Head of Education Programmes

The Head of Education Programmes is responsible for providing the strategic leadership and operational delivery of our quality assurance programme for social work education and training. This includes oversight of our inspection processes and implementation plans, as well as shaping key cross-organisation projects, such as education and training guidance and standards development. Engaging with stakeholders and collaboration with sector colleagues will be critical to success; and co-production will be central to our approach.

The role is responsible for providing operational leadership and management of the quality assurance programme for social work education and training. This is one of the organisation's key regulatory responsibilities, and the Head of Education Programmes is responsible for ensuring timely and consistent decision making based on a high quality and evidence-based inspection framework. Going forward, as we learn from our first full cycle of inspections, the Head of Education Programmes is responsible for continuously looking to improve our systems and structures to deliver this important regulatory function, working closely with colleagues internally and externally.

What you will do

• Develop Social Work England's strategic approach and ambition as the regulator of social work education and training.


• Lead and oversee the quality assurance process of education and training providers, developing a programme of inspections and a re-approval cycle based on the needs of the sector and key performance objectives. This includes operational leadership of the internal education quality assurance team and associated partners to support inspection activity and lead on the development of our quality approach.


• Develop new and innovative approaches to quality assurance and the inspection framework, including the implementation of thematic inspections and prioritising inspection based on risk and insight, as well as exploring opportunities to strategically engage more with students as part of our approach.


• Facilitate regulatory decision making on the approval/re-approval of social work courses in a transparent, timely, robust and evidence-based way.


• Provide expert advice on social work education and training to inform the review and development of the education programme as well as providing insight, expertise and an evidence base for policy and practice development.


• Use our education and training standards to proactively embed equality, diversity and inclusion principles across the education programme and to enhance the assurance of social work education and training courses.


• Collaborate with internal and external colleagues; along with people with lived experience of social work to ensure plans are co-produced, evidence based and impact on improved education and training that assures public confidence and protection.


• Oversee the production of clear, engaging and high quality information for public and specialist audiences, including the Executive Leadership Team and Social Work England Board. This includes the publication of findings from inspection activity as part of broader analysis of the education and training landscape for social work to promote learning, innovation and best practice.


• Work closely with the Education and Training Advisory Forum to ensure sector input and expertise on key organisational priorities, related to education and training policy and practice.


• Oversee the development of reporting systems to highlight the implementation of the programme; and to identify risk and resource factors and recommendations for improvement based on regular reviews of progress.


• Keep up to date on sector developments and ensure digital and technological innovations are central to the approach.


• Demonstrate the organisational values and behaviours across all interactions, decisions and relationships.
  
  An understanding of education and training context, ideally in social work or a related field.


• A demonstrable track record of delivering complex programmes with multiple work-streams.


• Clear experience of developing effective and productive relationships with multiple stakeholders based on collaboration, consultation and co-production.


• A strong understanding of business improvement and quality assurance frameworks.


• An understanding of the regulatory and legislative framework within which Social Work England operates.


• A proven track record of successfully leading and delivering change programmes with internal and external colleagues.


• Proven ability to analyse data, identify trends and learning, and articulate risks and plans for improvement.


• Excellent interpersonal skills, including emotional and political intelligence to respond to competing agendas and interests.


• The ability to think and act strategically, developing practical innovative and creative solutions to the management of strategic and operational problems.


• Excellent organisational skills and ability to manage a variety of issues simultaneously, to the agreed deadlines and a high level of quality.


• Demonstrable experience of communicating complex plans and decisions to diverse audiences.


• A proven role model for respectful, open and honest behaviour including a demonstrable commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion in service planning and delivery.
  
  Social Work England are the specialist regulator for social work in England, focused on enabling positive change in social work. Every day, social workers support millions of people to improve their chances in life. We are taking a new approach to regulating social workers in their vital roles. We believe in the power of collaboration and share a common goal with those we regulate - to protect the public, enable positive change and ultimately improve people's lives.


Our programme for social work education and training will strengthen the link between education standards and the professional standards to deliver better education and training in a way that is consistent, outcomes focused and upholds public protection. The programme sits in our professional practice and external engagement directorate to reflect our commitment to collaboration, engagement and the drive for improvement., You are now leaving the VAS website and being taken to VAS's VC Connect online services. These are owned and managed by VAS.