Independent Reviewing Officer

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  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 youWe take pride in offering the best employee experience, with benefits including: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 requirementsa clear career pathway and continuing professional development…