Practice Development Officer

Role Responsibility

Please note this is a fixed term, 12 month position. All applicants applying for this role as a secondment should have permission from their manager before applying.

Safeguarding, Professional Standards and Quality Assurance has an exciting opportunity for a Practice Development Officer. The role will focus on practice development across Integrated Children’s Services but with a key focus on Practice Improvement.  

You will be educated to degree level or equivalent professional qualification in Social Care, Health, Youth Work or Teaching and/or extensive experience. You will have a strong safeguarding knowledge and be passionate about theories and improving practice across CYPE in Kent. 

The successful candidate will:

• Lead, model and promote high quality frontline practice.
• Lead the development of best practice, driving the implementation of practice improvement initiatives across the service.
• Analyse practice trends and performance data to inform and support quality assurance activities and continuous service improvement.
• Guide frontline managers and practitioners to support the implementation of KCC’s Practice Framework.
• Deliver training to practitioners to drive outstanding practice and new initiatives.
• Facilitate and undertake ongoing audits and research of integrated practice.

As part of your application, please ensure that the following is submitted:

• A current CV
• An expression of Interest – detailing a) your relevant experience and skills for the PDO role and b) their motivation for applying and what they feel they will bring to the role. Part B to be no more than 500 words.

Interviews will be in person at Sessions House, County Hall, Maidstone and will take place in December 2026 (with a specific date to be confirmed closer to the time). The interviews will consist of an interview panel and presentation exercise.

This post is subject to an Enhanced Disclosure Application to the Disclosure and Barring Service. 

This post is considered by KCC to be a customer-facing position. The Council therefore has a statutory duty under Part 7 of the Immigration Act (2016) to ensure that post holders have a command of spoken English/Welsh sufficient for the effective performance of the job requirements. The appropriate standards are set out in the Job Description/Person Specification.  

About the Company

Work that works for you and us - let's talk flexibility!

KCC is committed to building a workforce which reflects the diversity of the county's working residents, encouraging applications from people of all ages, abilities, genders, sexual orientations, ethnic backgrounds, faiths and those with caring responsibilities, and aspires to create an inclusive workplace where everyone can be themselves at work.

Please note - if you are interested, please apply soon as possible as the closing date for this advert may be earlier than stated should a number of suitably qualified candidates apply.