Quality Improvement Manager

Job Description

Download PDF of description here

Full-time:                     37 ½ hours / week

Salary:                         up to £32k per annum dependent on experience

Holidays:                     20 days holiday in addition to standard bank holiday days in a year

Permanent Contract:  upon satisfactory progress reviews and probationary period

Location:                     Birmingham base with observation visits to employer sites across the

Midlands

Responsible to:           Director with daily line management by Operations Manager

Potential Start Date:   January 2019

Purpose of the Role

Creative Alliance is a nationally recognised and award-winning apprenticeship training and work-based learning provider. We operate as a social enterprise and therefore any surplus we make is invested back into delivering our social purpose. We specialise in enabling people from all backgrounds to develop their talents within creative, digital and marketing roles within any company. We have apprentices following a range of apprenticeships including Creative & Digital Media, Creative Venue Technician, Digital Marketer and Junior Content Producer with a range of different types of organisations within and beyond the creative & cultural industries.

Established in 2005, Creative Alliance is now at a critical growth point and is looking to appoint a fulltime Quality Improvement Manager to oversee all the quality improvement work with our specialist and experienced delivery team of seven full and part-time development coaches who are delivering apprenticeship frameworks and standards for @120 apprentices at any one time.

The Quality Improvement Manager will be part of the Senior Management Team and as such you will work with a team who are establishing outstanding quality and compliance within the ever-changing context of apprenticeships and work-based learning within the UK.  Flexibility is therefore a central requirement of this role. It is vital that you are prepared to take on, prioritise and deliver appropriately on a variety of pressing tasks at short notice.

You will form part of a small, focused, hard-working and friendly team of decent people who are motivated by our values and purpose.

Key Results

Ensuring quality and compliance policies and procedures are maintained in line with Ofsted, ESFA, awarding body / end point assessment organisations and Matrix standards and that all centre accreditations, kite marks are maintained, audits successfully passed and inspections delivery at least a ‘Good’ Rating from all these agencies during the tenure of the post-holder in this role.

It is therefore of critical importance that the post holder keeps their CPD regularly updated so they s/he can update the whole team on what they need to know. S/he will also need to keep their skills refreshed so they can enable the team to develop the skills to implement the necessary changes.

Driving robust Self-Assessment Reporting and Curriculum Planning to move us to our goal of being an Outstanding provider with achievement rates of learners consistently over 85%.

Work with Senior Management Team to create a culture of excellence across the organisation that provides exceptional teaching and learning and that this is recognised via external inspection bodies.

Work with senior managers to improve the quality of teaching and learning across all the delivery team embedding quality in teaching and learning and developing a CPD programme that fosters high levels of success. This will include taking responsibility for developing and implementing new systems and procedures not simply alerting the director and SMT of the need for them.

Bench marking the delivery of specific frameworks / standards against national data.

Quality check and proof guidance materials for learners, employers and government agencies to ensure updates are provided.

Planning and monitoring the annual quality cycle and produce and monitor the annual quality improvement plan and self-assessment report of the organisation.

To ensure compliance with all course examination, assessment and validation requirements for the accredited provision.

Further developing our systems including Observations and Recognising and Recording Progress and Achievement to improve teaching, learning and assessment.

Contribute to the development, implementation and review of effective audit plans.

Monitoring learner progress, achievement and progression to improve outcomes for learners. This will include monitoring the impact of action plans to bring learner who are behind target back up to target.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

 

1. To be responsible for induction of all new development coaches in conjunction with the Operations Manager.
2. Liaising with Development Coaches and the Operations Manager to ensure Recognising And Recording of Progress and Achievement tracking of documents is consistent across all apprenticeship Standards and Frameworks.
3. Carry out observations of OTLA practice with all delivery staff and identify training and support needs to help them develop their practice.
4. Deliver IQA plans and activities for all apprenticeships on both Standards and Frameworks.
5. Lead and, where appropriate, deliver practical CPD training for delivery staff to continuously improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment.
6. Implement a wide range of teaching and apprentice-centred learning strategies across the   organisation that ensures the most effective learning, continuation, achievement and progression of apprentices, as well as the most effective use of teaching time and other resources.
7. Ensure the organisation has a rigorous self-assessment process which leads to real and sustained improvement as well as meeting the requirements of the funders and Ofsted. This will include managing the process of ensuring that feedback from learners, employers and team members if collected, analysed and reported upon in order to inform the self-assessment process.
8. Ensure that all development coaches are clear, focused and supported to be able to deliver high quality learning & teaching resulting in high success and achievement.
9. Ensure compliance with all course examination, assessment and validation requirements for the accredited provision.
10. Ensure that all end point assessment organisations and awarding bodies quality regulations are met and implemented, reviewing, developing and updating all related and relevant organisational policies, procedures and working practices.
11. To be responsible for Health & Safety issues in all areas of own work within the guidelines stated in the organisation’s Health & Safety policy.

