Vacancy -- Senior Manager – Childcare and Play Inspection - Welsh Essential

Working for the Civil Service

The Welsh Government's recruitment processes are underpinned by the principle of selection for appointment on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles.

The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

Vacancy Details

Chief Operating Officer’s Group
Care Inspectorate Wales
Grade 7 - £53,440 - £63,900
A starting salary of up to point 3 (£59,480) may be considered for exceptional candidates
Full time (applications are welcome from people who work part time, as part of a job share or who work full time)
Permanent
Pan Wales, Other location
Your agreed office location is either the CIW Llandudno Junction, Merthyr or Carmarthen office. Colleagues are expected to work from a blend of locations, including some time working at home, as required. The agreed office location will be the designated place of work and any remote or home working arrangement does not constitute a change to your designated place of work or contractual terms and conditions. The successful candidate will be expected to pay for their commute to their normal place of work. The postholder will line manage Team Managers from across Wales and so occasional travel will be required. Travel to other locations that are not your chosen normal place of work will be paid for by CIW.
'Pan Wales' means that the location in which the vacancy can be based is flexible, subject to the needs of the business. Please note it may not always be possible to accommodate a preference for a specific office location, but requests will be taken into consideration.
TBC

Purpose of Post:

CIW is the independent regulator of social care and childcare. CIW registers, inspects and takes action to improve the quality and safety of services for the well-being of the people of Wales.  Inspection and enforcement are key functions in the delivery of safe, high quality regulated services to the citizens of Wales. 

 The post holder will have line management responsibility for four Team Managers (MB1) and will support the Head of Childcare and play Inspection in ensuring the delivery of consistent, effective, efficient and high quality services. 

Childcare and Play Inspection is undergoing a significant change programme to support a clearer focus on improvement in services.  The Postholder will contribute to and support key aspects of the project. 

The post holder will be accountable to the Head of Childcare and Play Inspection.

Key tasks:

  • To provide leadership and line management support to the childcare and play inspection team, including both inspectors and inspection support staff. This includes direct line management responsibility for Team Managers (MB1).
  • To lead and be responsible for the overall performance, quality and timeliness of all aspects of regulatory inspection work in accordance with relevant legislation and internal guidance.
  • To lead on ensuring the effective management of resources and staff within the childcare and play inspection team and develop and implement corrective actions if required.
  • Ensure the work of the childcare and play inspection team is delivered to a high standard, in a timely way and that decisions are communicated effectively.
  • Lead on ensuring the effective implementation of strong performance and quality assurance arrangements and contribute to the development and improvement of such arrangements.
  • Make case management and enforcement decisions in line with the delegated responsibilities set out in CIW’s securing improvement and enforcement guidance.
  • Work closely with senior managers across CIW to share intelligence and collaborate on projects and programmes
  • To ensure effective arrangements for accountability, compliance and management oversight of the team.
  • To lead on the provision of advice, support, information and reports to the Head of Childcare and Play Inspection as required.
  • Preparing briefings for Ministers and the Senior Management Team in relation to specific cases.
  • Develop, implement and monitor strong and effective inspection practice across CIW, ensuring that inspection guidance and tools are in place, are fit for purpose, are evaluated and kept under review.
  • Supporting staff with complex cases, chairing relevant meetings with providers and other key stakeholders to drive improvement in regulated services.
  • Working with the other regulators including Social Care Wales, the police and other inspectorates in developing and delivering effective citizen led regulation.
  • Work closely with colleagues at Estyn in support of the joint inspection programme.
  • Establishing and maintaining effective relationships with local authorities in relation to safeguarding and other relevant issues, ensuring intelligence is shared with the local authority team.
  • To support the Head of Childcare and Play Inspection in engaging with umbrella organisations in the childcare sector and with all stakeholder engagement.
  • Consider representations and complaints in accordance with the agreed rota. 
  • Collating, providing evidence to and attending Care Standard Tribunal hearings.
  • Take  responsibility for keeping abreast of relevant policy developments and best practice in childcare and play and share this with colleagues.
     Represent the organisation at senior level as required.
  • To deputise for the Head of Childcare and Play Inspection as and when required.Ensuring that there is a development programme for staff in relation to inspection so that inspectors and inspection support staff are competent, confident and reliable.
  • Take responsibility for own performance management and own professional development and seek appropriate development opportunities in accordance with the Welsh Government’s performance management process and in discussion with the Head of Child Care and Play Inspection.

