Quality Lead Officer (Quality Improvement Officer) (Education)
Service: Education Resources
Grade scale: QIO Grade 3
Reports to: Quality Improvement Manager
Purpose of the job
To work as a lead officer in the Education Resources Service, playing a strategic and functional role in taking forward resource and service objectives, while contributing to the delivery of a quality service for stakeholders.
Key tasks and responsibilities
To develop, extend and implement strategic priorities related to the National Improvement Framework.
Lead a strategic remit aligned to the National Improvement Framework.
Lead stakeholder groups aligned to strategic remit.
Develop strategy to improve outcomes for learners as outlined in South Lanarkshire Council’s strategy on a page.
Identify and share good practice.
Lead research and training in line with strategic remit.
Maintain and develop links with other partners such as Education Scotland.
To develop and facilitate networks of support and challenge amongst staff.
Advise the Quality Improvement Manager and Head of Education on matters relating to strategic remit.
Empower schools to undertake work related to strategic remit.
Support schools with universal and targeted approaches to strategic remit.
Person specification
|
Criteria |
Essential |
Desirable |
|---|---|---|
|
Education, qualification and training |
Educated to degree standard or post graduate qualification in Education |
Provide evidence of an equivalent relevant professional qualification |
|
Skills, knowledge, experience |
Ability to deliver organisational goals, demonstrate leadership, inspire and influence and build successful partnerships within an Education setting Successful experience, knowledge and understanding of school improvement Experience of being a leader within a school setting Knowledge of relevant statutory Be solution focused, with excellent interpersonal and communication skills |
Ability to take forward priorities identified by the Scottish Government and Local Authorities, for example, the National Improvement Framework Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of relevant legislative requirements Have a working knowledge and understanding of both the primary and secondary sectors Evidence of improving outcomes for children and young people within an educational setting |
|
Personal qualities |
Ability to demonstrate leading and managing people to successful outcomes within an educational establishment Ability to work collaboratively within a multi-disciplined environment to drive forward a culture of teamwork, accountability and success Ability to inspire others, be adaptable and work well in a challenging and demanding environment Inclusive and supportive team player |
Ability to demonstrate leading and managing people to successful outcomes within a local authority context |
|
Other |
A high performing individual with the ability to create and maintain strategic partnerships and engage fully with employees, stakeholders and service users A genuine commitment to behaving with honesty and openness; treating people consistently, fairly and with respect To work in a flexible, adaptable manner and to always act with discretion and tact |
Ability to create and maintain strategic partnerships and engage fully with employees and service users across the local authority and nationally |
Safer recruitment checks
As part of our approach to good practice and safer recruitment, we carry out a number of pre-employment checks
- Asylum and Immigration right to work in the UK.
- Reference check: external candidates require 2 references, one of which must be from their present or most recent employer. Internal candidates require 1 reference from their current line manager.
- Candidate Disclosure Scotland check, where applicable.
Behaviour framework
The council’s behaviour framework is a set of core behaviours that defines how employees approach work to enable the delivery of key tasks for the role. The expected behaviours for this role are:
Efficient
- Drives service improvement and innovation by communicating vision and a sense of purpose across the area of responsibility.
- Achieves efficiency savings taking account of council objectives and workforce planning requirements whilst improving outcomes for the communities of South Lanarkshire Council.
- Develop services which have a positive impact on the physical environment of South Lanarkshire Council, ensuring sustainability of resources.
- Adopt a non-bureaucratic approach to service delivery and encourage others to seek simple solutions to achieve objectives.
- Adopt a project management approach when reviewing services and delivering change.
Flexible
- Plans for the variability of service demand and resource availability, ensuring the system has the resilience and capacity to cope with uncertainty.
- Leads creative approaches in designing services and developing new ways of working which achieve efficiency and improvement.
- Views and presents change as an opportunity to modernise and ‘future proof’ services.
- Drives change by persuading and influencing others.
- Understands the impact of change on others and becomes a focal point of support and guidance in times of uncertainty.
- Takes responsibility for change and coaches others to do the same.
- Communicates facts to dispel rumours.
Performing
- Focuses on strategic long term outcomes, anticipates changes in working practices and effectively manages transitions.
- Works to achieve and vision of customer focus, improvement and excellence within the council, as well as with partners and other stakeholders.
- Gives teams defined structures and clear direction, enabling a strong sense of ownership and personal responsibility for the delivery of outcomes and objectives.
- Health, safety and wellbeing are at the heart of the approach and ensure that these principles are understood in the application of your strategic responsibilities.
Working with others
- Spends time building relationships with partners.
- Facilitates elected member involvement and consults with representative groups when formulating strategies.
- Inspires a ‘one team’ culture.
- Builds networks, locally, regionally and nationally to help provide support and expertise by shaping and driving forward agendas and addressing concerns.
- Role models inclusive leadership; respecting colleagues, partners and customers and treating people according to their needs.
- Engages with communities, internal and external partners, ensuring the full range of views are taken into account.
- Understands the importance of communication, evaluates its effectiveness and takes steps to improve; leading and encouraging open communication at all levels in the organisation.
- Understands respectful challenge and makes own case whilst recognising the concerns of others.
Leading
- Visible and accessible to employees within your service/area of responsibility.
- Role model for inspirational leadership.
- Builds commitment and engagement to improve team cohesion and outputs.
- Demonstrates sensitivity and good judgement in decision making and relationships.
- Is able to take difficult decisions in complex and challenging situations for the best interests of the service and the council.
- Evaluates resources, options and consequences in decision making.
- Communicates positive messages about the organisation, acting in its best interests and being an ambassador for South Lanarkshire Council.
- Understands the power and authority that comes with the senior manager role and adapts behaviour to ensure interactions with others are positive and empowering.
- Coaches and mentors others and has continuous learning and development as a key priority for the service.