Independent Reviewing Officer

Leeds International; Leeds; On-site; GBP 51,000 - 54,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible and hybrid working

West Yorkshire Pension Fund

Career development opportunities

Staff wellbeing benefits

Hybrid working arrangements

Job summary

Leeds City Council is seeking an experienced Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO) to safeguard the interests of looked after children in Leeds. You will chair statutory reviews, monitor care plans and ensure the voices of children are heard and acted upon by partners across services.

With at least five years post-qualifying social work experience and registration with Social Work England, you will lead complex meetings, develop restorative relationships and drive forwards high-quality care

Qualifications

• Qualified, Social Work England-registered practitioner with at least five years’ post-qualifying experience.
• Experience with looked after children and care leavers.
• Ability to chair complex meetings and communicate clearly.
• Knowledge of relevant legislation and restorative practice.
• Ability to work under pressure and advocate for children.

Responsibilities

• Monitor the local authority’s care planning and review processes.
• Chair statutory Looked After Reviews and other reviews as required.
• Ensure children’s wishes and feelings are reflected in decisions.
• Identify and address drift or delays in care planning.
• Collaborate with partner agencies to secure best outcomes for children.

Skills

Social work experience

Chair complex meetings

Analytical skills

Restorative practice

Child-centred practice

Education

Dip SW / CQSW / Degree or equivalent (Social Work)

Job description

Job title:

Safeguarding and Reviewing Officer (Independent Review Officer IRO)

Salary:

PO5 £50,908 - £54,143

Hours:

37 hours

Contract:

Permanent

Location:

Various office bases

Make your experience count — champion the voice of children and help shape brighter futures.

About You

Are you an experienced social worker with the confidence to champion children’s voices and challenge practice when it matters?

We are looking for a qualified, Social Work England-registered practitioner with at least five years’ post-qualifying experience, including work with children looked after and care leavers. You will bring sound judgement, professional curiosity and up-to-date knowledge of relevant legislation, alongside the ability to build restorative relationships with children, families and professionals. You will chair complex meetings with authority, analyse information objectively, communicate clearly and remain well organised under pressure. Above all, you will be child-centred, reflective and courageous—recognising strong practice while constructively challenging drift, delay or plans that do not meet a child’s needs.

About The Role

Ready to use your social work expertise to make a lasting difference for children looked after in Leeds? Become an Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO) and join our team. In Leeds we have three teams who work together within the Integrated Safeguarding Unit (ISU) to champion children’s voices and strengthen the quality of care planning.

As an Independent Reviewing Officer in Leeds, you will join an inspiring and supportive team committed to restorative practice and to creating a Child Friendly Leeds , aligned with the Best City Ambition . You will build purposeful relationships, develop strong professional partnerships and bring creativity, social work values and confident leadership to every aspect of your practice.

In this influential statutory role, you will safeguard the interests of children looked after in Leeds, including those placed or authorised to be placed with prospective adopters and young people remanded into care or custody by the Youth Court. Appointed under the Children Act 1989 and working within the Care Planning, Placement and Case Review (England) Regulations 2010 , you will help ensure that every care plan is ambitious, timely and firmly focused on the child’s best interests.

As an Independent Reviewing Officer, you will use your expertise and professional influence to improve outcomes for children in care, ensuring their needs, wishes and feelings shape every decision.

You will lead purposeful statutory reviews at key stages of each child’s journey, bringing professionals together to agree clear, timely actions and keep plans firmly focused on achieving the best possible outcomes.

Your impact will continue beyond the review meeting. You will track progress, challenge drift or delay and ensure agreed actions maintain momentum towards permanence.

You will also provide an independent view of how effectively Leeds fulfils its responsibilities as a corporate parent—recognising excellent practice and confidently challenging where improvement is needed.

Bring your experience, judgement and passion to one of the region’s largest employers. At Leeds City Council, you will join more than 14,000 colleagues who share our council values and are working together to deliver our ambitions for the city.

What We Offer You

• a competitive salary and annual leave entitlement plus statutory holidays
• membership of the West Yorkshire Pension Fund with generous employer contributions
• flexible and hybrid working arrangements subject to service requirements
• a clear career pathway and continuing professional development opportunities
• a range of staff benefits to help you boost your wellbeing and make your money go further

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults.

We promote diversity and want a workforce that reflects the population of Leeds. Leeds City Council is recognised in Stonewall’s Workplace Equality Index 2024. We are also an Age-friendly Employer, a Mindful Employer and a Disability Confident Leader.

All new Leeds City Council appointments are made subject to the satisfactory completion of a six-month probationary period.

This role is based in the UK. Home Office guidance states that candidates must evidence their right to work in the UK prior to commencing employment, either as a UK or Irish citizen, under the EU Settlement scheme or having secured any other relevant work visa.

If you do not have the right to work in the UK, candidates must consider their own eligibility for sponsorship for a particular role through the Skilled Worker route before applying. To be eligible for sponsorship you'll usually need to be paid the standard salary rate of at least £41,700 per year or meet one of the other eligibility criteria. For more information visit Skilled Worker visa on the government website. Please ensure you are eligible before applying.

