Independent Reviewing Officer and Child Protection Conference Chair OCC263990

Job details

Salary range: £55,783 - £59,010 per annum

Work location: Various bases in Oxfordshire

Hours per week: 37

Contract type: Permanent

Vetting requirements: This role is subject to a Criminal Records Check.  

Closing date: Sunday 10th December 2023

Interview date: Tuesday 19th December 2023

About the roles

We are looking for applicants to join our busy Quality Assurance Service as Independent Reviewing Officers or Child Protection Chairs. Successful applicants will have a ‘can do’ attitude, are child focussed, like to think outside of the box, have strong analytical skills and can recognize when escalations and resolution is necessary to achieve permanency for children. They will be able to evidence that they know what good looks like and be confident in having difficult conversations with Team and Senior Managers.

About the Team

Our team works with children and young people who are cared for by the Local Authority who, in Oxfordshire, are Children we care for. We also work with children and young people in need of protection. With bases in Banbury, Oxford and Abingdon our services support children, young people and families with partnership working at its heart. Experience shows us that when organisations and families work together, to identify what needs to change and to ensure early support and help is accessible, it can make a real difference.

We have high aspirations for our children and young people and always strive to work collaboratively with families and young people, working strongly with the belief that each child and young person has a network around them which is essential to work alongside and tap into.

As a service, we are committed to creating a positive and supportive team culture where colleagues feel that they have a forum to share their views about the organisation and environment in which they work and contribute the development of our services. We are ambitious to clearly demonstrate that the voice of the child and family also shape the service we provide and that this is evidenced throughout our practice.

We have a well-defined supervision policy which includes regular group supervision, individual supervision, and opportunities to participate in County Wide practice development sessions.

About you

You will have substantial experience of working in statutory social work with children and their families, preferably in a management role, achieving good outcomes for children and young people.

You will have a professional social work qualification and current Social Work England registration

You will have a thorough understanding of the legal framework underpinning statutory social work with children, and significant experience of working in this field.

Specific knowledge of the legal and practice responsibilities of IROs and Child Protection Conference Chairs is needed, along with examples of your experience of driving improvements in practice. 

You will be well organised, conscientious, and able to demonstrate good ICT skills and understanding of performance data which contributes to delivery of our statutory service.

You will have a good understanding of quality assurance and how this can be used in the role for which you are applying to improve and maintain the service standards

You will show you can balance this with the ability to communicate well and positively with children and young people, their families and our colleagues and multi-agency partners whilst delivering and quality assuring a high-quality service.

You will have the professional value base that supports collaborative working with families and young people while having he confidence and experience to provide clear and supportive challenge.

Our Vision

We want Oxfordshire to be a great place for children and young people to grow up and have the opportunity to become everything they want to be.

Why work for Oxfordshire County Council?

Historic market towns, a bustling city, and picturesque, open landscapes: Oxfordshire is a county where you can settle into your own pace of life. Stop and smell the flowers along the Ridgeway or bounce with the crowd at Oxford’s O2 Academy. Oxfordshire suits many different lifestyles, including busy IROs and Child Protection Conference Chairs.

Being one of the most rural counties in England doesn’t mean residents are isolated. London and Birmingham are an hour away on the train, and there is a 24-hour luxury coach, seven days a week that connects Oxford to the capital. Whether you choose to live in our county or not, you’ll find our social work bases easy to access.

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Career progression

We will give you the opportunity to learn, develop and to build on the great skills and experience you bring with you. You can look forward to a wealth of learning opportunities, which will equip you with the skills and confidence you'll need to be able to fulfil your potential.

Great pay and holiday

As an employer we recognise that our employees are central to everything we do. We offer competitive rates of pay and all of our employees benefit from generous holiday entitlement.

Flexibility

We do all we can to ensure that every one of our employees has a healthy work life balance. We are adaptable in our approach to work and support flexible working hours.

We also welcome those who are looking to relocate. An attractive relocation scheme for newly appointed employees is available If you need to move home to take up a job with us, you can take advantage of up to £8,000 in financial assistance (subject to meeting eligibility criteria).

If you are an enthusiastic, hardworking, team player that is interested in making a positive difference to the lives of children and young people we would love to hear from you.

Would you like to know more?

Please click here to view the Job Description and Selection Criteria

To find out more about the team and the role, please contact our Quality Assurance Service Managers,

David Taylor, David.Taylor2@Oxfordshire.gov.uk Tel 07912474393

Justine Manning, Justine.Manning@Oxfordshire.gov.uk Tel 07747472561

Application Procedure

To apply, please complete an online application form by clicking either of the Apply Now buttons at the top and bottom of this advert. This includes a section asking you to explain how you meet the selection criteria, as specified in the job posting. You may attach a cover letter and/or CV to your application form, however it is not mandatory.   

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