Development opportunities:

This posts offers the opportunity to work in a dynamic organisation which champions improvements in social care through a citizen focussed approach.

Closing Date:

04/04/2023, 16:00

Eligibility

Posts recruited to as part of this recruitment campaign are broadly open to UK nationals, those with right to remain and work in the UK and those that meet the Civil Service Nationality Rules only. Check your eligibility here:

Prior to appointment, all successful applicants will be required to produce original, acceptable documents as part of the pre-employment checks. If it becomes apparent at a later stage in the process that you aren’t eligible to apply, your application will be withdrawn, or offer retracted.

Equality and Diversity

The Welsh Government is committed to providing services which embrace diversity and which promote equality of opportunity. This is underpinned by the Equality Act 2010 and will be adhered to at each stage of the recruitment process. Our goal is to ensure that these commitments are also embedded in our day-to-day working practices with all our customers, colleagues and partners.

We are committed to being an anti-racist organisation and increasing diversity in the Welsh Government by removing barriers and supporting all our staff to reach their potential. We are committed to recruiting Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people and disabled people who are currently under-represented in Welsh Government.

We welcome applications from everyone regardless of age, marriage and civil partnership (both same sex and opposite sex), impairment or health condition, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, gender identity or gender expression.

We are a Stonewall Diversity Champion and a Disability Confident Level 3 (Leader) organisation. Key to supporting this work and providing peer support are five Board sponsored Staff Networks (Disability Awareness and Support (DAAS); Minority Ethnic Support Network (MESN); Mind Matters (Mental health and well-being); PRISM (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex +) and Women Together.

Disability Confident

A Great Place to Work for Veterans

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative.

Welsh Language Requirements

The Welsh Government is a bilingual organisation and Welsh language skills are considered an asset to the organisation. We encourage and support staff to learn, develop and use their Welsh language skills in the workplace. 

The following list of language requirements represents an objective assessment by the line manager on behalf of the Welsh Government of the Welsh language skills required to undertake the duties of this particular post.

Essential
Can read most work-related material
Can hold most work-related conversations
Can understand most work-related conversations
Can prepare most written work in Welsh

Social Partnership

In Welsh Government, the relationship between the employer and trade unions is based on social partnership. We believe our goals can best be achieved by management and trade unions working together.

Our 3 recognised trade unions are:
•         PCS
•         Prospect
•         FDA

This relationship is underpinned by a partnership agreement. This sets out how our unions work with Welsh Government on issues such as:
•         pay
•         terms and conditions
•         policies and procedures
•         organisational change.

Our Welsh Government trade union colleagues work together to give their members a real say in the workplace. They make sure that the interests of their members are promoted and protected. They also help reduce inequalities and improve terms and conditions.

The Welsh Government has an excellent track record of working in partnership with its trade unions. We encourage staff to get involved. We support you to join a recognised trade union, to ensure your voice is heard in the workplace. and to learn more about trade unions and partnership working.

Competencies / Job Specific Criteria

Competencies 

1.Strategic - Setting Direction:

Changing and Improving - Spot warning signs of things going wrong and provide decisive responses to significant delivery challenges. 

2.Strategic - Setting Direction:

Making effective decisions – Draw together and present reasonable conclusions from a wide range of incomplete and complex evidence and data – able to act or decide even when details are not clear.