 

General Duties

12. To take responsibility for own professional development in consultation with Line Manager and be proactive and willing to invest in own development subject to the availability of appropriate resources and job/organisational requirements.
13. To participate in the appraisal scheme and work towards achievement and/or exceeding of targets set: including the appraisal of other members of the team where appropriate.
14. To review, update and carry out all duties and responsibilities in accordance with all the organisation’s policies and procedures inclusive of Equality and Diversity, Safeguarding including Prevent and Data Protection, core values, behaviours, maintenance   of   confidentiality   and   other   relevant procedures.
15. To be a proactive and effective team member working flexibly and efficiently toward the achievements of the organisations’ targets.
16. Communicating transparently is a skill, a mindset, a point of view. At Creative Alliance we believe that approaching situations with open and honest communications are vital to developing a successful team.
17. Collaborative Working: you’ll be working with partner organisations and as part of the role you will be expected to liaise with, and actively engage with other organisations to establish the latest developments in the sector so that you keep all colleagues within Creative Alliance informed and able to implement those changes. You will work with other partners brought into support delivery and quality.
18. To undertake any other such comparable duties as may be reasonably required.

Applications Process

To apply please send a CV & covering letter outlining your industry knowledge and skills, the organisations you have worked for as a professional practitioner and those you have worked with as a Quality Manager. Please email it to noel@creativealliance.org.uk

Closing Date 14^th December 9.00am. Interviews will be held w/b 17^th December.

 

Safer Recruitment

Please note: Creative Alliance operates a Safer Recruitment policy. Checks will be made that you have the right to work in the UK, that you possess the qualifications you state you possess and references will be sought from your most recent employers that will ask if they know of any reason why you should not work with children, young people and vulnerable adults. A current certificate from the Disclosing and Barring Service will be required before you start work directly with any learners.

Quality Improvement Manager:

Person Specification

Creative Alliance ways of being and qualities required this role. You will:

• Be Efficient
• Be Effective
• Be Available
• Be Candid, Assertive and Directive (in a kind way)
• Go the extra mile (delight and exceed the expectations of your employers, your customers and your staff)
• Work flexibly according to business pressures
• Work well under pressure and tight deadlines
• Meet tight deadlines and requirements
• Sensitivity in dealing with confidential information
• Solution focused

Experience and Skills we will be looking for:

• Qualifications are important and it is helpful, but not essential, if this post-holder has a degree of equivalent vocational / work based learning accreditation.
• Minimum 2 year’s experience in the field of leadership and management
• Minimum 2 year’s experience of compliance and / or quality management
• Appropriate professional qualifications
• Experience of teaching, learning and assessment
• Have excellent communication skills, both written and verbal
• Have an excellent standard of written English and Mathematical knowledge
• Ability to work in and adapt to a rapidly changing environment.
• Proven experience of leading teams.
• Be tactful and articulate
• Be analytical and methodical in your approach to problems
• Be an excellent judge of character
• Be motivated and results driven
• Be able to act quickly and decisively
• Have good IT skills
• Have a good eye for detail
• Have excellent organisational skills

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Quality Improvement Manager Responsibilities: Annual Work Programme

 

Self-Assessment Review

Manage process on continuous basis and ensure SAR is reviewed every 3 months with the Director.

Quality Improvement Plan

Set SMART improvement targets and review progress and update QIP on a quarterly basis with the Director.

Matrix Accreditation

Manage Matrix accreditation process and lead on annual review in March with Matrix inspector.

