Job summary
North Yorkshire Council have a national reputation for excellence, and we are looking for Independent Reviewing Officers with a variety of experience and skills. We also welcome those who are looking to relocate.
Are you looking for a challenging and exciting role in a dedicated team? Do you have a passion for ensuring that children and young people receive the best care and support possible? As an IRO in North Yorkshire you will have a key role in ensuring the safety and welfare of children and young people.
This is a great opportunity to become part of a well-established, experienced team, who are determined to achieve the highest standards of care and safety for children and young people. The successful candidates will be required to work from other parts of North Yorkshire as required.
As a council we are lucky to benefit from access to modern technology enabling staff to work from multiple locations, including working from home. We very much promote flexible working, providing it meet our service needs.
Main duties of the job
In North Yorkshire IROs are expected to deliver on all aspects of the Independent Reviewing Officer guidance, chairing reviews and overseeing the plans for Children in Care, chairing Child Protection Conferences, undertaking Regulation 44 visits to our childrens homes and also Annual Reviews for Foster Carers. You will have a crucial quality assurance role and will have the opportunity to significantly contribute to improving outcomes for children and young people and promoting high standards of care to those who are looked after by the Local Authority.
About us
North Yorkshire features significantly in the ten best places to
live in the UK in Halifax Quality of Life Survey 2019. The Quality of Life
index aims to quantify where living standards are highest in the UK by ranking
local performance across a range of indicators; Richmondshire was placed second
in the list, a position boosted by excellent personal wellbeing factors (life
satisfaction, happiness), Hambleton was placed fourth and Ryedale was placed
eighth, a truly commendable achievement and another incredible accolade for
North Yorkshire.
In addition, the county benefits from excellent road and rail
links, with easy access via the east coast mainline, the A1(M) and A19. Leeds,
York, Newcastle, Durham and Teesside are all easily commutable, and London just
two hours away by train.
As a whole North Yorkshire offers great employment opportunities
for your family members along with a higher proportion of schools which are
good or outstanding compared to national figures.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The post holder will operate in an environment of transformational change and innovation, be able to manage change in a time of financial constraints and have the confidence to promote the voice of children and young people in both the delivery and development of services. Other key requirements are: -
- To have a commitment to shared values and the common purpose of developing a culture of interagency working; including statutory bodies, third and private sector organisations.
- To ensure that strategic visions are translated into local plans in collaboration with professionals, partners and service users.
- To be able to undertake the duties of the role within a very rural environment which will include regular travelling to meeting venues some of which may be in isolated rural settings
- To be able to provide the service in accordance with the needs of children and young people which may involve working outside normal office hours.
Enhanced DBS and registration with the regulator Social Work England (SWE) required.
Job Specifics
The core and focus of the IRO role is to ensure that timely and effective plans are made to meet the needs of children and young people in need of care and protection; to ensure that their wishes and feelings are taken account in planning and decision making, in order that all children and young people are able to reach their full potential.
The post holder will chair looked after childrens meetings and act as independent chairperson for child protection conferences as well as undertaking reviews of Foster Carers and other duties commensurate with the role. A key function of the role is to ensure that the plans for children and young people in need of care and protection are effective and progressing at a speed that is appropriate to the child.
The post holder will monitor the progress of the childs plan and hold the Local Authority and partners to account, ensuring that social work practice and conduct of the case is good, therefore challenge poor practice; ensure plans are SMART; Specific, Measureable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely; inclusive of the needs, views and wishes of the child. Where this is not the case, the post holder will ensure that the escalation process to resolve this is instigated in discussion with the IRO team manager in line with the Care Planning, Placement and Case Review (England) Regulations 2010.
The post holder will contribute to the improvement and quality assurances of outcomes for Looked After Children by undertaking reviews of Foster Carers and contributing to monitoring and reporting with regard to the quality of the North Yorkshire County Council placement provision to ensure that services inspected comply with relevant regulations and National Minimum Standards; and chair other complex meetings commensurate with the role as required.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The post holder will operate in an environment of transformational change and innovation, be able to manage change in a time of financial constraints and have the confidence to promote the voice of children and young people in both the delivery and development of services. Other key requirements are: -
- To have a commitment to shared values and the common purpose of developing a culture of interagency working; including statutory bodies, third and private sector organisations.
