Independent Reviewing Officer- Cared for children

About us

At Cheshire East Council we are resident, and partner focused with a vision to enable prosperity and wellbeing for all. People really are at the heart of everything we do and that starts with our incredible workforce. We promote a culture of high performance where people can aspire, thrive and flourish, where we strive to deliver best value in everything we do.

For us, success isn't just about what we achieve, but how we achieve it together. We promote curiosity, excellence, innovation and continuous improvement.

We are values led and committed to wellbeing and inclusion for all, where our employees co-created our values of drive, integrity, respect and collaboration which inform all that we do.

We are proud to work for Cheshire East Council and believe you would be too!

We're on a meaningful journey in Children's Social Care and we'd love for you to be part of it. Joining us means becoming part of a supportive, forward-thinking team that's passionate about making a real difference in the lives of children and young people. Everything we do is about putting them first, helping them grow, thrive and reach their full potential so they can build brighter futures.

If this sounds like the kind of impact you want to make, we'd be delighted to hear from you. Come and join us in shaping positive change for our young people.

To fulfil the statutory functions of the Independent Reviewing Officer for cared for children, ensuring that care planning is of the highest quality and focused on achieving permanence, stability, safety and positive outcomes.

The postholder will champion children's rights and ensure that children's voices, wishes, feelings and lived experiences are central to all planning and decision-making. Working within Cheshire East's relational practice framework and Family First approach, the IRO will provide independent oversight, support and challenge to ensure children receive the care and services they need to flourish.

The role requires a practitioner who values relationships, demonstrates professional curiosity and is committed to ensuring that every child has the opportunity to reach their full potential.

• Ensure children's wishes, feelings, views and lived experiences are central to review processes and care planning.
• Build positive and effective relationships with children and young people.
• Use creative and innovative approaches to engage children and young people in meaningful participation.
• Ensure children understand the review process and have opportunities to contribute in ways that are meaningful to them.
• Promote children's rights and advocate for their best interests at all times.

• Chair statutory reviews for cared for children in accordance with legislation, regulations and guidance.
• Monitor and review care plans to ensure they are ambitious, child-centred and outcome-focused.
• Ensure plans are progressing appropriately and are responsive to children's changing needs.
• Monitor the local authority's performance in relation to individual children's care planning and pathway planning.
• Ensure consideration is given to permanence, stability, identity, education, emotional wellbeing and future aspirations.

• Provide effective independent oversight and scrutiny of care planning arrangements.
• Constructively challenge drift, delay or practice that does not meet the needs of children.
• Escalate concerns where appropriate, in line with statutory guidance and local procedures.
• Identify and share themes, trends and learning that support service improvement.
• Promote high standards of practice across Children's Services.

• Work collaboratively with social workers, families, carers and partner agencies.
• Develop positive working relationships while maintaining professional independence.
• Contribute to a culture of reflection, learning and continuous improvement.
• Support a strengths-based and relational approach to working with children and families.

• Produce clear, analytical and timely review documentation.
• Ensure all records and reports are completed to a high standard and within required timescales.
• Maintain accurate case records in accordance with statutory and local requirements.

This is just a snapshot of some of the exciting things you'll be doing in the role, to find out more about the other key responsibilities of the role please view the attached job description.

• Social Work qualification recognised by Social Work England.
• Current registration with Social Work England.

• Significant post-qualifying experience within Children's Social Care.
• Extensive experience working with cared for children and care planning processes.
• Experience of chairing complex meetings and managing professional challenge.
• Experience of working effectively across…