Service Development Officer

Job Description

Service Development Officer

Child Protection & Violence Against Women and Girls

Are you passionate about improving outcomes for children, young people and families who may be at risk of harm or abuse? Do you thrive in collaborative, improvement focused environments where your ideas can shape real change?

We are seeking a Service Development Officer to play a key role in strengthening child protection and Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) services across Aberdeenshire. This is a varied, influential role at the heart of service improvement, partnership working and continuous learning. This includes the exciting ongoing development of our Aberdeenshire Bairns Hoose approach.

About the role

Working as part of our Performance Team, you will lead and support service development activity across Child Protection and VAWG, ensuring practice is evidence based, outcome focused and aligned with local and national priorities.

You will work closely with frontline teams, partners and people with lived experience, helping to design, deliver and evaluate services that genuinely make a difference.

There is a responsibility for the post holder to demonstrate a commitment to quality service delivery through continuous improvement for the benefit of the Service and the organisation.

Informal enquiries to Lindsey Anderson – 01467 534922

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Requirements

This post has a minimum requirement of two references, one of these must be your current or most recent employer.

This post will require you to have obtained SSSC registration within 3 months of employment.

 

Responsibilities

Key responsibilities

Child Protection

• Lead and participate in single and multi agency project groups to identify and deliver improvement priorities, using a range of improvement methodologies.
• Ensure service developments align with Aberdeenshire’s Children and Young People’s Services Plan and our Aberdeenshire Child Protection Improvement Plan
• Develop and implement quality assurance, compliance and improvement frameworks.
• Contribute to wider service developments within Social Work Continuous Improvement in Children’s Services.
• Identify and secure appropriate funding streams and resources to support improvement activity.

Violence Against Women and Girls

• Support and coordinate the Violence Against Women Partnership (VAWP) to deliver the local VAW Strategy and action plan, ensuring strong alignment with Scotland’s Equally Safe Strategy.
• Lead the development, implementation and evaluation of services for survivors of gender based abuse.
• Support the meaningful involvement of women with lived experience in the planning and design of services.
• Maintain strong relationships with national VAW organisations and represent Aberdeenshire at national forums.

Learning, practice and workforce development

• Develop and facilitate learning and development opportunities for frontline staff.
• Support and liaise with children’s social work teams to promote high quality, consistent practice.
• Contribute to the improvement of multi agency practice across Aberdeenshire, linking with local and national improvement fora.

 

The Individual

About our Performance team

You will be part of a supportive, collaborative Performance Team, made up of Service and Strategic Development Officers who work closely together, share learning and actively support one another.

We pride ourselves on:

• A culture of trust, kindness and mutual support
• Space to test ideas, learn and reflect
• Strong links across services and partnerships
• A genuine commitment to continuous improvement rather than “tick box” compliance

You’ll be trusted to lead but never expected to do so alone.

About you

You will bring:

• Experience of service development, quality improvement or performance activity within children’s services, community justice, VAWG or related fields
• Strong partnership working and facilitation skills
• An understanding of child protection and/or gender based violence policy and practice
• The ability to translate strategy into practical, deliverable improvement
• A commitment to trauma informed, rights based and person centred approaches

Most importantly, you will share our commitment to improving outcomes for children, young people and women across Aberdeenshire.