Quality improvement manager

Quality improvement managers lead quality assurance initiatives and implement new policies to improve outcomes for children and families.

Managers

Quality improvement managers are also referred to as performance improvement managers.

As a quality improvement manager you’ll:

lead quality assurance initiatives and implement new policies to improve outcomes for children and families
track the impact of initiatives to ensure continuous improvement
carry out audits and reviews of policies and procedures to quality gaps
analyse data and create reports for staff and senior leadership identifying trends and areas for improvement
stay up to date with evolving regulations and the outcomes of local and national safeguarding reviews
audit case records for quality assurance and to identify areas for improvement
provide training and support to ensure staff understand and follow new policies and processes
work with senior managers to prepare for inspections and develop learning from them
collaborate with other departments and external organisations to develop and implement improvement initiatives

You'll need:

leadership and management skills to motivate a team of social workers and practitioners
the ability to analyse complex information and make informed decisions
interpersonal skills to communicate with a range of colleagues and partners
the ability to understand trends from research and apply them to practice improvements
knowledge of social work regulations to ensure services are delivered to a high standard
knowledge of continuous quality improvement methods
change management skills to ensure successful implementation of new initiatives
the ability to stay up to date with best practice and new developments
knowledge of child protection and welfare policies and procedures

To become a quality improvement manager, you must have:

been practising as a qualified and registered child and family social worker for at least five years
experience leading a team and conducting performance management and supervision
experience designing and implementing quality assurance and improvement plans

With experience you could:

progress into an advanced leadership role such as service manager or head of service
move into a training and consultancy role and deliver training programmes to social workers
become an expert in your specialist area of social work practice
develop your practice and leadership skills through the Pathways social work leadership modules.

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Next page: Team manager

These resources have been developed by Department for Education.
Published: 18 September 2023
Last updated: 21 November 2025