Conference and Reviewing Officer

For further information about us and about working in Children's Social Care at West Sussex County Council, please visit **Careers in children's social work in West Sussex**.

**Salary**: £52,086 - £55,798 (market supplements included)
**Working Pattern**: Full-time
**Location**: County-wide

As part of our on-going positive transformation and improvement work, we're now recruiting for permanent Conference and Reviewing Officers in a new dual role which combines the role of the Child Protection Conference Chair and Independent Reviewing Officer(IRO). Our ambition and desire is to provide a continuity of relationship for our children throughout their journey with Children's Social Care.

The role of the Conference and Reviewing Officer is stimulating, varied and highly rewarding. You will need to possess the skills and ability to work inclusively with all relevant family members, carers and professionals and understand the skilful and sensitiveuse of authority as well as demonstrate excellent chairing skills, together with the ability and confidence to effectively scrutinise and challenge practice where needed.

**Key Skills**:

- Excellent communication skills with the ability to influence the actions of others and communicate wide ranging information which may be complex and contentious.
- The ability to negotiate solutions across wide areas of the business and successfully convince others of the need to take a specific course of action or adopt a specific approach for the safety and protection of children
- The ability to formulate and oversee plans, within which child safety is promoted, risk is sufficiently managed, permanence is progressed, and aspects of care, development and protection are thoroughly considered.
- Able to formulate accurate, accessible, and comprehensive reports
- The ability to communicate effectively and sensitively, with children of all ages, capturing and responding to their wishes, feelings and lived experiences.
- Excellent organisational and time management skills, with the ability to manage competing needs, in a high pace environment.

**Qualifications and experience**:

- Professional social work qualification and registered with Social Work England.
- Extensive working knowledge of Child Protection Procedures, The IRO handbook, relevant legislation, regulations and guidance, including Working Together to Safeguard Children.
- Knowledge of Human Rights and Equal Opportunities Legislative Frameworks
- Previous leadership experience within a Children's Social Care environment
- Comprehensive knowledge of roles and responsibilities of all other agencies involved with children.
- Significant understanding of relevant research, particularly that concerning child development, the effects of separation and loss and attachment theory.
- Detailed experience of child's journey through social care.

**Rewards and Benefits**

We provide regular group supervision and peer learning alongside specialist roles within the team to focus on the most vulnerable children. You'll also have a minimum of 5 CPD and training days per year with access to excellent learning and development provisionssuch as Research in Practice and Community Care Inform.

For a full list of the benefits offered to you as a West Sussex County Council employee, please visit our **Rewards and Benefits** page.

**Further Information**

The reference number for this role is **CAFHE03484**

West Sussex County Council is an equal opportunities employer committed to promoting an environment that is inclusive and free from all forms of unlawful or unfair discrimination and values the diversity of its people.