Independent Reviewing Officer

Luton Council; England; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 54,000; Full time

Job summary

A public sector organization in England is seeking a dedicated Independent Review Officer to oversee care planning and safeguard children’s welfare. The ideal candidate will lead reviews for Looked After Children, ensuring all procedures are timely and effective. Key responsibilities include managing teams, advocating for best practices, and ensuring high-quality service delivery. Experience in child protection and knowledge of relevant legislation are crucial. This is a permanent role offering competitive salary and allowances.

Qualifications

• Substantial experience in working with looked after children and foster carers.
• Experience overseeing care planning and quality assurance.
• In-depth knowledge of child care legislation.

Responsibilities

• Chair reviews for Looked After Children and Child Protection Conferences.
• Monitor progress and challenge delays in care planning.
• Communicate effectively with diverse audiences and resolve conflicts.

Skills

Leadership

Conflict resolution

Child care legislation knowledge

Job description

About the job

Salary: £50,269 - £53,460 a year plus £3,203 car benefit allowance and £5,500 market supplement allowance

Hours per week: 29.6

Contract type: Permanent

Are you a dedicated social work professional with a passion for safeguarding children and ensuring their voices are heard? Do you have the expertise to oversee care planning, challenge delays, and drive real change? If so, we want you on our team!

We are committed to the highest standards of child welfare, operating within the framework of the updated IRO Handbook and relevant legislation, including The Children Act 1989, The Fostering Services (England) Regulations 2011, and National Minimum Standards. Our Independent Review Officers play a crucial role in improving outcomes for Looked After Children and those subject to Child Protection Plans.

As an Independent Review Officer, you will take a proactive approach to care planning, ensuring that the needs of children and young people remain the central focus. You will chair Reviews for Looked After Children and Child Protection Conferences, maintaining oversight of cases, monitoring progress, and ensuring that all reviews are completed within statutory timescales and to the highest standards. This role extends beyond review meetings—you will actively challenge drift and delay, advocate for best practices, and contribute to the continuous improvement of service standards.

Please note this role does not attract sponsorship.

Previous applicants need not apply.

About you

We are seeking a dynamic leader with substantial experience in working with looked after children, foster carers, and those subject to child protection plans, including involvement in complex legal proceedings.

As a key member of our team, you will:

• Lead and manage teams effectively, ensuring high-quality service delivery.
• Communicate confidently with diverse audiences and resolve conflicts with professionalism.
• Champion the involvement of young people and carers in meetings and decision‑making processes.
• Work within set timescales while maintaining high standards.
• Oversee and quality assure the work of front‑line staff, fostering strong relationships to drive service improvements.
• Apply in‑depth knowledge of child care legislation, drawing from significant supervisory experience in complex child care settings.

About us

Luton Council has been selected to deliver the government’s Families First for Children Pathfinder programme.

Luton is one of seven new areas in the second wave to be chosen with the aim of protecting vulnerable children from harm and improving services to help more children stay with their families in safe and loving homes.

The programme is an amazing opportunity for Luton to shape future social care practice, which includes closer working relationships with our health, police, education and voluntary sector partners.

Children are at the heart of everything we do in Luton, and we are very proud of the tremendous work that is already taken place together with our partners, including the development of our Family Hubs and working towards making Luton a child‑friendly town where our children and young people can grow up feeling happy, healthy and secure.

Our ambitious Luton 2040 Vision – that no‑one in Luton will have to live in poverty – is at the heart of everything we do. We recognise that our people are remarkable, talented, committed and passionate about serving our residents.

The people of Luton depend heavily on this council – and that means our workforce! Are you ready to realise the remarkable and help us deliver our vision?

We welcome applications from all sections of the community and are committed to developing a workforce that reflects the diversity of our borough.