Independent Reviewing Officer

Location: 160 Tooley Street, London, SE1 2QH

Contract: 2 Month Contract

Hours: Full Time

Working Pattern: Combination of Office, Home Working, and Visits

Southwark Council is seeking a seasoned Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO) to join their dedicated IRO Service for a 2-month contract. This role is integral to ensuring that care planning for looked-after children and young people is effective, robust, and child-centered. The successful candidate will work alongside a team of seven experienced IROs, managing a caseload of 55-65 children and young people.

The position involves chairing reviews, providing necessary challenges, and ensuring that care plans are aligned with the best interests of the children. The role offers regular reflective group supervision, monthly one-on-one supervision, and a supportive team environment.

• Chair statutory reviews for looked-after children and young people.
• Ensure the child's voice is central to all decision-making and care planning.
• Monitor and review care plans to ensure they are based on thorough assessments and meet each child's unique needs.
• Identify, assess, and manage risks to safeguard children and young people.
• Promote high-quality, outcome-focused, cost-effective, and safe care planning.
• Effectively manage review meetings, ensuring full participation from children, families, carers, and professionals.
• Provide constructive challenges to social work teams to prevent delays in care planning.
• Develop recommendations and action plans that enhance family engagement and leverage wider support networks.
• Produce high-quality written review reports and outcome plans, including child-friendly review letters.
• Track the progress and implementation of agreed plans between review meetings.
• Review assessments and care planning documents related to children involved in court proceedings.
• Maintain effective communication with Children's Guardians and other professionals during care proceedings.
• Address professional disagreements early to avoid delays and promote positive outcomes.
• Participate in quality assurance and audit activities as needed.
• Collaborate with social workers, carers, legal representatives, education providers, health professionals, and partner agencies.

Requirements:

• Recent and significant experience as an Independent Reviewing Officer.
• Previous management experience within Children's Services.
• Extensive experience chairing statutory reviews for looked-after children.
• Strong knowledge of legislation, statutory guidance, and best practices related to looked-after children and care planning.
• Experience in quality assuring care plans and appropriately challenging practices.
• Strong understanding of safeguarding, risk assessment, and permanence planning.
• Experience working within court and care proceedings frameworks.
• Ability to effectively challenge drift and delay while maintaining positive professional relationships.
• Excellent report writing, communication, and record-keeping skills.
• Ability to engage effectively with children, young people, families, carers, and partner agencies.
• Understanding of child-centered and restorative practice principles.
• Social Work qualification and Social Work England registration.
• Previous Local Authority IRO experience.
• Experience in quality assurance and audit activities.
• Knowledge of Southwark's children's services frameworks and practice models.
• Experience working within complex urban local authority environments.

• Caseload of approximately 55-65 children and young people.
• Monthly reflective group supervision.
• Monthly one-to-one supervision.
• Travel across and outside the borough may be required.
• Many children are based within Southwark, although some visits outside the borough will be necessary.
• Mix of office working, home working, and visits.

• 2 Month Contract
• Bi-Weekly Pay
• Flexible mix of office, home working, and visits.
• Supportive team of experienced IRO professionals.
• Regular reflective group and one-to-one supervision.
• Opportunity to make a meaningful impact on the lives of looked-after children and young people.

Ideal for candidates with experience as an Independent Reviewing Officer, Senior IRO, Child Protection Chair, Reviewing Officer, Team Manager, Practice Manager, Quality Assurance Officer, Senior Social Worker, or Children in Care Reviewing Officer.