Job description
Do you want an exciting opportunity to join the new National Social Work Agency (NSWA), established in early 2026?
The Agency has oversight of social work – raising the profile and strengthening the cohesion of the profession across public, third and independent sectors, including students. It will advance social work practice and support implementation of national policy – driving support, change and continuous improvement in social work education and learning. This is a new agency with highly motivated staff, who take pride in their work and strive to ensure effective person‑centred, and trauma responsive support is available for people of all ages in Scotland. The work is fast‑paced, high profile, varied and rewarding.
The NSWA is looking for a highly experienced improvement professional to lead the National Social Work Agency’s work to promote partnership and collaboration with improvement agencies and partners. They will collaborate and build strong partnerships to align improvement work across agencies that supports the delivery of high‑quality social work services and practice across Scotland’s social work systems. As part of the NSWA Improvement and Implementation Unit, you will help ensure improvement is embedded as a strategic driver of better outcomes by providing expert improvement advice and building capacity for improvement across the agency.
Our work aims to support evidence informed approaches to social work, with a highly valued and skilled profession that consistently delivers high quality services, and enhances the quality, equity and impact of social work services, systems and practice.
Responsibilities
* Lead national alignment of improvement activity, ensuring coordination across improvement agencies and sector partners to support shared priorities and high‑quality, evidence‑based social work. To support this, you will develop the structures, processes and relationships that enable effective partnership working between the NSWA, national improvement agencies impacting on social work, and other key stakeholders
* Provide expert improvement advice across the NSWA and work with relevant policy teams to use evidence, insight and improvement methodology to strengthen social work systems and practice
* Building improvement capacity and capability across the NSWA, supporting practical experience of improvement science and championing the use of improvement approaches, coaching and supporting the NSWA to deliver quality as a business strategy
* Work closely with the Implementation Team Leader to design, test and deliver programmes of improvement that support the social work workforce and respond to national priorities.
* Strengthen links with research and evidence partners, including universities and UK‑wide research networks, to ensure improvement activity is informed by robust, innovative and current evidence.
* Contribute the NSWA’s leadership team to ensuredelivery of the strategic priorities of the agency
* Contribute to a strategic overview of social work policy and practice, engaging and collaborating with other relevant areas across government to explore, support and progress joint policy outcomes
* Provide line management duties, including leadership, direction and support for team members.
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