Independent Reviewing Officer

Location: Barnsley, South Yorkshire
Rate: £25.13ph
Contract until: 17/10/2025
Hours: Full-time

We are seeking a full-time Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO) to support and drive forward care planning and improved outcomes for looked after children and young people. This role does not include child protection conference chairing responsibilities.

Essential Requirement:
To be considered, you must have recent experience working as an IRO within the last 18 months.

Role Overview:
As an IRO, you will play a critical role in overseeing, chairing, and quality-assuring looked after children’s review meetings. You will ensure that each young person’s plan is purposeful, aspirational, and progressing toward permanence and stability.

Face-to-face engagement is central to our approach:

• All LAC reviews are conducted in person.

• You will visit each young person between every review meeting.

• You will complete IRO midway reviews to monitor the implementation of care plans.

Key Responsibilities:

• Chair looked after children review meetings in line with statutory requirements

• Promote and safeguard the voice and welfare of the child

• Provide professional challenge where plans are not meeting needs

• Maintain effective communication with social work teams and multi-agency partners

• Monitor the effectiveness and timeliness of care plans

• Ensure plans support permanency and stability

• Complete regular quality assurance tasks and reporting

Requirements:

• Qualified Social Worker with current Social Work England registration

• Substantial post-qualification experience across statutory children's services

• Direct experience chairing complex meetings and working within a multi-agency framework

• Strong knowledge of the legal and regulatory framework for looked after children, including Care Planning Regulations and the IRO Handbook

• Clear commitment to championing the voices and needs of looked after children

• Excellent communication, negotiation, and organisational skills

Benefits:

• Supportive, collaborative team culture

• Regular professional supervision

• Ongoing training and development opportunities

• Opportunity to influence care planning and outcomes at a strategic level

If you are an experienced and passionate IRO looking to make a lasting impact on the lives of children and young people, we would love to hear from you.

Closing date: Open until filled.