Please note: This job is managed by Sanctuary Personnel on behalf of its client. If you apply, Sanctuary Personnel will receive your details and be in touch to progress your application.
This is a rewarding opportunity for an experienced social work professional who is passionate about safeguarding vulnerable children and influencing positive outcomes in their lives.
Key Responsibilities:
1. Chairing Looked After Child Reviews: You will chair statutory reviews, ensuring that care plans reflect the child’s best interests and are reviewed within statutory timeframes. Your leadership will guide multi-disciplinary discussions to ensure that decisions made are child-focused and legally compliant.
2. Advocating for the Child’s Voice: As an IRO, you will champion the child’s voice, ensuring that their views, wishes, and feelings are represented in care planning. You will engage with children directly to understand their needs and aspirations.
3. Oversight of Care Plans: You will monitor and review the implementation of care plans, ensuring that they meet legal requirements and that social workers, carers, and other professionals are accountable for delivering high-quality care.
4. Challenging Drift and Delay: You will actively challenge any delays in progressing care plans, advocating for timely actions and interventions to prevent drift in the care process, ensuring the best possible outcomes for each child.
5. Quality Assurance and Improvement: Your role will include the responsibility of assessing the quality of social work practice, raising concerns where standards fall below expectations, and contributing to the continuous improvement of services. You will play an integral part in auditing cases to ensure compliance with statutory guidance and best practice standards.
6. Supporting Multi-Agency Collaboration: You will work closely with other professionals, including social workers, health professionals, education providers, and legal teams, to ensure that the care plan is holistic and meets the child’s overall needs.
7. Mentoring and Advising Colleagues: You will provide expert advice and guidance to social work colleagues on complex cases, helping to ensure that care planning is thorough, legally compliant, and focused on achieving the best outcomes for children.
Person Specification:
Qualifications:
1. A recognised social work qualification (e.g., Degree or Master’s in Social Work, Diploma in Social Work)
2. Current Social Work England registration
3. Evidence of ongoing professional development
Experience:
1. Substantial post-qualifying experience in children’s social care, particularly in Looked After Children teams
2. Experience of chairing multi-agency meetings, preferably within the child protection or care planning context
3. Proven experience in case auditing, quality assurance, or similar roles focusing on service improvement
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