Safeguarding and Reviewing Officer - REQ001740

Job title: Safeguarding and Reviewing Officer (Independent Review Officer IRO)

Salary: PO5 £47,754 - £50,788

Hours: 37 hours

Contract: Permanent

Location: Various office bases

As an Independent Reviewing Officers (IRO) you make an important contribution to the goal of improving outcomes for looked-after children. Their primary focus is to quality assure the care planning process for each child or young person and to ensure that his/her current wishes and feelings are given full consideration.

As part of this role, IROs chair the review meetings of children who are looked after. These reviews take place at different intervals depending on how long the child has been in care but are held at least every six months.

In between reviews, IROs have a responsibility to monitor the progress of the care plan, ensuring there is no drift or delay in achieving permanence and further that the key recommendations from the previous Child Looked After Review are being appropriately progressed in a timely fashion.

IROs are qualified social workers with at least five years’ experience and who have acquired the skills, knowledge and experience to carry out this role.

Leeds City Council is one of the largest employers in the region with over 14,000 employees. We seek to recruit and develop talented individuals who embody our council values and ambitions.

About you

As an Independent Reviewing Officer, you will:

Monitor the local authority’s performance as a corporate parent, of its functions in relation to looked-after children ensuring care plans have given proper consideration and weight to the child’s wishes and feelings.
Ensure the wishes and feelings of the child are considered and promote the voice of the child make sure the child understands that they are entitled to an advocate and how they could be helped by one.
Ensure there is an up-to-date, effective plan for the child(ren), based on a detailed, informed assessment, identify any gaps in the assessment process or provision of service
Prevent any ‘drift’ in care planning and the delivery of services.

About the role

The Independent Reviewing Service in Leeds consists of three area teams situated within the Integrated Safeguarding Unit (ISU). As an Independent Reviewing Officer, you will be part of the West team.

As an Independent Reviewing Officer for Leeds, you’ll thrive on working in an inspiring team and driving restorative practice. You will be passionate about working in a service to create a Child Friendly Leeds and be aligned with the Best City Ambition. In this role you will model skills in relationship building, developing positive working partnerships and demonstrate your social work values throughout your work. You will look to ensuring best practice and being innovative in your approach.

As our next Independent Reviewing Officer, you will be responsible for looked-after child, which includes children placed, or authorised to be placed, with prospective adopters by a local authority, as well as young people remanded into care or custody by the Youth Court. The appointment of an Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO) is a legal requirement under the Children Act 1989, as amended. IRO practice is also governed by the Care Planning, Placement and Case Review (England) Regulations 2010. Your role is therefore paramount in ensuring the best interest of looked after children.

What we offer you

We 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 requirements

a clear career pathway and continuing professional development opportunities
a range of staff benefits to help you boost your wellbeing and make your money go further

How to apply

Please complete the online application form.

Read our guidance for further advice. Please check your information carefully and ensure you complete all sections before submitting your application.

If you have any queries or would like an informal chat about the role, please contact

Siobhan Brady IRO Team Manager Call 0113 3787179 email siobhan.brady@leeds.gov.uk

The closing date for application is Friday 25^th April 2025 at 4pm.

The interview date is Friday 2^nd May 2025 the candidates to be interviewed will be informed by the end of day via email on 29^th April 2025 please therefore hold the full day in your diary.

A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check will be carried out on preferred candidates. Read our recruitment of ex-offenders policy.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults.

We promote diversity and want a workforce that reflects the population of Leeds. Leeds City Council is recognised in Stonewall’s Workplace Equality Index 2024. We are also an Age-friendly Employer, a Mindful Employer and a Disability Confident Leader.

All new Leeds City Council appointments are made subject to the satisfactory completion of a six-month probationary period.

This role is based in the UK. Home Office guidance states that candidates must evidence their right to work in the UK prior to commencing employment, either as a UK or Irish citizen, under the EU Settlement scheme or having secured any other relevant work visa.

If you do not have the right to work in the UK, candidates must consider their own eligibility for sponsorship for a particular role through the Skilled Worker route before applying.â€¯To be eligible for sponsorship you'll usually need to be paid the standard salary rate of at least £38,700 per year or meet one of the other eligibility criteria. For more information visit Skilled Worker visa on the government website. Please ensure you are eligible before applying.

Job Description

Job purpose

The Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO) is responsible for ensuring the quality-of-care planning for looked after children, ensuring their needs are met and their voices are heard, by chairing review meetings and monitoring progress. The IRO will fulfil the statutory requirements of the role as set out in the IRO Handbook and The Children Act 1989 Guidance and Regulations (amended 2015).

