Service Improvement Officer

Closing date: 28/05/2026

Salary: Grade 9 – Salary range £41,771 to £46,142 per annum

A unique and exciting opening has arisen for a Service Improvement Officer, providing a fantastic opportunity for you to draw upon your skills and experience to develop, support and facilitate a programme of service improvement activity across children’s services, including FIS, Youth Justice, SEND and Children’s Social Care. Most importantly, you will need to keep children, young people and their families at the forefront of your quality assurance work, pushing through barriers and offering challenge when needed.

Role summary

The Service Improvement Officer leads continuous improvement across Children’s Services by delivering quality assurance activity and using evidence and research to identify strengths and areas for development.

Working closely with the wider workforce and senior leaders, you will expert advice to inform practice, strategic decision‑making and service planning, including operational delivery, commissioning and policy. You will build effective multi‑agency partnerships, coordinate statutory inspections and plays a key role in embedding improvement activity to strengthen services and improve outcomes for children and families.

What you’ll do - key responsibilities

• Lead and deliver strategic service improvement across Children’s Services, working with partners to embed sustainable change.
• Drive complex, high‑profile improvement programmes and projects to improve performance and outcomes for children and families.
• Champion a strong outcomes‑focused performance and quality assurance culture, providing constructive challenge and driving improvement.
• Oversee performance, audit and inspection activity, ensuring learning is captured, action plans delivered and progress reported.
• Provide expert advice on service design, systems and processes to improve efficiency, quality and value for money.
• Support the development and delivery of service and strategic plans aligned to council priorities.
• Manage and contribute to funded programmes and projects, ensuring effective use of budgets and long‑term sustainability.
• Work with senior leaders, inspectors and partners as a key point of contact for service improvement activity.

What we’re looking for – knowledge, experience & skills

Essential

• Level 3 Qualification or equivalent.
• Evidence of continuing professional development.
• Experience in the development and implementation of service improvements and quality assurance activities
• Experience of supporting policy and practice changes
• Experience of working with a wide range of stakeholders
• Understanding of policy relevant to Children’s Services within a complex political organisation
• Considerable experience in a relevant professional role
• Experience of managing complex projects and project‑based work
• Experience of working with service users and partner organisations
• Excellent presentation, communication and interpersonal skills
• Strong planning and organisational skills, including setting clear specifications, SMART objectives and realistic timetables
• Ability to think creatively and critically
• Ability to support the learning of others
• Confidence to offer support and constructive challenge to senior management and the wider workforce to address practice concerns

Desirable

• Project Management Qualification.
• Degree level qualification or equivalent.
• High‑level understanding of issues and practice involved in implementing policy within day‑to‑day Children’s Services practice
• Strong budget development and resource planning skills, including identifying costs and resources needed to achieve objectives

Additional Information  

• Permanent, 37 Hours a week. Reduced or compressed hours will be considered.

• Flexible working available, using a hybrid model - working from home and your contracted work base in County Hall, Taunton, as well as other county bases when required
• 30 day’s annual leave (additional to bank holidays)
• Due to the importance of the role, we recommend applying as soon as possible. Depending on the level of response, we anticipate conducting interviews ahead of the closing date.

Regretfully, we are unable to offer sponsorship for this role. We are only able to proceed with candidates who already have the right to work in the UK without the need for visa sponsorship.

For an informal chat about the role, you can contact Laura Gyles at laura.gyles@somerset.gov.uk

A full job description will be provided to shortlisted candidates or on request.