Independent reviewing officer

Summary: Oversee and review care plans to ensure local authorities are acting in the best interests of children
Other names: Child protection chair, reviewing officer

What you'll do

As an independent reviewing officer (IRO) you’ll:

oversee care plans and ensure they’re meeting the needs of children
chair review meetings and organise them in a child-friendly way
act as a first point of contact for children and advocate for their interests
ensure care plans are being fully implemented by local authorities
act as a consistent and trusted point of support in a child’s life
manage relationships between children, families, local authorities and the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass)
ensure local authorities are fulfilling their statutory obligations
provide guidance and support to social workers, families, placement providers and other external partners
follow formal escalation processes to raise concerns with senior managers or Cafcass

You'll need:

decision-making and problem-solving skills to handle complex and sensitive cases
experience of conducting child-centred and family-focused reviews
the ability to negotiate with different parties to achieve positive outcomes
effective communication skills to manage competing relationships
critical thinking skills to assess complex information and make evidence-based decisions
the ability to act as a critical friend to social workers to ensure good outcomes for children
knowledge of child protection legislation, policies and best practice guidelines
effective leadership and management skills

To become an IRO you must:

have completed a degree, apprenticeship or graduate training scheme in social work
be registered with Social Work England
ideally have at least 3 years' experience as a qualified child and family social worker
have experience supervising social workers and advising on their practice
have experience chairing complex meetings and reviews

If you’re an experienced practitioner, the Pathway 2: middle managers programme can help prepare you to progress to an IRO role.

With experience you could:

progress into an advanced leadership role such as service manager or head of service
move into a training and consultancy role and deliver training programmes to social workers
specialise in quality assurance and compliance, ensuring standards and regulatory requirements are met

The Pathway 3: heads of service programme can help prepare you to progress to a service manager or head of service role.

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