Job overview

A voluntary, locally-led Supported Employment initiative launched under the UK Government’s Get Britain Working strategy. The programme helps people with disabilities, long-term health conditions, or complex barriers to employment to enter and sustain meaningful work.

Croydon Council is the Accountable Body, managing its delivery across the five boroughs within the South London Partnership.

This role is pivotal in ensuring the programme meets its contractual obligations and quality standards. You will lead on the development and implementation of compliance, audit, and risk strategies aligned with DWP requirements and IPS/SEQF fidelity frameworks. You’ll work closely with delivery partners to monitor service quality, support fidelity reviews, and drive continuous improvement.

Role

The Compliance and Fidelity Lead will develop, implement and manage the audit, compliance and risk strategies for the DWP funded Connect To Work Programme. The Compliance and Fidelity Lead will implement and ensure compliance with a quality assurance framework that includes managing systems and processes that comply with IPS/SEQF frameworks guidelines and DWP contractual requirements.

The successful candidate will be familiar with managing risk through a quality assurance framework, and will be responsible for collating, analysing and reporting on complex data. They will work closely with the Delivery Partners to ensure the programme complies with the SEQF/IPS standards which will be key in supporting South London residents to move into decent work.

This is an exciting opportunity to shape a new programme, and to really make a difference for disadvantaged Londoners. Ideally an IPS/SEQF professional with recent experience, the successful candidate will support our Delivery Partners to monitor and improve the quality of service and prepare and support teams to undertake both internal self-assessments and external fidelity reviews. You will ideally an understanding of the supported employment fidelity frameworks and the standards by which they are assessed.

The role will have a focus on working with our Delivery Partners to support the national expansion of evidence-based supported employment provision and its integration with local health care systems. This will require the post holder to lead by example, helping services to translate guidance into effective practice at
operational level with a focus on quality and good performance.

This will involve carrying out field mentoring/case reviews, quality assurance fidelity reviews, facilitating workshops and learning networks.

The role involves a mix of remote and onsite working, supporting services across South London.

Responsibilities

  • Design, implement, and manage a quality assurance framework for compliance and fidelity.
  • Provide technical support to delivery partners to embed evidence-based employment practices.
  • Lead fidelity reviews, audits, and self-assessments across the programme.
  • Analyse complex data and produce performance reports for internal and external stakeholders.
  • Support services in translating guidance into effective operational practice.
  • Facilitate workshops, learning networks, and mentoring sessions.
  • Develop and monitor fidelity action plans and improvement strategies.
  • Lead system development, training, and evaluation processes across the programme.

The person

  • Knowledge of Connect to Work programme
  • Knowledge of employability programmes, particularly those supporting disadvantaged groups.
  • Knowledge of delivering externally funded interventions, and the associated obligations, e.g. funders such as DWP and ESF.
  • Knowledge of stakeholder management
  • Knowledge of ‘devolution’, including devolved decision-making powers and devolved funding streams at a local level.
  • Understanding of project assurance and risk management in the context of delivering a publicly funding programme or project.
  • Understanding of the Individual Placement and Support model
  • Understanding of the latest Fidelity Manual and required evidence for reviews
  • Good understanding of the principles and practice of the IPS Model
  • Commitment to travel. The role will involve travel within South London Partnership boroughs to build relationships and provide hands-on support to Delivery Partners
  • Good motivational, communication and listening skills
  • Excellent IT skills including Microsoft Office products such as Word, PowerPoint and Excel
  • Outstanding interpersonal skills and ability to build rapport with a range of people
  • Good organisational ability
  • Natural ability to build professional productive relationships with stakeholders based on mutual respect and trust
  • Ability to successfully develop and manage relationships with and between external stakeholders and facilitate networks.
  • Strong stakeholder management skills with the ability to navigate conflicting views.
  • Strong analytical skills to understand complex data and information to form conclusions and forward plan.

    • *Ability to work independently and use initiative to develop and Promote a service

  • Excellent verbal and written skills and ability to communicate concisely and effectively