3.People Cluster - Engaging people

Leading and Communicating - Be visible to staff and stakeholders and regularly undertake activities to engage and build trust with people involved in area of work. 

4.Performance Cluster - Delivering results

Managing a Quality Service - Create regular opportunities for staff and customers to help improve service quality and demonstrate a visible involvement

Job Specific Criteria

1.    A recognised Social Care qualification such as a Diploma in Social Work (or Social Care Wales equivalent), Degree in Early Years/Childhood Studies, a teaching degree, PGCE qualification or Level 5 Diploma in Leadership for Children’s Care, Learning and Development and an ability to demonstrate the relevance of this qualification to the role.   

2    Extensive relevant post qualifying experience as a practitioner in or regulator of services.

3    Experience of leading and managing a high performing team of staff in the social care sector.

Assessment Process

Application Process

CIW follow Welsh Government recruitment processes which are competency based application forms and interviews. Please ensure you read the Welsh Government Recruitment Guidance and the CIW Candidate Pack before applying and whilst preparing for interviews and use the STAR approach when providing evidence. 

Shortlisting/Sift

Candidates will be shortlisted by assessing the evidence provided within the application, the CV and the evidence uploaded.  This will be assessed using the scoring matrix (see External Candidate Guidance at para 6) against the competencies job specific criteria as set out in the job description/job advert. 

If the volume of applications is high, the panel may only shortlist based on your responses to the 3 job specific criteria. Please note, you still need to provide a written response in relation to the 4 competencies to successfully pass the shortlisting stage.

You will be notified of the outcome via the on-line system.   

Interviews

Interviews will be held virtually over Microsoft Teams.  If for any reason you are unable to undergo an online interview please let us know and we can seek to make alternative arrangements where possible.  

If you are a disabled person, have an impairment or health condition, are neurodivergent or if you use BSL and wish to request a reasonable adjustment or alternative arrangements please contact us by sending an email to CIWHR@gov.wales

Candidates may be asked to undertake an assessment or presentation as part of the interview process. If this is the case, we will provide a minimum of 5 working days’ notice of the requirements. 

Welsh Language Skills

As Welsh language skills are essential for this role, candidates are required to present evidence for at least two questions from the competency or job specific criteria in the alternate language. For example, if the application is being submitted in English, at least two of the examples should be written in Welsh. If the application is being submitted in Welsh, at least two of the examples should be written in English.

 Your Welsh written skills may be assessed as part of the interview process via a test.

Other Information

  • Unless stated otherwise in ‘actual starting salary’, all candidates will start at the minimum of the pay scale being appointed to (this includes existing civil servants).This is not negotiable.
  • Unless stated otherwise in ‘type of opportunity’, this recruitment advert is not open on a Loan or Secondment basis.
  • For more information on the eligibility criteria and terms and conditions for Loan and Secondment positions in Welsh Government, please see external recruitment candidate guidance.
  • Unless stated otherwise in ‘Location of Post’ the role/s recruited to via this campaign can only be worked in the UK, not overseas.

Salary & Allowances

An allowance of £1,000 per year is available if you use your own car and cover in excess of 2,000 statutory miles per year. A valid driving licence and motor insurance is required

A starting salary of up to point 3 (£59,480) may be considered for candidates who demonstrate the essential skills, knowledge and experience to an exceptional level.

Location

Your agreed office location is either the CIW Llandudno Junction, Merthyr or Carmarthen office.

Colleagues are expected to work from a blend of locations, including some time working at home, as required. The agreed office location will be the designated place of work and any remote or home working arrangement does not constitute a change to your designated place of work or contractual terms and conditions. The successful candidate will be expected to pay for their commute to their normal place of work.

The postholder will line manage Team Managers from across Wales and so occasional travel will be required.

Travel to other locations that are not your chosen normal place of work will be paid for by CIW.

Flexible Working - We offer flexible working arrangements to help you get the right work/life balance.

Annual Leave - Welsh Government offers 31 days annual leave if you work full-time, pro rata for part-time (e.g., 4 days = 25 days). 

