!