Quality & Development Lead

Quality & Development Lead Youth Commission

At the Youth Commission, our vision is empowering youth and shaping futures, enabling young people to be inspired and prepared for the future they dream of…

We are child centred, young people are at the heart of everything we do.

• We build trusting relationships with young people.
• We work in collaboration to provide effective, needs driven services that make a real different to young people.

The Quality & Development Lead will provide organisation-wide leadership in youth work practice standards, ensuring high-quality, evidence-informed approaches across all services. This role will support staff to deliver outstanding youth work through developing frameworks, offering professional guidance, modelling best practice, and driving continuous improvement. The postholder will be instrumental in embedding a consistent culture of reflective practice, embedding safe and trusted relationships, and meaningful youth participation.

• Lead on the development, implementation, and review of the organisation’s youth work practice framework.
• Ensure the organisation’s practice is aligned with national youth work guidance, research, and statutory requirements.
• Provide expert advice to teams on youth work theory, engagement strategies, and appropriate interventions.
• Provide effective line management to the Team Lead of the Youth Engagement Team, including regular reflective supervision, professional guidance, and ongoing support.
• Empower and develop the Team Lead to deliver high‑quality youth engagement services, while providing clear leadership, strategic direction, and oversight to ensure the team operates effectively, meets its objectives, and maintains strong practice standards.

• Lead quality assurance processes, including observations of practice, reflective learning sessions, and service audits.
• Identify areas for improvement and support staff and managers to develop targeted action plans. Champion a culture of continuous improvement and professional curiosity.

• Design and deliver training, CPD sessions, and workshops for staff, volunteers, and partners.
• Mentor and coach youth workers, providing professional supervision where required.
• Support teams to embed trauma‑informed, strengths‑based, and youth‑led approaches.

• Ensure young people’s voices shape service design, delivery, and evaluation.
• Develop and maintain tools, models, and opportunities that support meaningful participation.
• Promote consistency in participation practice across the organisation.

• Work closely with team leads, youth support workers, community partners, and statutory agencies.
• Contribute to multi‑agency initiatives, policy development, and partnership projects.
• Represent the organisation at relevant working groups, networks, and sector events.

• Promote best practice in safeguarding and ensure staff maintain high standards of professional conduct.
• Support teams in risk assessment, incident analysis, and reflective safeguarding reviews.
• Ensure all services comply with organisational policies and relevant legislation.

• Support the development of outcome measurement tools and impact frameworks.
• Analyse data and feedback to inform practice development. Provide written reports for leadership, commissioners, and trustees as required.

• JNC‑qualified youth worker (or equivalent essential). Additional training in safeguarding, trauma‑informed practice, coaching/mentoring, or quality improvement (desirable).

• Significant experience delivering high‑quality youth work with diverse young people.
• Experience supporting or leading teams, mentoring, or providing professional guidance.
• Demonstrable experience implementing practice frameworks or service improvement processes.

• Strong understanding of youth work values, theory, and evidence‑informed practice.
• Excellent communication, facilitation, and coaching skills.
• Ability to analyse practice, identify…