In the role as an IRO, you can truly influence for the better the lives of our Looked After Children. Working with a manageable caseload, which has remained consistently within the national expectations and in accordance with the IRO Handbook. You will have the lead role in chairing statutory Looked After Child review meetings. The predominant aspect of the role will be chairing reviews for looked after children, however, there may be opportunities to chair child protection conferences. You will maintain oversight of the Local Authorities care plans, ensuring they meet the needs of the child/young people. You will take up the voice of the child and ensure that it is heard and that all plans and decisions for the child are informed by her/his wishes and feelings. You are to champion the child’s best interests, even in circumstances where you may be a single voice. A key role is one of challenge and escalation, you will use your expertise in safeguarding and best practice to monitor performance.
As apart of your quality assurance role you will shine a lens on practice and contribute to our continuous improvement programme through the auditing framework. You will have a lead role in providing advice and consultation to managers and Social Workers and raising challenge as necessary. Above all, you’ll ensure the voices of children, parents and carers are heard and give them greater agency in the decisions that affect their lives. You’ll have support from the Service Manager and other members of this collaborative bi-borough team.Within the role you will contribute to the Local Authorities Designated Officer (LADO) duty service. Within this you will be able to develop a sound safeguarding approach to your work, and continuously learn anew.
This role would suit a seasoned social work professional with strong leadership skills and an in-depth understanding of best practice. Compassionate and collaborative, you’ll be a skilled listener and an experienced negotiator, able to communicate effectively with everyone from birth parents to education professionals. Qualified and registered, you’ll have in-depth experience of working in a similar setting with looked after children and a thorough understanding of safeguarding issues. You’ll also be well-organised with good time-keeping skills. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to utilise and expand upon their established social work skills base and safeguarding experience.
As a social worker, Kensington and Chelsea presents a unique and rewarding work environment. The borough is home to a diverse community and the demographic make up of our staff reflects this.
We are committed to promoting equality and celebrating the benefits of diversity. We are a Disability Confident Employer – committed to ensuring that our recruitment and selection process is inclusive and accessible.
The borough’s commitment to social care is reflected in its innovative approach to service delivery. For example, the Council has established a Bi-Borough partnership with neighbouring borough Westminster, which allows for the sharing of resources and expertise. The partnership has resulted in improved service delivery and better outcomes for vulnerable residents, which was recognised in our last ILACS inspection which found Kensington and Chelsea to be Outstanding in all judgement areas.
“Children in care and care leavers receive an outstanding service from workers who know them exceptionally well and are caring and ambitious for them. There is strong corporate support from the wider council to provide high-quality social work services for children, including significant financial investment so that the conditions are in place for excellent social work practice to flourish.”
Ofsted
Social workers in Kensington and Chelsea can look forward to a package that includes a competitive salary and child protection payment of £2,500 for social worker positions, membership of the Local Government pension scheme, Travel allowance scheme for zones 1 and 2, cycle scheme, reimbursement of Social Work England fees, generous annual leave plus bank holidays and discounts for many leisure activities, restaurants, shops and other establishments. Employees also benefit from an extensive training package, with access to the West London Alliance essential training and to years 1 and 2 of Systemic Practice.
In addition, we offer an annual leave purchase scheme where you can purchase up to 5 days annual leave per annum at 90 per cent of the actual cost. The Council has a staff contributory private healthcare scheme, open to all staff and offers a Dental Insurance Plan.