Independent Reviewing Officer

Posted 5th Feb, 2025
Location
Havering
Salary/rate
£61,663 – £65,980
Hours
Full-time
Working arrangements
Blended
Contract type
Permanent
Closing date
2nd Mar, 2025
About the role

Independent Reviewing Officer

Salary: £57,663 - £61,980  with an additional Market Supplement (MS) of £4,000

Contract: Permanent

 

About the role 

The London Borough of Havering is looking to recruit 2 IROs to contribute to the delivery of an effective children’s social care service as part of the team. Responsible for chairing Statutory Reviews for Children in Care and children with a child protection plan. It is envisaged post holders will specialise either in Child Protection or Children in Care but occasionally may be asked to work across the specialisms in line with demands of the service.

Duties and Responsibilities

  • Chair Child Protection conferences, identify risk and decide upon the need for a child to be subject to child protection plan, to ensure effective decision making about thresholds for child protection and child in need plans
  • Chair and minute Statutory Reviews for Looked After Children within agreed timescales so a care plan and permanency plan for each child is implemented without drift or delay
  • Provide professional consultation, advice support and challenge to social work practitioners/ managers on critical child protection decisions, and on care planning for children in care (looked after per Children Act 1989)
  •  Develop SMART Plans which are outcomes focused for children in need / in need of protection and children in care
  • Monitor progress of planning between reviews identify any barriers within the wider multi-agency system to the implementation of children’s plan

For an informal discussion about the post, please contact charmaine.malcom@havering.gov.uk 

The closing date for the receipt of applications is 2nd March 2025 however interest in this job may be high and we therefore reserve the right to close the vacancy early.

You will be notified if your application has been successful.  Interview date to be confirmed.

Should you require any help or advice with your online application, please contact the Recruitment Helpdesk on 01708 432770
 

Additional Information

We want everyone to choose Havering. When you apply for a job with us, your application is considered on its merits regardless of your age, disability, ethnicity, faith, gender identity or sexual orientation. Our residents and service users come from all walks of life, and so do our employees.

The London Borough of Havering has important responsibilities for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. If you are appointed to a job that involves working with these groups, you may be subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

About you

Message from the Director

Are you passionate about making a positive impact on the lives of children, young people, and families? Do you have a strong desire to be part of a transformative journey that will shape the future of Havering’s community? If so, we invite you to join us in our mission to elevate our local authority's Children's Social Care Services, situated within our Starting Well Department.

Following our recent inadequate Ofsted inspection, we are embarking on an improvement journey where we aim to re-establish and reinvigorate great practice across all our services delivered in Havering. As part of this journey, we are seeking dedicated and enthusiastic social care practitioners ready to make a meaningful difference, driven by a genuine desire to advocate for children, promote their well-being, and who are not afraid to take on the challenge of working for a local authority who have been inspected by Ofsted as inadequate.

In return, we want to offer you the opportunity to develop your skills through our dedicated 10 days of learning a year offer and access to our very own Social Care Academy and Systemic offer. We are committed to creating an environment where every child receives the best possible support and care, and all staff are supported to thrive and excel in safe, supported, and nurturing environments.

Our Senior leaders have worked on an improvement plan, and if you are ready to embrace this challenge and play a pivotal role in shaping our journey, we encourage you to apply.

We look forward to welcoming individuals who share our vision and drive.

About Havering

Havering is an outer London borough like no other. Sitting in Northeast London (Zone 6), we have three Crossrail stations in borough which means we are only 30 minutes from Oxford Street. We are well connected to the hustle and bustle of the city, whilst just a short drive or bus ride from the surrounding Essex countryside and coast, giving our residents the best of both city and rural living. 

It’s no wonder that we have one of the fastest growing and increasingly diverse child populations in the country, who benefit from living in one of the greenest areas in London. We have some amazing parks, 16 of which have green flag award status, and we are served by a rich mix of foundation, community, voluntary aided and academy schools with great Ofsted ratings.

Havering Town Hall, which hosts our main offices, is in the centre of Romford - our largest town and home to a vibrant street market dating back to 1247. Our offices are a 5 minute walk from the main shopping centres which host a range of popular shops, restaurants and gyms.

We are also unique in our political makeup, with Havering Residents’ Association working to make a Havering you want to be part of.

We are dedicated to creating the right conditions to support our social care practitioners to thrive by fostering an environment where you can develop your skills and knowledge alongside like-minded individuals. We value our employees and offer a range of benefits:

  • We are a family-friendly employer and welcome applications for part time roles at 0.5 full time equivalent
  • £4,000 annual market supplement payment for Social Workers, Advanced Practitioners, Team Managers and Service Managers
  • A tailored training programme along with development opportunities through our very own dedicated Social Care Academy and corporate offer of 10 days of learning per year
  • Access to accredited systemic training and in-house practice application workshops
  • A commitment to achieving and maintaining manageable caseloads
  • Generous local government pension scheme and leave entitlement
  • Subsidised parking at various council-owned car parks across the borough
  • Modern workplace equipped with the latest technology
  • A strong corporate health and wellbeing offer, discounted gym membership, employee assistance programme and much more
  • Annual staff recognition schemes (STAR awards and Social Care awards) celebrating and recognising staff commitment and achievement 
  • Access to a range of staff forums including LGBTQI+, B.A.M.E., Faith, Ability, Women’s, and Men’s forums.

If you have any questions about applying, please contact Talent Team: Talent@havering.gov.uk