Conference/ Independant Chair (Children) Cap

Civic Recruitment Limited; Worcester; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 101,000; Full time

Job summary

Civic Recruitment Limited is seeking an Independent Chair for Worcestershire's Safeguarding and Quality Assurance Service. The role covers statutory duties as IRO, Independent Chair of Child Protection Conferences, and LADO, ensuring high-quality, child-centered planning and safeguarding.

Key duties include chairing Conferences and Looked After Children reviews, ensuring children’s voices influence decisions, quality assurance of Care Plans, and escalation via the Dispute Resolution Process.

Qualifications

• Knowledge of Care Planning Regulations and IRO Handbook 2010.
• Experience chairing complex multi-agency meetings and managing dispute resolution.
• Ability to ensure children's voices are heard and considered in decisions.
• Enhanced DBS clearance is typically required.

Responsibilities

• Chair Child Protection Conferences, Looked After Children reviews, POT and CSE Strategy Meetings.
• Ensure meaningful participation of children and young people in decision-making.
• Quality assure and monitor Care Plans and Child Protection Plans, identify drift and concerns.
• Escalate concerns through the statutory Dispute Resolution Process.
• Provide consultation and challenge to operational staff and managers in Children's Social Care and partner agencies.
• Develop and maintain performance information for reporting to boards.

Skills

Independent Chairing

Safeguarding expertise

Child protection

Dispute resolution

Performance reporting

Education

Care Planning Regulations knowledge

IRO Handbook 2010

Working Together to Safeguard Children

Job description

• We are seeking an Independent Chair for the Safeguarding and Quality Assurance Service. You will perform the statutory duties of an Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO), an Independent Chair of Child Protection Conferences, and a Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO), ensuring high-quality, child-focused planning and safeguarding.
  

Responsibilities

• Co-ordinate and independently chair Child Protection Conferences, Looked After Children (LAC) Reviews, Position of Trust (POT), and Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) Strategy Meetings.
  
• Ensure the meaningful participation of children and young people, guaranteeing their voice is heard and taken into account in decision-making.
  
• Quality assure and monitor the implementation of individual Care Plans and Child Protection Plans, identifying drift, delay, or patterns of concern.
  
• Escalate concerns about plans for children or their implementation through the statutory Dispute Resolution Process.
  
• Provide consultation, advice, and challenge to operational staff and managers in Children's Social Care and partner agencies.
  
• Develop and maintain performance management information for reports to the Children's Services' Performance Board and Worcestershire Safeguarding Children Board (WSCB).
  

Experience

• Extensive experience in safeguarding, child protection, and Looked After Children (LAC) statutory processes.
  
• Experience offering quality assurance, support, and challenge to social care practitioners and managers.
  
• Experience chairing complex multi-agency meetings and managing dispute resolution.
  

Qualifications

• Comprehensive knowledge of the Care Planning Regulations, IRO Handbook 2010, and Working Together to Safeguard Children.
  
• Strong understanding of equal opportunity, anti-discriminatory, and anti-oppressive practices within children's services.
  

Additional Information

• Working hours: 22.5 hours per week.
  
• Enhanced DBS required
  
• We work on a biweekly payment schedule.
  
• This role is based in Worcestershire
  
• Working pattern: To be decided depending on workload/area of work