- To ensure that strategic visions are translated into local plans in collaboration with professionals, partners and service users.
- To be able to undertake the duties of the role within a very rural environment which will include regular travelling to meeting venues some of which may be in isolated rural settings
- To be able to provide the service in accordance with the needs of children and young people which may involve working outside normal office hours.
Enhanced DBS and registration with the regulator Social Work England (SWE) required.
Job Specifics
The core and focus of the IRO role is to ensure that timely and effective plans are made to meet the needs of children and young people in need of care and protection; to ensure that their wishes and feelings are taken account in planning and decision making, in order that all children and young people are able to reach their full potential.
The post holder will chair looked after childrens meetings and act as independent chairperson for child protection conferences as well as undertaking reviews of Foster Carers and other duties commensurate with the role. A key function of the role is to ensure that the plans for children and young people in need of care and protection are effective and progressing at a speed that is appropriate to the child.
The post holder will monitor the progress of the childs plan and hold the Local Authority and partners to account, ensuring that social work practice and conduct of the case is good, therefore challenge poor practice; ensure plans are SMART; Specific, Measureable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely; inclusive of the needs, views and wishes of the child. Where this is not the case, the post holder will ensure that the escalation process to resolve this is instigated in discussion with the IRO team manager in line with the Care Planning, Placement and Case Review (England) Regulations 2010.
The post holder will contribute to the improvement and quality assurances of outcomes for Looked After Children by undertaking reviews of Foster Carers and contributing to monitoring and reporting with regard to the quality of the North Yorkshire County Council placement provision to ensure that services inspected comply with relevant regulations and National Minimum Standards; and chair other complex meetings commensurate with the role as required.
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
- Knowledge and experience of current research and good practice standards in relation to children & families at a local and national level.
- Knowledge of the legal framework for working with children & families, in particular the care planning, child protection and human rights
- Awareness of current national developments for children and families
- Knowledge of equality and diversity legislation / policy / guidance
- Knowledge of principles and models of Quality Assurance.
- Understanding of key stages of child development
- Understanding of Management Information Systems and performance indicators
- Significant post qualifying experience in children and families work
- Case management experience of cases with complex, professional and ethical issues including child protection, court proceedings, case conferences and other formal processes.
- Experience of chairing professional, multi-agency meetings.
- Experienced in assessment, planning and delivering outcomes for children
- Experience of intra and inter-agency work.
- Experience of implementing / delivering against a performance management and quality assurance framework
Desirable
- Continued professional development in role through attendance at national, regional or local events (as directed/agreed with IRO manager)
- Keeping up to date with national, regional or local changes through effective environmental scanning
- Self-briefing through effective use of the intranet and the reviewing of disseminated material of relevance to role
Qualifications
Essential
- Applicants for this post must be a qualified Social Worker/ have a Diploma in Social Work (or equivalent) and be registered with Social Work England.
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
- Knowledge and experience of current research and good practice standards in relation to children & families at a local and national level.
- Knowledge of the legal framework for working with children & families, in particular the care planning, child protection and human rights
- Awareness of current national developments for children and families
- Knowledge of equality and diversity legislation / policy / guidance
- Knowledge of principles and models of Quality Assurance.
- Understanding of key stages of child development
- Understanding of Management Information Systems and performance indicators
- Significant post qualifying experience in children and families work
- Case management experience of cases with complex, professional and ethical issues including child protection, court proceedings, case conferences and other formal processes.
- Experience of chairing professional, multi-agency meetings.
- Experienced in assessment, planning and delivering outcomes for children
- Experience of intra and inter-agency work.
- Experience of implementing / delivering against a performance management and quality assurance framework
Desirable
- Continued professional development in role through attendance at national, regional or local events (as directed/agreed with IRO manager)
- Keeping up to date with national, regional or local changes through effective environmental scanning
- Self-briefing through effective use of the intranet and the reviewing of disseminated material of relevance to role
Qualifications
Essential
- Applicants for this post must be a qualified Social Worker/ have a Diploma in Social Work (or equivalent) and be registered with Social Work England.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
