Policy & Quality Assurance Officer

The Service & Team:

Principal Social Worker and Practice Assurance Team

The Role:

As a Policy and Assurance Officer within Adult Social Care Operations, you will play a key role in shaping and enhancing the quality of practice across Adult Social Care in Cornwall. 

This dynamic position offers the opportunity to lead on the development and review of policies and procedures that underpin best practice, compliance, and continuous improvement. 

You will coordinate thematic audits, contribute to strategic assurance frameworks, and work closely with senior leaders to identify learning needs and drive service excellence. 

With a remit that spans governance, legislation, and workforce development, this role is ideal for someone who thrives on variety, values social justice, and is passionate about improving lives through thoughtful, evidence-based practice.                 

This position will be subject to a enhanced criminal record disclosure check. 

Working Pattern:

This is a full time role, working 37 hours.

What You’Ll Need To Succeed:

To succeed as a Policy and Assurance Officer within Adult Social Care Operations, applicants will need a good understanding of policy development and governance, alongside a passion for driving quality and continuous improvement. 

Essential criteria include the ability to maintain a robust programme of policy and procedure reviews, ensuring alignment with legislation such as the Care Act, Mental Capacity Act, Mental Health Act, and Human Rights Act. 

Candidates must demonstrate experience in coordinating thematic audits, identifying learning needs, and working collaboratively with the Learning and Development Lead to deliver targeted development plans. 

The role requires excellent communication and analytical skills, as well as the capacity to provide guidance to managers and staff on statutory duties. 

A flexible, proactive approach is vital, as the post holder will be expected to lead or contribute to strategic assurance plans, including the Practice Assurance and Development Oversight Group, and support the service’s readiness for external inspections. 

Applicants should be champions of best practice and capable of influencing service delivery through evidence-based policy and assurance work.

Please read the role profile for the full details of this role attached below in this advert

What You’Ll Get In Return:

Cornwall Council’s ambition is to be an employer of choice, a high performing Council and a learning organisation. We commit to providing a reward and benefits package to attract, motivate and reward our employees. We offer a range of flexible working options to our staff. This helps provide our employees with a greater work/life balance. Whilst still ensuring that service needs are met.

Our core employee rewards and benefits include:

• A Competitive Salary.

• a defined benefit pension scheme, based on your career average earnings. This includes the option for extra voluntary contributions
• a generous annual leave entitlement with the potential to purchase additional leave.
• A national award-winning employee health and wellbeing programme
• Employee benefits scheme giving employees access to a wide range of discounts to local and national goods and services.

Additional Information:

• Cornwall Council is unable to offer visa sponsorship or transfer existing sponsorship for this role.
• The full role profile is attached here.
• We recommend saving a copy to refer to if you are invited to an interview.
• For more information or an informal chat about the role please contact Kerry.Ross@cornwall.gov.uk  

Application Process

Please attach a supporting statement to your application, you can add your Education & Qualifications details manually using the application form timeline or you can upload your CV. Remember to demonstrate why you are suitable against each of the points marked as ‘Application’ on the Role Profile using examples from your experience or transferable skills. This might be through qualifications or descriptive examples from your work / personal experience, which clearly illustrates what you did and the effect it had. Guidance on how to complete your application can be found here – The application process.

Please note that applications cannot be edited after they have been submitted, please contact careers@cornwall.gov.uk if you have any queries or require assistance with your application.

Existing employees must apply using their Cornwall Council email address through the Opportunity Marketplace on Oracle.

Cornwall Council deliver services to more than half a million local people and over five million visitors a year. Working here - Cornwall Council

We are happy to talk about flexible working options such as part-time or compressed hours. More examples of our flexible working opportunities can be found here - flexible working options.

Fairness and inclusion are at the heart of our vision for Cornwall. In order to best serve our communities, we are striving to achieve a diverse workforce that is inclusive of all backgrounds, cultures and identities; e.g., race, disability, sex, gender, age, religion and sexual orientation. We are an equal opportunities and Disability Confident employer, and we will assess applicants on their merits.

Cornwall Council is committed to safeguarding and following safer recruitment principles to help make sure our staff and volunteers are suitable to work with children, young people and adults at risk. It’s a vital part of creating a safe and positive environment and making a commitment to keeping all service users safe from harm.