Policy & Service Improvement Officer - Children's Services - Service Development & Review Team

Vacancy Information

The salary advertised is full time (35 hours per week). Part-time hours will be pro-rated accordingly.

Hourly rate of pay: £26.09 - £29.14

Days and Hours of Work:
Monday - Friday, 09:00-17:00
Starting and finishing times are flexible, and flexi time is applicable.
To start 1st May 2026.

East Lothian Children’s Services have an exciting opportunity for a Policy & Service Improvement Officer to join our Service Development and Review Team. This unique role supports policy and planning, quality assurance, business planning, and service improvement activity.

Candidates should have a strong working knowledge of GIRFEC, UNCRC, Corporate Parenting and The Promise, with the ability to apply strategic thinking to practice development and delivery. Experience in applying quality assurance and improvement methodologies is essential.

The role involves close partnership working with social work teams, council departments, and multi-agency partners, including the third sector. Candidates must be skilled in collaborative working and confident in leading and delivering varied project activity to a high standard within agreed timescales.

Applicants should demonstrate strong values, excellent communication and report-writing skills, and a solid understanding of children and families social work legislation, roles and responsibilities. The ability to work under pressure and manage competing demands from Scottish Government, partners, and senior management is important.

East Lothian Children’s Services are committed to Keeping The Promise and ensuring the voices of children and families are central to everything we do. We seek colleagues who are passionate about children’s rights and achieving the best possible outcomes.

We promote an open, trusting, and trauma informed culture, prioritising continuous professional development. Our vision is to support children and young people to live safely within their families, offering the right support at the right time. Staff are actively involved in service redesign and improvement activity.

Children’s Services are based in John Muir House, Haddington, with onsite parking and an accessible, supportive senior management team.

If you wish to discuss the vacancy or working with East Lothian Council, please contact:

Lisa Shine – 07929 837319

Home / Hybrid Working Consideration
Applications for home or hybrid working will be considered for this post in accordance with East Lothian Council’s Home Working and Worksmart Policies which can be found here. Home or Hybrid working options can be discussed with candidates invited for interview.

Please Note:
All home/hybrid workers must live in the UK. Where an application for home-working is supported, it will be subject to a satisfactory trial period. Employees will be expected to attend Council offices for the duration of induction, and be on site in East Lothian workplaces, as required. Employees with a hybrid working arrangement in place will be office based and able to work from home, with permission, on an ad hoc basis.

Job Details

The Jobholder will review, update, and develop children’s services policies to ensure high quality service provision and to manage and minimise risk to service users, carers, and the Council. The Jobholder will ensure that there is a structured and coordinated approach to internal and external scrutiny, continuous improvement and liaise with the care inspectorate to support and coordinate any inspections the service is subject to.

Please download the Job Outline/Person Specification (available under 'Job Attachments') for the full range of tasks and duties associated with this job. You will need to refer to these in order to complete the application form. You must ensure you meet every 'essential' criteria stated on the Person Specification to be considered for interview.

The ‘East Lothian Way’– values and behaviours we expect our employees to demonstrate in their everyday work. Should you be invited to interview, you may be asked questions based on these behaviours. Please refer to the document via the link to familiarise yourself with them.

Job Requirements

Relevant Qualifications
Approved Social Work qualification.

Post qualifying award in Child Protection and Welfare or Practice Teaching or Securing Children’s Futures: Good Practice in Performance Planning and Family Placement or a commitment to achieve the Post qualifying award within two years of appointment (supported by children’s services).

SSSC registration is an essential requirement of this role. If you are appointed and are not already a member of the relevant section of the SSSC Register, you will be required to apply for registration within 3 months of your start date to ensure that you are registered within the required 6 months.

Driving Licence
A full current driving licence is desirable for this post.

PVG Membership
This post is considered as a Regulated Role with vulnerable children and/or protected adults, as specified in the Disclosure (Scotland) Act 2020.

All preferred candidates for posts carrying out regulated work with these groups will be required to become a PVG Scheme member, or undergo a PVG Scheme update if they are already a member, prior to any formal offer of employment being made by East Lothian Council.

Please note: PVG member’s records are constantly updated with any new vetting information that arises. Any information that is disclosed on a PVG membership or update check, if relevant to the post being applied for, will be discussed with the applicant and investigated prior to any formal offer being made.

Please note:
If you have spent more than 3 months working or living out with the UK in the last 5 years then you will be required to present a copy of an overseas criminal record check. Details of how to apply and contact details can be found on the GOV.UK website.

Additional Information

For additional East Lothian Council employment information please click on the following link: www.eastlothian.gov.uk/nonteachinginfo

If you have any difficulties creating an account on MyJobScotland or applying for this post please contact the MyJobScotland support team via this link https://www.myjobscotland.gov.uk/contact-us.

If you require further information about this vacancy, please call 01620 827868, or email us on recruitment@eastlothian.gov.uk

Please note: We do not accept CV's (either electronically or by mail). All our vacancies must be applied for by fully completing the on-line application form. Although there is an ‘import data from my CV’ function on MyJobScotland, this only imports very limited data and should not be relied upon to complete the application form. If, for example, due to a disability, you are unable to complete the on-line application form you can contact us for a paper application via the telephone number or email address above.