Independent Reviewing Officer

GLOUCESTERSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL; England; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 53,000; Full time

Job summary

An opportunity to join Gloucestershire County Council as an Independent Reviewing Officer to champion the needs of looked-after children. You will chair statutory reviews, ensuring they are timely and child-centered, while actively monitoring Care Plans and collaborating with professionals. Ideal candidates should have a recognised Social Work qualification, substantial experience in children’s social work, and skills in communication and conflict management.

Benefits

Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)

Flexible working opportunities

25.5 days annual leave

Employee Assistance Programme

Qualifications

• Social Work England registration and a recognised qualification.
• Substantial post-qualifying experience in children’s social work, including child protection.
• Strong understanding of legislation, safeguarding, and quality assurance.

Responsibilities

• Chair statutory reviews for looked-after children.
• Monitor progress and quality of Care Plans.
• Ensure involvement of children, families, and carers.

Skills

Communication

Critical thinking

Record-keeping

Education

Social Work qualification

Job description

We are currently recruiting for an Independent Reviewing Officer to join our Reviewing Service.

Reward and Support

For all your hard work, you will receive the following:

• between £50,788- £52,805 per annum (subject to experience)
• welcome payment of up to £5,000*
• retention payment of up to £2,000*
• flexible and agile working opportunities
• 25.5 days annual leave rising to 30.5 days after 5 years’ continuous service
• option to purchase 10 days of additional leave per year (pro rata for part-time staff)
• family-friendly policies and benefits to help support you and your family
• supportive and positive working environment with regular, robust supervision
• Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
• access to our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) for 24/7 confidential support
• in-house Occupational Health service
• employee discount scheme
• cycle to work scheme
• links to employee networks including Prism (LGBT+) and the Young Employees Network Career development and qualification opportunities
• access to our Social Work Academy

Right child, right support, right time, every time

We are working together to support families and communities to give every child the best chance of a happy and rewarding life, especially those who need more help.

Gloucestershire offers a range of opportunities to develop your career, supported by a phenomenal Social Work Academy offer, a developing systemic practice methodology, an ambitious leadership team and an award-winning workforce.

Gloucestershire Children’s Services are improving. Our latest Ofsted inspection (February 2022) identified that:

‘Significant progress has been made in many areas of Gloucestershire’s children’s services… significant financial investment and the backing of political leaders, has led to improved services that are now more effective in meeting the needs of children and families’.

We are a local authority adopting, and training all colleagues in, systemic social work practice. If you would like to be part of an authority that takes a relational approach to working with families and focuses on what needs to change in the system around a child and family to enable children to thrive, then consider a role with GCC.

About the role

We are seeking a dedicated and experiencedIndependent Reviewing Officer (IRO)to join our Reviewing Service and champion the needs of looked-after children in Gloucestershire.

You will:

• chair statutory reviews for looked-after children in line with IRO Regulations and national guidance
• ensure that reviews are timely, child-centred, and delivered to a high professional standard
• monitor the progress and quality of Care Plans, actively addressing any drift or delay
• provide robust challenge and escalate concerns to senior management and CAFCASS as needed
• ensure the meaningful involvement of children, young people, families, and carers
• collaborate with professionals across agencies and support improvements to practice
• promote equality and consider the individual needs of each child, including factors such as race, disability, religion, and identity

You will have:

• Social Work England registration and a recognised Social Work qualification (e.g. DipSW, CQSW)
• substantial post-qualifying experience in children’s social work, including child protection and care proceedings
• experience chairing complex meetings and managing conflict
• strong understanding of legislation, permanence planning, safeguarding, and quality assurance
• excellent communication, critical thinking, and record-keeping skills
• a full UK driving licence and willingness to travel

How to apply

For an informal chat about this role, please contact Sarah Leonard on [e-mail]