Youth Justice Quality Assurance and Standards Manager

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Quality Assurance and Standards Manager (Youth Justice)

A note from Sam Taylor, Service Manager

We're looking for a Quality Assurance and Standards Manager to join Sheffield Youth Justice Service. If you're passionate about improving outcomes for children and want to make a real difference by driving up standards, supporting colleagues, and preparing the service for inspection, this is the role for you.

About the Youth Justice Service (YJS)

Our statutory service works to prevent crime and antisocial behaviour by children and young people, supervising court orders and out-of-court disposals in the community and in custody. We're committed to a trauma-informed, child-first approach, and we work in partnership with the council, police, probation, health, and voluntary sector to keep children and communities safe.

The role - what you'll lead and deliver

As Quality Assurance and Standards Manager, you will:

• Develop, implement, and embed quality assurance systems for all Youth Justice Service activities.
• Monitor service performance against internal and external standards, including National Standards and the revised HMIP inspection framework.
• Lead and coordinate investigations into incidents, complaints, safeguarding, and disciplinary cases, ensuring confidentiality and professionalism.
• Support managers and staff to understand and deliver good practice, including coaching and development.
• Involve service users and family carers in monitoring and improving standards.
• Use learning from audits and reviews to drive continuous improvement and evidence-based practice.
• Produce regular reports and communications for the Partnership Board and other stakeholders.
• Maintain strong relationships with partners across the city and region, including police, probation, health, and safeguarding teams.
• Prepare the service for inspection, ensuring we're always ready to demonstrate our strengths and learning.

About you

You're an experienced manager or practitioner with a track record in quality assurance, performance management, and service improvement. You understand the Youth Justice system and have experience of safeguarding, risk management, and leading investigations. You're confident with data, a clear communicator, and able to coach and support others to deliver high standards. You're motivated by making a difference for children and families, and you thrive in a collaborative, multi-agency environment.

Why Sheffield YJS

Sheffield is a great place to work and live, with a strong sense of community and access to culture and the outdoors. Our staff are highly valued; we offer flexible working, generous leave, and employee-led benefits. We're committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion, and we expect all staff to share our commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.

How to find out more / apply

If you'd like an informal chat about the role, please contact Sam Taylor, Service Manager - 0114 2288555 or sam.taylor@sheffield.gov.uk .

We are investing in our workforce and are promoting opportunities to our under-represented groups. We value equality, diversity and inclusion and are focused on increasing the diversity of our workforce, particularly the number of Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic, Disabled and LGBTQ+ people, so that our teams reflect the communities in the city we serve. We are also supporting staff with unpaid caring responsibilities to work flexibly.

It is a great time to join us and we welcome your application.

Under the Guaranteed Interview scheme, applicants who are disabled, care leavers, or armed forces veterans will be guaranteed an interview if they meet the essential criteria and indicate their eligibility on the application form.

Full-time employees work 37 hours for 52 weeks of the year and we offer a generous holiday entitlement. We are open to discussions about a wide range of flexible working opportunities which benefit you and the Council, including reduced hour contracts, working part time or as a job share.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all individuals, ensuring a safe and supportive environment for everyone and where appropriate to the role the successful applicant will be required to undertake relevant safeguarding checks.

If you are appointed to this role, your starting salary will be at the bottom of the grade. If you provide payslip evidence that your basic pay is greater than the bottom of the grade, we will consider starting you at the point of minimum advantage within the grade.

Equality of pay is extremely important to us. All roles at Sheffield City Council are going through an evaluation process which may result in changes to some pay arrangements from 2026. Find out more here New job evaluation process to be introduced at Sheffield City Council | Sheffield City Council