Independent Review Officer - Childrens Social Care

Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO) / Conference Chair

Pay: £38 per hour Umbrella (in line with MOU rates)

Are you an experienced social work professional with a passion for safeguarding children, championing their voices, and driving high standards of practice? We are seeking an experienced Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO) / Conference Chair to play a pivotal role in ensuring children and young people receive the highest quality care, protection, and support.

This is an excellent opportunity to make a meaningful impact by providing independent oversight, quality assurance, and challenge across children's services while ensuring that care planning and safeguarding arrangements deliver the best possible outcomes for children and young people.

About the Role

As an IRO / Conference Chair, you will be responsible for promoting the welfare, safety, and rights of children and young people through the statutory review and child protection processes. You will provide independent scrutiny of care planning, safeguard the voice of the child, and monitor the Local Authority's effectiveness as a corporate parent.

Working collaboratively with social workers, managers, and partner agencies, you will ensure that care plans and child protection plans are robust, outcome-focused, and responsive to the individual needs, wishes, and feelings of children and young people.

Key Responsibilities

Chair statutory reviews for children and young people in care in line with relevant legislation, regulations, and guidance.
Chair Child Protection Conferences and review meetings, ensuring plans are robust, effective, and focused on positive outcomes.
Promote and champion the voice of the child throughout all review and safeguarding processes.
Monitor the quality and effectiveness of care planning and decision-making across children's services.
Provide independent oversight and challenge where practice falls below expected standards.
Identify patterns, themes, and areas of concern relating to the experiences of children and young people.
Ensure statutory requirements for children in care reviews and pathway planning reviews are met.
Chair reviews relating to respite care, fostering placements, and residential placements.
Undertake quality assurance activity and review case files to support continuous improvement.
Work closely with multi-agency partners to ensure children are effectively safeguarded.
Contribute to service development, policy improvement, and performance management initiatives.
Support organisational learning by sharing best practice, emerging research, and legislative developments.
Participate in auditing, training, professional development, and wider service improvement activity.

About You

To be successful in this role, you will have:

Significant post-qualifying experience within Children's Social Care.
Strong experience chairing statutory reviews, Child Protection Conferences, or undertaking IRO functions.
Excellent knowledge of safeguarding legislation, child protection procedures, and statutory guidance.
The ability to provide constructive challenge and maintain professional independence.
Strong analytical, assessment, and quality assurance skills.

Experience of working effectively within multi-agency settings.
A commitment to promoting children's rights, participation, and positive outcomes.
Social Work England registration.

Why Apply?

This role offers the opportunity to influence practice at a strategic level while making a direct difference to the lives of vulnerable children and young people. You will play a key role in ensuring services remain child-centred, accountable, and focused on achieving the best possible outcomes.

Pay: £38 per hour Umbrella (in line with MOU rates)

If you are an experienced IRO or Conference…