Your new role
We are keen to appoint a Reviewing Officer who is committed to make an important contribution to the goal of improving outcomes for looked after children in the London Borough of Bromley.
This is a unique, specialist role consisting of both Independent Reviewing Officer and Child Protection Chair duties!
The Reviewing Officer will form part of Bromley's Quality Improvement Service in Children's Social Care. The service fulfils a reviewing and quality assurance function and so the post-holder will have a unique overview and involvement with all the services that make up Bromley's Children's Social Care Division.
Our Reviewing Officers provide an integral 'support and challenge' role and fulfil their duties as required by the London Child Protection Procedures and the IRO Handbook. Reviewing Officers do not have case decision making responsibilities and do not supervise social workers; therefore, this role would be ideal for social work managers with CLA and Safeguarding/Child Protection experience looking to develop their skills and experience in quality assurance.
If you have a strong interest in child protection and are committed to ensuring children and young people's wishes and feelings are given full consideration as part of their care plan, this could be the perfect role for you!
The post-holder will be responsible for preparing and chairing looked after reviews for children and identifying any issues that may be impacting on their welfare or preventing them from achieving permanence in a timely manner. The post holder will also be responsible for chairing initial and review child protection conferences.
To represent good practice in the delivery of a quality service, Bromley Reviewing Officers on average hold a caseload of between 55-60 looked after children. This reflects the unique diversity and complexity of cases within our borough.
The ideal candidate will need to have excellent communication skills, be highly motivated, flexible and innovative. They will also need to be persistent and courageous to challenge others when the needs of children are not being met.
Our Reviewing Officers benefit from regular supervision, training and support from a welcoming team of like-minded professionals.
Applicants need to be qualified social workers, have management experience within statutory children's social care, have current SWE registration and a satisfactory DBS. A current full driving licence is essential.
What you'll need to succeed
Ability to chair multi-agency meetings effectively
Ability to analyse information in order to identify the key issues and to communicate clearly, both verbally and in writing in a way which can be understood by both children and adults
Ability to be child-centred and focused throughout meetings and to keep the child's welfare as the paramount consideration.
Ability to write SMART, child focussed plans. Ability to promote the effective participation (particularly in meetings) of children and parents.
Ability to deal with conflict and disagreement without losing sight of the child's best interests. Effective time management skills
Ability to work to targets and deadlines. Willingness to work unsocial hours as necessary to meet the needs of the service
Ability to sustain professional partnerships, working with other staff both within and without Children Social Care services.
Demonstrate appropriate understanding, knowledge and skills in valuing diversityKnowledge of children and families issues, policy and research
Comprehensive knowledge of the 1989 & 2004 Children Acts and of other relevant legislation Knowledge of the range of services which are available to children and families and of the organisational framework in which they are provided
Knowledge of child development and family functioning and dynamics.
Up-to-date knowledge of developments in the field of child abuse and neglect and risk assessment in child protection work.
Knowledge of the content and recommendations of recent research and reports into the care offered to Looked After children.Significant post-qualification social work experience of children and families work and experience of managing a group of staff
Experience of communicating effectively with children, young people and their parents.
Experience of chairing decision making meetings.
Experience in providing professional advice to colleagues.Key Requirements:
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