Job Description

Principal Curriculum Lead (Practice Education and Social Worker Development)

Application Deadline: 25 November 2026

Department: Curriculum

Employment Type: Permanent - Full Time

Location: Flexible

Reporting To: Damon Briggs - Head Of Curriculum

Compensation: £62,378.51 - £65,953.90 / year

Description

Contract: Full time, permanent

Salary: £62,378.51 (£65,953.90 with London office allowance) plus competitive pension

Location: Hybrid- 2 days per week in London Office

Those living outside the M25 can opt to not receive London Office Allowance and agree a more flexible office attendance pattern at offer stage. Please note that travel to the London office is at your own expense.

Please note this ad will close on Wednesday 25 November at 9am.

Frontline is entering an exciting period of growth and development as we continue to expand our programme portfolio and strengthen the support we provide to social workers and leaders throughout their careers.

The Principal Curriculum Lead for Practice Education and social worker development provides strategic leadership and academic direction for the design, delivery, and continuous improvement of the Practice Education CSW Programme and other training for participants and qualified social workers. The postholder will ensure that programmes are innovative, supportive, and of high academic and professional quality, meeting the Practice Educator Professional Standards (PEPS 1 & 2) and sector expectations for excellence in social work education. They will lead a team of academic and practice staff, maintain oversight of quality assurance and participant experience, and strengthen links between theory, practice, and research.

The role also currently includes responsibility for the Master’s Dissertation module for Year 3 Approach Social Work participants, supporting postgraduate participants to undertake high-quality, practice-related research. This role may also contribute to programming across our portfolio.

The postholder will work collaboratively with internal colleagues and external stakeholders to ensure programmes remain current, coherent, and aligned with professional and regulatory requirements.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic and academic leadership

• Provide vision and leadership for our Practice Education provision, ensuring programmes reflect professional standards, innovation, and best practice.
• Lead curriculum design and enhancement to maintain academic rigor, coherence, and alignment for example with PEPS 1 and 2, Social Work England requirements and other statutory requirements.
• Develop and implement strategies that promote high-quality, inclusive, and engaging learning experiences.
• Ensure programme delivery meets internal and external quality assurance expectations.
• Lead programme participant support and development design and implementation strategies.

Teaching and learning

• Lead and teach across the CSW practice education programme, Master’s Dissertation module, and other Frontline programmes embedding innovative and research-informed pedagogy and contribute to teaching and assessment across other programmes.
• Provide formative and summative assessment, supervision, and feedback that promote reflective and critical learning.
• Integrate theory, research, and professional practice to ensure participant learning is applied and evidence-based.

Programme and team management

• Lead a team of academic, practice educators and trainers, ensuring consistent standards of teaching, assessment, and participant support including workload allocation and planning.

Quality assurance and enhancement

• Monitor programme performance, assessment outcomes, and participant feedback to drive continuous improvement.
• Contribute to validation, revalidation, and review processes to maintain programme and academic integrity and compliance inline with statutory and university guidelines.

Partnerships and external engagement

• Engage with external stakeholders to ensure programmes remain responsive to practice and workforce needs.

Continuing professional development

• Maintain current knowledge of social work education, pedagogy, and practice.
• Engage in continuous professional development and model reflective, evidence-informed practice.

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

Experience and knowledge:

• Master’s degree in Social Work or a related discipline
• Registration as a Social Worker with Social Work England
• Substantial experience in social work practice and higher education teaching
• Proven excellence in curriculum design, training, and assessment at postgraduate level
• In-depth knowledge of Practice Educator Professional Standards (PEPS 1 & 2)
• PEPs 2 qualified
• Experience of people management, and managing programmes, or coordinating academic delivery
• Knowledge of quality assurance, assessment regulations, and academic standards in higher education
• Evidence of continuous professional development and scholarly engagement in social work education
• Record of applied research or publications in social work or practice education

Skills and characteristics:

• Strong leadership and management skills with the ability to motivate and support colleagues
• Excellent understanding of social work values, ethics, and professional practice frameworks, including strong commitment to equity, inclusion, and social justice
• Highly developed communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work collaboratively across disciplines and sectors
• Skilled in fostering positive student experiences through supportive and engaging teaching
• Evidence of reflective practice and commitment to continuous improvement
• Capacity to influence and engage effectively with professional, academic, and practice communities
• Organised, proactive, and able to manage competing priorities effectively
• Commitment to Frontline’s ethos of Freedom and Responsibility

Benefits

• Flexible working hours
• Competitive pension employer contribution
• 25 days annual leave + bank holidays + office closes from 25 Dec to 1 Jan
• Buy up to five days annual leave a year
• Interest free loan for season ticket
• Personal coaching and mentoring
• Cycle loan scheme
• Deposit loan scheme
• Volunteering days
• Employee assistance programme
• Life Assurance Scheme (x3 salary)