Independent Reviewing Officer

Independent Reviewing Officer

Permanent, Full Time

£48,205 to £57,988 per annum

Location: Harlow

Working Style: Anywhere worker

Closing Date: 31st March 2026

Here in Essex, we continue to raise the bar about practice and our investment in our workforce is second to none. It’s an exciting time to join us having received our 2 ^nd Outstanding Ofsted rating in a row.

The Role

Independent Reviewing Officer for West and South Essex. Home-based role with the need to travel to chair looked after child reviews and visit children.

To provide an effective Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO) service for children in care, in accordance with statutory regulation, guidance, and Essex County Council procedures. To review the cases of children who are looked after as laid down in Volume 2 Care Planning, Placement and Case Review (England) Regulations (2021), and the IRO Handbook (2010).

The statutory duties of the IRO are to [Section 25B (1), 1989 CA]:

• Monitor the performance by the local authority of their functions in relation to the child’s case.
• Participate in any review of the child’s case.
• Ensure the wishes and feelings of the child are given due consideration by the authority.
• Perform any other function which is prescribed in regulations.

The Independent Reviewing Officer’s primary focus is to quality assure the care planning and review process for each looked after child, and to ensure that the child’s needs, wishes and feelings are given full consideration. The review process should consider the child’s assessed needs, and their progress, and will agree both long term plans and more immediate steps that will meet these needs and promote the child’s welfare. The purpose of the review process is to ensure that the child’s welfare is safeguarded and promoted in the most effective way while looked after by the Local Authority.

The IRO role is one of practice expertise in the area of children in care and care planning and should be pivotal in driving forward Essex County Council’s commitment to secure better and improved outcomes for children in care. The IRO should actively contribute to ensuring that Essex County Council fulfils its responsibilities as a ‘corporate parent’ for all children in care, by providing scrutiny and challenge to all levels of practitioner and manager within the organisation.

Accountabilities

• To ensure that statutory review meetings are held within the required timescales, and that all relevant family members, parents, carers and professionals are identified, invited to attend, and/or consulted fully in the process. This should take place in conjunction with the Social Worker responsible for the child and take into account the wishes and feelings of the child.
• To independently monitor the progress of the child between review meetings, ensuring the care plan continues to meet the assessed needs, and take action to convene a formal review when necessary.
• To communicate directly with the senior management team within Family Operations, when the Local Authority fails to meet its statutory obligations to children in care, especially where poor practice has contributed to, or increased, the risk to a child.
• To contribute to the development of strategic and corporate plans, ensuring effective representation of the issues relevant to looked after children, in order to secure better outcomes and continuous service improvement.
• To ensure that arrangements are made for children to access advocacy services, where this is considered appropriate and/or beneficial.
• To enable and support children and young people to access and make use of the authority’s complaints and compliments procedure, as appropriate.
• To ensure that the appropriate support is in place for parents and/or carers to participate fully in the review process e.g. interpreter, advocate.
• To ensure that review processes are child-centred and maximise the potential involvement and participation of children, young people, parents and carers; mediating to resolve disagreements swiftly where necessary. When efforts to resolve issues informally are unsuccessful to use the Dispute Resolution Procedure to highlight deficiencies in care planning, resource allocation, inter-agency working and/or risk management, and challenge practitioners, managers and senior managers, when care plans do not effectively meet the identified needs of the looked after child.
• To act as a source of expert advice, consultation and mentoring for Family Operations staff on professional and practice issues relating to Children in Care.
• To produce review decisions and reports in line with statutory requirements.
• Ensure that administrative procedures are followed and that reports, and other documentation are completed and distributed, and client records are updated, within the prescribed timescales.
• To monitor the organisation and efficiency of the Independent Reviewing Service, and to make recommendations to the Service Manager for improvements to the system.
• To keep abreast of research findings which impact on Children Looked After and make recommendations to children’s forums.
• To contribute to the development and corporate delivery of the Reviewing Service throughout the County.
• To work to the objectives for Children in Care as set out in the Multi Agency Children in Care Strategy 2012-2017.
• Undertake such other duties as may reasonably be required of you commensurate with your grade.

The Experience You Will Bring

• Educated to Dip SW or degree level in Social Work practice.
• PQ Childcare Award or equivalent by experience.
• Current Social Work England Registration.
• At least five years post qualifying experience [regulation 46].
• A proven ability to form and sustain relationships with children and young people and the ability to promote the interest, wishes and feelings of children in care.
• A commitment to promoting family time and relationships with a child’s family of origin.
• A comprehensive working knowledge and experience of working with children and families, and Children in Care and be fully conversant with all related statutory obligations, codes of practice and significant research findings.
• A sound working knowledge and experience of operational planning and service delivery within children’s services in local government, with demonstrable and proven record of achievement in same.
• Experience of chairing meetings involving children, parents and/or carers and other professionals.
• The confidence and ability to work constructively with senior managers, offering a critical perspective and appropriate challenge.
• A detailed understanding and awareness of the requirements of leading and managing change within a large, complex organisation.
• Experience of providing social work supervision and support.
• Experience of developing and implementing planning and performance frameworks in a multi-disciplinary and partnership environment.
• A thorough understanding of the legal framework relating to looked after children and care leavers, including knowledge of the National Minimum Standards for fostering services and the Adoption Agencies Regulations 2005.
• A thorough working understanding of the legal process and the issues involved when a local authority makes an application to the court for an order.
• Knowledge of the evidence about what makes for good quality practice in working with children and families to safeguard children and promote their welfare.

To read more about our business area, please visit: Children & Families

Please take a look at our ‘No Magic’ Children & Families video

Why Essex?

As one of the largest and most dynamic UK local authorities, Essex offers a stimulating public service environment. Covering over 1,420 square miles and serving 1.8 million residents, we’re committed to transformational change and delivering better quality at lower cost. Recognised in the top three of the latest IMPOWER index for productivity, we ensure everyone matters in Everyone's Essex . With flexible working options and a focus on innovation, whether you are looking to develop your career or contribute to the local community, Essex is the ideal place for you.

In February 2025, Greater Essex was accepted onto the Government’s devolution priority programme, which will see local authorities in Essex work towards establishing a Mayoral Combined County Authority by May 2026. You can read more about devolution and local government reorganisation (LGR ) on our careers site.

Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We’re committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our Recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments during the process. We’re also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying.

Once you’ve secured your role within Essex County Council you will receive many great employee benefits, including support for unpaid carers and flexible working arrangements to accommodate their needs.

At Essex County Council, we value integrity and ethical behaviour. We kindly ask that you embrace our code of conduct and the Nolan principles , including throughout the recruitment process. Your commitment to these standards helps us maintain a positive and respectful workplace for everyone.

The role requires you to be mobile throughout a wider operational area including travelling around the county of Essex and beyond. Driving licence and car or the ability to meet the mobility requirements of the role through other means is essential.

As part of employment with Essex County Council (ECC) should your role require a DBS check you will be required to register with the DBS update service. The DBS update service ensures all registered DBS certificates are kept up to date and allows authorised parties to view the status of your certificate. This is an annual subscription, and you will be responsible for ensuring this is maintained. For further information on the DBS update service please go to https://www.gov.uk/dbs-update-service

Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.

If you would like to be kept up to date on other relevant opportunities, blogs, news, events and industry related news at Essex County Council, please join The Essex Talent Community

If you have queries on this role or require anything further, please email resourcing.team@essex.gov.uk

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