Job Description

Special conditions this post is subject to a higher-level check with the Disclosure and Barring Service. Please note that a criminal record will not necessarily be a bar to obtaining employment; this will depend on the circumstances and background to any offence.

Job Purpose

Responsible for ensuring quality-of-care planning for looked after children, ensuring their needs are met and their voices are heard, by chairing review meetings and monitoring progress. The IRO will fulfil the statutory requirements of the role as set out in the IRO Handbook and The Children Act 1989 Guidance and Regulations (amended 2015).

Responsibilities

• Monitor the performance by the local authority of their functions in relation to the child’s care plan
• Participate in the review of the child’s case.
• Ensure that any ascertained wishes and feelings of the child are given consideration by the local authority.
• Perform any other function prescribed in care planning regulations.
• Establish relationships with children and young people who are looked after, ascertain their wishes and feelings, and promote the voice of the child.
• Ensure plans for looked after children are based on a detailed and informed assessment, are up to date, effective and provide a real and genuine response to each child’s needs.
• Make sure children and young people understand how an advocate could help and know their entitlement to one.
• Highlight and prevent any ‘drift’ in care planning for looked after children and the delivery of services to them
• Monitor the activity of the local authority as a corporate parent in ensuring care plans have given proper consideration and weight to the child’s wishes and feelings and that, where appropriate, children and young people fully understand the implications of any changes made to their care plan.
• Confidently challenge any deficits in the quality or delivery of the child’s care plan either informally or through the statutory Dispute Resolution Process.
• Chair statutory Looked after Child Reviews and Adoption Reviews in line with regulatory requirements and liaise appropriately with operational staff.
• As well as reviewing those children placed within the city, to review care plans of children placed out of area, and those in secure accommodation.
• Chair some other types of reviews e.g. pathway plans and supervision orders where children have been previously looked after.
• Collate information arising from reviews relating to policy, practice, resources, and inter-agency participation.
• Contribute to monitoring reports submitted to Senior Management.
• Identify and respond to any issues of poor practice and highlight areas of good practice which might be used to support a learning organisation.
• Remain aware of developments in relation to Legislation, Guidance and Regulations and Departmental procedures.
• Contribute to developing consistency and high standards in the reviewing process.
• Contribute to practice and performance improvement activities in respect of social work services to children
• Contribute to service and multi-agency training and development activity relevant to the role.
• Represent the Independent Reviewing Service on service development projects relevant to the role.
• Take part in the delivery of training and development activities relevant to the IRO role.
• Actively promote and support Leeds City Council's and Departmental Policies on Equal Opportunities and to work in an anti-oppressive manner.
• The duties outlined are not meant as an exhaustive list and will also comprise any other duties within the spirit of the post commensurate with the job evaluation outcome for this post.

Qualifications

Appropriate professional qualification (Dip SW, Degree, CQSW or equivalent). The post holder must be registered as a social worker (Social Work England) and maintain yearly registration.

Essential requirements

• Able to engage positively and creatively with looked after children and involve children and young people in reviewing their plans.
• Able to identify and promote good outcomes for looked after children
• Able to develop and maintain good relationships with parents and carers of looked after children.
• Able to chair multi-disciplinary meetings, ensuring they produce clear recommendations focussed on good outcomes for children.
• Able to identify good, child centred practice in all agencies working with children.
• Able to identify deficits in policies or practice that impact negatively on children (individually or collectively) and present these assertively and clearly to relevant managers
• Good organisational, diary management and report- writing skills, and ability to complete work within required timescales.
• Able to work with and consult staff at all levels within the organisation using restorative practice principles.
• Good IT skills including the ability to interrogate and update children’s care records.
• Analytical skills and ability to reflect on own practice, using peer and manager supervision to inform and guide judgements and decision making.
• Comprehensive and current knowledge of Legislation, Guidance and Regulations relating to looked after children, care leavers, adoption, safeguarding and child protection reviewing process and child protection procedures including the role of the LADO.
• Knowledge of the role of all agencies in delivering good outcomes for looked after children.
• Understanding of the roles and responsibilities of partner agencies and working together to safeguard children 2023 statutory guidance.
• Five years post-qualifying experience as a social worker including working with looked after children and care leavers.

Essential Behavioural & Other Characteristics

• Understand and embrace Leeds City Council Values and Behaviours and codes of conduct
• Committed to continuous improvement in all areas and work towards delivering the Leeds Ambitions of health and wellbeing, inclusive growth, thriving strong communities and a resilient sustainable city
• Able to understand and observe Leeds City Council policies and procedures.
• Carry out duties having regard to an employee’s responsibility under Health, Safety and Wellbeing
• Participate in appraisal, training, and development activities to ensure up, to date knowledge and skills.
• Be aware of and support difference and ensure equality for all working in an anti-discriminatory manner, upholding equality & diversity of Leeds City Council.
• Recognise and appropriately challenge any incidents of racism, bullying, harassment, victimisation, and any form of abuse, reporting any concerns to the appropriate person
• Flexible and adaptable to change to assist other services is required commensurate to grade.
• The Council has adopted a flexibility protocol, and the role will be expected to work within these parameters.