Independent Reviewing Officer x 3 – Children’s Social Care

Interim Independent Reviewing Officer x 3 - Children’s Social Care

Reference no:  Oxfordshire 5225083

This opening assignment is for 4-5 months

Pay Rate: Up to £33.75 per hour PAYE depending on experience

Enhanced DBS disclosure is listed as a requirement for this role

The purpose of the role is to convene and chair Looked After Children reviews and to chair Child Protection Conferences as required by the demands of the service.  To both review, and to monitor, a child’s case on an ongoing basis.

Key responsibilities:

• Ensure ‘best practice’, rigour and outstanding care and safety planning for Oxfordshire children.
• Monitor the performance of the Local Authority’s function as a ‘corporate parent’ and identify and challenge areas of poor practice, and recognise and promote best practice.
• Monitor, facilitate and promote strong inter-agency working, communication and multi-agency Care and Safety Planning.
• Manage administrative and information processes and personnel as required.
• Carry out a range of quality assurance activities, including case auditing.
• That the degree of risk and the relevant needs of the child and the family are identified and safeguarded.
• That appropriate and high quality, cost effective and safe plans are developed using alternatives to the Child Protection and Looked After systems were possible.
• Reviews and conferences are managed effectively, safely and efficiently allowing all participants, including children and family members, to contribute and be heard, holding the child at the centre of all care and safety planning.
• Ensuring that Case Planning Processes (eg Integrated Children’s System, Assessment and Planning, Child Protection and Looked After Children procedures and documentation) are complied with.
• Ensure that services are planned and delivered in a way that maximises participation and reflects children’s rights in relation to the services being provided, and to act on views of children and young people and demonstrate children’s rights and the child’s voice are heard and reflected in all work with children and young people.
• To act as an Independent Reviewing Officer, on behalf of the Directorate for Looked After Children and to act as an Independent Chair of Child Protection Case Conferences.
• Assure the quality of professional practice within the Department with a particular reference to the DFE Safeguarding and Looked After Children regulations and guidance and local guidance and procedures.

“Role Requirements” – to give yourself the maximum chance of success please try and ensure your CV addresses the following essential criteria:

***Qualification details and any other experience/skills relevant to the job role to help support your application (and help us to help you!) – please give full details within your CV document.

Skills & Experience:

1. Minimum of 12 months recent experience in a similar role, or context and ideally within a public sector organisation.
2. Recent or current Conference/LAR chairing experience is essential.
3. Experience of planning and reviewing plans for children and young people.
4. ICT Skills: Strong IT skills including Microsoft packages or equivalent (e.g. G Suite).

NB: Please feel free to apply to us direct via [email protected] by quoting the job reference and job title exactly. SEE DETAILS AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS AD.

If you have previously applied to one of our vacancies and have already sent the required supporting documentation to us, please make this clear when you re-apply as this will help speed up your application.

To help speed up the process of uploading your CV to the client we would suggest that you send us your CV in Word format (or equivalent) if possible, rather than as a PDF

If you are successful in securing this role, please note that for the entire duration of this contract, regardless of extension you will be working this role at the PAYE rate that has been advertised. For absolute clarity, we only work on a PAYE basis, rather than entertaining umbrella pay terms, we do not offer Ltd/umbrella or outside IR35 rates. If you wish to understand PAYE vs Umbrella more, please let us know and we can send you some additional information for clarity.