MAIN PURPOSE OF JOB To provide strategic leadership and management for the Safeguarding and Quality Assurance Team within the Children’s Services division, continuously driving improvement and ensuring social work practice and values deliver positive outcomes for children, young people and their families. To contribute to the leadership and strategic development of the wider service as a member of the Children’s Services Management Team. To work in strategic partnership with other agencies and stakeholders, including children, young people and their families to ensure their views inform and shape service delivery and improve outcomes for children, young people and their families. To be accountable for the service area budget, ensuring effective monitoring and analysing of spend in order to ensure services are delivered safely within budget. To work with the Deputy Director for Children and Adults to co-ordinate effective strategies to ensure that all children and young people are physically, mentally and emotionally healthy and safe from all forms of maltreatment and neglect. To provide strong leadership, challenge and support providing a mirror into social work and early help in the areas, but also ensuring good systems are in place to scrutinise the effectiveness of the Quality Assurance Unit, and its impact on practice. To understand, explore and interpret good practice and support the Deputy Director for Children and Adults in developing, planning and implementing change in Children’s Services; in order to achieve a culture of continuing improvement that delivers joined-up, high quality services for children and young people, in particular, services for vulnerable children across Medway. To work with the providers of universal and targeted services across the directorate and with partnership agencies to develop services and strategies to prevent children coming into care. Work with strategic commissioning colleagues to inform commissioning plans, monitor implementation and deliver specified outcomes that offer value for money. To seek to maximise income from appropriate sources, including traded services