Independent Reviewing Officer Wmf1479e

Job profile- The job requirements are detailed below. Where applicable the skills, qualifications and memberships required for this job have also been included.

**Job details**:
**Job reference**

REQ00000017434

**Date posted**

18/10/2024

**Application closing date**

17/11/2024

**Location**

Kendal & Barrow

**Salary**

£48,474 - £49,498

**Package**

**Contractual hours**

37

**Basis**

Full time

**Attachments**

**Independent Reviewing Officer WMF1479e**:
**Job description**

**Salary**:£48,474 - £49,498
- **Hours**: 37 hour per week
- **Location**: Kendal, Penrith or Barrow
- **Contract**:Permanent
- **About this opportunity**
- All children in Westmorland and Furness deserve the best start in life and we're looking for the right people to help us make that happen. We are looking for an experienced person to join us as an Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO).
As an Independent Reviewing Officer, you will have a key role within Children’s Services. The Independent Reviewing Officer is at the centre of safeguarding children, the role is highly visible and influential; this position is foremost in providing a leadership role to improve outcomes and provide quality assurance for Westmorland and Furness’ most vulnerable children.
- In this role, you will be ensuring that children in need of protection and those children Cared For by the Local Authority have the right plans in place to meet their identified needs. The role will involve visiting Cared For Children and recording their views, chairing Cared For Children’s Reviews, chairing Child Protection Conferences, chairing Missing from Home Stage 2 meetings and leading complex strategy meetings, (such as suspected Fabricated or Induced Illness) in addition to other duties.
- You will also be providing continuity and effective oversight of individual children’s plans, whilst ensuring the child’s views and wishes are being heard and acted on, ensuring children’s assessed needs are being met in a timely manner.
- One of the key and critical aspects of the role is quality assurance, the IRO scrutinises and holds to account the performance of the Local Authority; this may result in either informal or formal challenge in the child’s best interests.
- **Who we are looking for**:

- We are looking for someone who has expert knowledge of child protection procedures, childcare practice, and care planning legislation, as well as being up to date with relevant research. Applicants will need to have the ability to chair difficult and challenging meetings and influence others to ensure the best outcomes are achieved for children.
- A Social Work Qualification and registration with Social Work England is essential, as is the ability to work independently whilst delivering service priorities. Applicants should ideally have worked at either Team Manager or Advanced Practitioner level.
- In addition, knowledge and experience of using the Signs of Safety framework would be an advantage, as we use this practice model as a way of empowering families to identify their strengths, manage their support and protect their children.
- **What can we offer you**:

- Working at Westmorland and Furness Council you will receive a variety of benefits, including a competitive pension scheme, enhanced annual leave allowance and other various perks and discounts schemes. For more information about life at Westmorland and Furness Council and what we can offer you, please visit our Careers site.** **Our benefits | Careers (westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk)**

**DBS**
- This role is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (ROA) 1974 and requires an enhanced DBS check with a Children’s Barred List check.
- **Application and Interview information**
- Closing date: 17th November 2024
Interview date: 26th November 2024
- **Safer Recruitment**
- At Westmorland and Furness Council we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the safety and welfare of children, young people and adults at risk and we expect all workers, employees and volunteers to share our commitment.
- **Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion**
As a Disability Confident Leader, disabled applicants, who meet the essential criteria of this job, are guaranteed an interview.
We also offer guaranteed interviews to Armed Forces personnel and veterans and those in care or care experienced and under 24 years old, that meet the essential criteria for the role.
- **Please see below the supporting information**:

- Post Specification
Role Profile
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