Independent Reviewing Officer

**What's involved with this role**:
**Job Ref: Havering RQ1261925**

**An Enhanced DBS disclosure is listed as a requirement for this role**

An Independent Reviewing Officer - Social Care & Health Qualified is required for approx 2-3 months.

**Key Responsibilities**:

- Chair and minute Statutory Reviews for Looked After Children within agreed timescales so a care plan and permanency plan for each child is implemented without drift or delay
- Provide professional consultation, advice support and challenge to social work practitioners/ managers on critical child protection decisions, and on care planning for children in care (looked after per Children Act 1989)
- Develop SMART Plans which are outcomes focussed for children in need / in need of protection and children in care
- Monitor progress of planning between reviews identify any barriers within the wider multi-agency system to the implementation of children’s plans
- Chair complex strategy meetings as identified by Service Manager to ensure that timely and appropriate action is taken to investigate specific child protection concerns
- Contribute to the response to placement disruption for children in care, including chairing Disruption Meetings as appropriate, to avoid breakdown of living arrangements and instability for children
- Lead on critical quality assurance activity to promote improvement in practice standards by monitoring and reporting on local examples of good practice by individuals and teams and any national examples identified by research or experience
- Undertake Learning Together Reviews as directed by the service manager, and contribute to the case review process so as to implement sustained learning
- To ensure the local authority exercises its statutory duties in relation to children in need of support, children in need of protection or children in care
- Identify and provide challenge to practitioners and managers across the service in relation to practice improvement
- Escalate concerns through activating the dispute resolution process, in accordance with the best interest and welfare of the child, as well as his/her human rights'. (Section 6.4 IRO Handbook )
- Promote equality, diversity and inclusion within the organisation in line with council policy and iCARE values

**To help speed up the process of uploading your CV to the client we would suggest that you send us your CV in Word format (or equivalent) if possible, rather than as a PDF.**

**_If you are successful in securing this role, please note that for the entire duration of this contract, regardless of extension you will be working this role at the PAYE rate that has been advertised. For absolute clarity, we only work on a PAYE basis, rather than entertaining umbrella pay terms, we do not offer Ltd/umbrella or outside IR35 rates. If you wish to understand PAYE vs Umbrella more, please let us know and we can send you some additional information for clarity._**

**Other “Essential Requirements” - Please check to ensure that your CV addresses the following items**:
**Unless the DBS requirement stated above is for a Basic Disclosure, your DBS must be either through us or be accompanied by a subscription to the DBS updating service.**

**Qualifications**:

- Relevant Social Work Qualification
- Registered with Social Work England
- Previous experience of chairing Statutory Reviews for children in care (Looked After Children, Children
- Act 1989). Chair Child Protection Conferences and other statutory Child Protection meetings,
- reviews, and conferences.

**Skills & experience
**- Knowledge of relevant legislation, guidance and practices and their implications, in relation to child social care practice
- Experience of successfully managing child protection work in a qualified social work capacity
- Experience of providing social work supervision and support
- Experience of working within a changing environment
- Experience of working and managing multi agency child protection partnerships
- Experience in the delivery and continuous improvement of services for children
- Evidence of success in promoting and implementing equal opportunity policies and practices in respect of employment and service delivery
- A thorough understanding of the legal framework relating to looked after children and care leavers, including knowledge of National Minimum Standards and the Adoption AgenciesRegulations 2005
- Knowledge of the evidence about what makes for good quality practice

Am **Please note that clients invariably ask us to strip out contact details from CVs before we submit them for consideration. This is always quicker and easier to do if you send your CV to us in Word format, rather than as a PDF please