Responsibilities

The statutory duties of the IRO are:

To monitor the performance by the local authority of their functions in relation to the child’s care plan.
To participate in the review of the child’s case.
To ensure that any ascertained wishes and feelings of the child are given due consideration by the local authority.
To perform any other function prescribed in care planning regulations.
To establish relationships with children and young people who are looked after, ascertain their wishes and feelings, and promote the voice of the child.
To ensure plans for looked after children are based on a detailed and informed assessment, are up to date, effective and provide a real and genuine response to each child’s needs.
To make sure children and young people understand how an advocate could help and know their entitlement to one.
To highlight and prevent any ‘drift’ in care planning for looked after children and the delivery of services to them
To monitor the activity of the local authority as a corporate parent in ensuring care plans have given proper consideration and weight to the child’s wishes and feelings and that, where appropriate, children and young people fully understand the implications of any changes made to their care plan.
To confidently challenge any deficits in the quality or delivery of the child’s care plan either informally or through the statutory Dispute Resolution Process.

Chairing of meetings:

To chair statutory Looked after Child Reviews and Adoption Reviews in line with regulatory requirements and liaise appropriately with operational staff.
As well as reviewing those children placed within the city, to review care plans of children placed out of area, and those in secure accommodation.
To chair some other types of reviews e.g. pathway plans and supervision orders where children have been previously looked after.

Quality Assurance and Performance Monitoring

To collate information arising from reviews relating to policy, practice, resources and inter-agency participation.
To contribute to monitoring reports submitted to Senior Management.
To identify and respond to any issues of poor practice and highlight areas of good practice which might be used to support a learning organisation.

Policy and practice

To remain aware of developments in relation to Legislation, Guidance and Regulations and Departmental procedures.
To contribute to developing consistency and high standards in the reviewing process.
To contribute to practice and performance improvement activities in respect of social work services to children
To contribute to service and multi-agency training and development activity relevant to the role.
To represent the Independent Reviewing Service on service development projects relevant to the role.

Additionally

Take part in the delivery of training and development activities relevant to the IRO role.
To undertake other duties appropriate to the post as required by the Team Manager Safeguarding and Review.
To actively promote and support Leeds City Council's and Departmental Policies on Equal Opportunities and to work in an anti-oppressive manner.

The duties outlined are not meant as an exhaustive list and will also comprise any other duties within the spirit of the post commensurate with the job evaluation outcome for this post.

Qualifications Appropriate professional qualification (Dip SW, Degree, CQSW or equivalent). The post holder must be registered as a social worker (Social Work England) and maintain yearly registration.

Essential requirements Candidates will only be shortlisted if they can demonstrate that they meet all the following essential requirements.

Independent Reviewing Officers should have five years post-qualifying experience as a social worker including working with looked after children and care leavers.
Ability to engage positively and creatively with looked after children and involve children and young people in reviewing their plans.
Ability to identify and promote good outcomes for looked after children
Ability to develop and maintain good relationships with parents and carers of looked after children.
Ability to chair multi-disciplinary meetings, ensuring they produce clear recommendations focussed on good outcomes for children.
Ability to identify good, child centred practice in all agencies working with children.
Ability to identify deficits in policies or practice that impact negatively on children (individually or collectively) and present these assertively and clearly to relevant managers
Good organisational, diary management and report- writing skills, and ability to complete work within required timescales.
Ability to work with and consult staff at all levels within the organisation using restorative practice principles.
Good IT skills including the ability to interrogate and update children’s care records.
Analytical skills and ability to reflect on own practice, using peer and manager supervision to inform and guide judgements and decision making.
Comprehensive and current knowledge of Legislation, Guidance and Regulations relating to looked after children, care leavers, adoption, safeguarding and child protection.
Of the childcare reviewing process and child protection procedures including the role of the LADO.
Of the role of all agencies in delivering good outcomes for looked after children.
Understanding of the roles and responsibilities of partner agencies and working together to safeguard children 2023 statutory guidance.

Essential Behavioural & other Characteristics

Understand and embrace Leeds City Council Values and Behaviours and codes of conduct
Committed to continuous improvement in all areas and work towards delivering the Best City Ambition of Health & Wellbeing, Inclusive Growth and Zero Carbon
Able to understand and observe Leeds City Council policies and procedures.
Carry out all duties having regard to an employee’s responsibility under Health, Safety and Wellbeing
Willingness to actively participate in appraisal, training and development activities to ensure up, to date knowledge and skills.
Flexible and adaptable to change to assist other services as required commensurate to grade.
Be aware of and support difference and ensure equality for all working in an anti-discriminatory manner, upholding, equality & diversity of Leeds City Council.
Recognise and appropriately challenge any incidents of racism, bullying, harassment, victimisation, and any form of abuse, reporting any concerns to the appropriate person
The Council has adopted a flexibility protocol, and the role will be expected to work within these parameters.

Apply for this job