Quality Assurance Lead - Social Care Market Management

Quality is important. We all know how it feels when a service exceeds our expectations. We tell our family, friends, neighbours and others about it and recommend it to others. It feels personal and shows us that we are important. We can trust a high quality service. It works in partnership with us and genuinely wants to know our experience of using the service to find out how it can improve in the future. A high quality service wants to know what it does well and how it can do better in the future. It learns and improves.

We also know when a service fails to meet our expectations. We feel disappointed, let down, sometimes angry and even unsafe. We tell our family, friends, neighbours and others about it. We may complain and tell others to avoid the service. We can sometimes be at risk because of poor service quality. The relationship between high quality and excellent outcomes is clear. Our key message is that a high quality service for people who draw on support is everyone's business. People who draw on support have a right to expect this from us. We must all strive to ensure it is consistently delivered.

About the Role

Quality Assurance and Market Management, part of Social Care and Health Commissioning, are looking to recruit an exceptional Service Manager to lead one of the three Quality Assurance teams working with commissioned providers to deliver on our ambitions for a high quality thriving sector.

You will be leading a small team of specialist quality assurance colleagues covering a defined portfolio of services. Initially this portfolio will be for services supporting working age adults, including supported living, residential & nursing homes and specialist supported housing. The other two teams are responsible for services for older people and services for children and young people. Service managers are expected to work closely in planning and delivery, offering support across all portfolio areas if needed. The quality assurance teams also include a Senior Occupational Therapist and the Care Champion programme who deliver specialist activity to improve the quality of the commissioned market.

In addition to managing the teams, the role includes significant responsibility for managing and escalating risks within the provider market, including chairing monthly escalation meetings to monitor the most significant risks within the market. Working closely with colleagues across commissioning, contract management and operational teams to ensure effective delivery of quality assurance activity, understand the benefits of effective quality assurance and supportively escalate concerns when needed.

Key Requirements

You will need to have strong leadership skills, significant experience in social care or a relevant area of nursing, occupational therapy or associated profession. An understanding of the commissioned social care market would be beneficial. A background in contract management or quality assurance would be helpful, although technical knowledge and skills can be developed in these areas if needed

For further information please see the Job Description and Person Specification.

Working for Warwickshire - This is the difference you make

Warwickshire County Council is a place where everyone feelsvalued, included, safe, supported,andwelcome. Our people are at the heart of this vision, could you be one of them!

At Warwickshire County Council we are committed to ensuring Warwickshire's economy is vibrant and supported by the right jobs, training,skillsand infrastructure.Our people vision for Warwickshire County Council isa great placeto work where diverse and talented people are enabled to be their best.

Your future matters to us, we provide a generous pension scheme which includes an employer contribution rate of typically around 19percent per month, to help support your financial security during retirement.The scheme also offers a valuable package of benefits for members and their dependants. To find out more please visit: Warwickshire Pension Fund homepage - Warwickshire Pension Fund '

The benefits we offer include agile working, a valuable part of the pay and reward package for employees working in local government, generous annual leave entitlement, plus bank holidays and anadditionalday at Christmas, and access to Vivup benefits and discounts platform.

Click here to view the benefits at Warwickshire County Council.

Additional Information

The Fluency Duty is outlined in the Code of Practice on the English language requirements for public sector workers. The Fluency Duty for this role is Required. You must be able to speak and provide advice inaccuratespoken English to the public.

We recommendsubmittingyour application as soon as possible. Wedon'twant to keep you waiting so we will be starting theinitialshortlist and assessment process while the job advert is running. Please check your emails or applicant account via ourjobsportal for any updates on your application

If you are applying for this role on a secondmentbasisplease ensure you have permission from your line manager.

To discuss the role please contact Olivia Cooper, Head of Quality Assurance and Market Management or via Teams.

Closing date:31 st March 2026
Interview date:W/C 7 th April 2026

Should you require application forms in an alternative format / language or any adjustments to be made throughout the application process or upon appointment, please contact and we will make every effort to meet your specific requirements.

Warwickshire County Council is committed to equality of opportunity for all employees and is keen to address areas of under representation in its workforce. See more