Bank Holidays - Full-time employees receive 10 days public and privilege holidays a year, pro-rata for part-time. 

Salary - We are a Living Wage employer with incremental pay scales. We also have an equal pay structure, regardless of age, marital status, disability, race, religion or belief, or gender identity. Further information can be found here. https://gov.wales/welsh-government-pay-policy-statement-2020  

Essential Car User Allowance - Inspectors, Team Managers and Senior Managers who carry out Inspection and Regulated Activity are eligible for an Essential Car User Allowance (ECUA) allowance of £1,000 per year if you use your own car and cover in excess of 2,000 statutory miles per year. A valid driving licence and motor insurance is required. 

Travel and Subsistence - The Welsh Government will reimburse employees for necessary, additional costs incurred on travel and subsistence whilst undertaking official business travel away from the normal office base.  Expenses which could have been avoided by better planning or which were otherwise unnecessary to the official purpose of the visit will not be reimbursed. 

Pension - Further information about the Civil Service Pension scheme can be found here: https://www.civilservicepensionscheme.org.uk/  

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion - Welsh Government values and supports all its employees. We have strong and proactive staff networks and diversity talent programmes to help everyone, irrespective of background, to achieve their full potential. 

Learning and Development - Everyone in Welsh Government is supported to develop their skills and capabilities, which includes access to learning and development with world-class providers. CIW are committed to Learning and Development and ensure our staff have a minimum of 5 days learning per year. This is supported by a tailored learning programme for CIW employees. 

Induction - All new starters receive Induction as an employee of Welsh Government.  This is supported by a tailored induction programme for CIW employees.

Civil Service Code - The Civil Service Code sets out the core values and standards expected of all civil servants: integrity, honesty, objectivity and impartiality.  All Civil Servants are expected to conduct themselves in accordance with the Civil Service Code, https://beta.gov.wales/civil-service-code

CIW Core Values - Our core values ensure people are at the heart of everything we do and aspire to be as an organisation. 

  • Caring: we are compassionate and approachable
  • Fair: we are consistent, impartial and inclusive
  • Integrity: we are honest and trustworthy
  • Professional: we are skilled, knowledgeable and innovative
  • Respect: we listen, engage and value people
Kevin Barker - kevin.barker@gov.wales - 03000 628822

How to apply

All applications for this vacancy should be made online via the Welsh Government's online application system.  If you have an impairment which would prevent you from applying on-line, please e-mail SharedServiceHelpdesk@gov.wales to request an application pack in an alternative format, or to request a reasonable adjustment related to an impairment in order to submit your application.

To apply, you'll need to have an account on our online application system.  Click the 'Apply' button below, and you'll be asked to 'Log in' if you already have an account, or 'Register' if you don't yet have an account.  Registration takes just a few minutes to complete.  You'll need an e-mail address to be able to register.  Once you've registered for an account and logged in, you'll be taken to the online application form, which you'll need to fully complete and submit before the deadline on the closing date.  

If you’d like to apply for this vacancy in Welsh, please use the ‘Newid Iaith / Change Language’ link at the top of this page, to take you to the Welsh version of this advert, from which you can apply in Welsh.

For further information regarding the Welsh Government recruitment process, please see the Recruitment Guidance for External Candidates (link).

When evidencing your suitability for the post, it is recommended that you refer to the Civil Service Competency Framework (link)

Grievance and Complaints

Anyone who believes they have been treated unfairly, or has a grievance or complaint, about how the process was conducted should either write to the Head of Resourcing, Welsh Government, Cathays Park 2, Cardiff CF10 3NQ or email SharedServiceHelpdesk@gov.wales.  If you are unhappy with the outcome of the complaint raised with the Welsh Government and feel that the principles of appointment on merit through fair and open competition have not been met you have the right to pursue your grievance with the Civil Service Commission.

This vacancy is closed to applications.