Awarding Organisations

Manage relationships with all AO and ensure policies and processes in place to secure and maintain centre accreditation status

Internal Quality Assurance

Provide IQA services for the Creative & Digital Media, L4 Digital Marketing and L3 Community Arts apprenticeship frameworks and maintain the excellence that has been established in securing Direct Claims Status and very positive EV reports. If you do not possess the occupational competence to provide these services then you will need to oversee the process, including the training of current Development Coaches, so that they can provide this.

End Point Assessment Organisations

Manage relationships with all EPAO and ensure policies and processes in place to secure and maintain centre accreditation status

Policies

Ensure a full policy portfolio is in place and signed off by the Board and that the following key policies are reviewed annually and updated as appropriate:

1. Safeguarding & Prevent
2. Health and Safety
3. Equality and Diversity
4. Quality Improvement

Safeguarding, Prevent, British Values, Equality and Diversity

Ensure staff have the knowledge and skills to embed current thinking and practice in these areas into their delivery with learners.

Initial Advice and Guidance

Ensure the IAG system and templates are developed and implemented by the delivery team at every stage of the learner journey from application to progression. Performance of staff is monitored using an Outstanding, Good and Requires Improvement criteria.

OTLA Processes for Standards

Ensure the following systems and templates are developed and implemented by Development Coaches and the content monitored using an Outstanding, Good and Requires Improvement:

Define what Outstanding, Good and Requires Improvement looks like for Creative Alliance for every aspect of the programme and produce criteria and models for each of these phases of the on-programme learner journey.

1. Mandatory Initial Month 1 Training
2. Diagnostic Assessment: inc. Personal Development & Welfare targets
3. Individual Learning Plan / Individual Training Plan
4. Assignment Planning
5. Teaching: 1:2:1 sessions and group sessions
6. Feedback inc. Formative Assessment
7. Reviews
8. Maths and English
9. Preparing for Gateway
10. End Point Assessment
11. Exit Reviews and Progression
12. On-going learner / employer feedback and destination data

OTLA for Gateway and End Point Assessment

Ensure Development Coaches have fully prepared apprentices for Gateway and End Point Assessment for the first set of apprentices who will be completing on Standards during April – June 19. This includes preparing apprentices and helping them achieve a Distinction or Merit grade.

OTLA Improvement Meetings

Monitor the Monthly Development Coach Caseload Review and individual Learner Progress Forms at the Teaching Learning and Assessment Improvement Meeting so that development coaches are better able to report on the progress of individuals AND their caseload of learners.

OTLA Progress

Monthly sampling of OneFile of 12 learners from across all Development Coaches caseloads to ensure that the following guidelines are being met to a good standard and provide SMART feedback to individual Development Coaches on how they can improve:

• Planning: SMART targets are being set on assignments and Reviews
• Feedback: detailed and rigorous feedback with SMART targets is being provided to Development Coaches to help them set and monitor SMART targets for:
  • Main Learning Aims
  • Personal Development & Welfare
  • English and Maths
  • Employability Skills (need to decide if these sit within PDW)
• Evidence of Learner Progress
• Evidence of Learner and Employer Feedback
• Evidence of Impact of Development Coaches Interventions

Produce a short monthly report for the Director on the Progress of Learners in that monthly sample and what issues are being addressed by the Quality Improvement Manager and how effectively they are being addressed.

Observation of OTLA

Update the Observation Policy and Process so that observations are more clearly focused on teaching, learning and assessment and produce judgements and actions plans with SMART objectives that inform Development Coaches on how they can improve.

Conduct quarterly observations with Development Coaches delivering with small group or 1:2:1 Training sessions.

English and Maths

English and maths provision to be reviewed by the Quality Manager and diagnostic assessment plans produced with each Development Coach so they know how to embed this into their delivery with apprentices.

Functional Skills

Monitor the impact of the Functional Skills tutor to ensure that all learners have diagnostic assessments, progress trackers and feedback so at any month the Quality Improvement Manager is able to update the SMT on how many learners are on track to pass Functional Skills and how many have passed and after how many attempts in the academic year.

Personal Development & Welfare

Work with the delivery team to establish what are the core employability, digital and personal development skills required to work in their specialist areas and establish a way of measuring how these skills are developed over time. These skills need to be included in the Diagnostic Assessment. Learners and employers report that they are developing these skills and development coaches clearly articulate them but there is insufficient evidence of progress in OneFile because OneFile targets and monitoring learner progress towards their targets needs to be more precise.