We are looking for a full-time, fixed term 12 months, compassionate, grounded, and relationship‑driven leader to guide our Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO) Service. This is a role for someone who believes deeply in the power of connection, advocacy, and thoughtful oversight to change the trajectory of children’s lives.
As Head of Service, you will nurture and lead a team whose core purpose is to stand alongside children in our care, ensuring their journeys are understood, their plans are ambitious, and their voices are heard with clarity and respect. You will help create the conditions in which IROs can offer gentle but confident challenge, meaningful guidance, and unwavering support—always centered on the child’s experiences and story.
This is an opportunity to play a highly influential role in shaping how our Trust listens, learns, and grows in partnership with our children and young people. Your role will be to lead our improvement plan as we continue to focus on excellence for all our children in care
Key Responsibilities
* Provide supportive, values‑led leadership to the IRO Service, modelling curiosity, empathy, and thoughtful challenges.
* Ensure that every review places the child’s voice, feelings, and aspirations at its heart.
* Strengthen the visibility and independence of the IRO role so that children feel genuinely advocated throughout their care journey.
* Oversee the quality and consistency of planning and review processes, focusing on relationships, stability, and achieving lasting outcomes.
* Use insights from IROs—both individual and thematic—to influence wider service development in a constructive, collaborative way.
* Ensure regular and reflective engagement with children, carers, families, and partners, promoting a culture where feedback genuinely shapes practice.
* Build strong, trusting relationships with leaders, practitioners, and partners so that IRO learning leads to shared responsibility and improvement across the system.
* Champion a workforce culture rooted in kindness, professional confidence, and continuous learning.
About You
You are someone who leads with humanity, clarity, and courage. You are at your best when working alongside others to create conditions where children feel seen, heard, and valued.
We’re looking for someone who brings:
* A social work qualification (SWE registered).
* Evidenced Senior leadership experience within children’s services and a strong relational practice ethos.
* A deep understanding of the care journey and what helps children feel safe, connected, and supported.
* A strong belief in restorative, relationship‑based practice and the confidence to offer challenges in a respectful, solutions‑focused way.
* The ability to hold high support and high challenge across the service and wider system
* An ability to read the story behind the data and bring together qualitative and quantitative insight to support improvement.
* Emotional intelligence, strong communication skills, and a talent for building trust with children, families, and professionals.
* A commitment to equity, inclusion, and ensuring every child’s identity is honoured.
* Ability to work within a big system whilst understanding the independent role of the IRO work
* A system-thinking mindset, and a commitment to creating alignment across the system
* Skill in navigating complexity
What We Offer
* A leadership culture that values reflection, curiosity, and collaboration
* Opportunities to shape how we listen to and learn from children and young people
* A warm and supportive team environment with a commitment to wellbeing
* A flexible, forward‑looking organisation that welcomes new ideas and innovation
Our Benefits:
* A generous annual leave package of 30 days annual leave, plus bank holidays, rising to 33 days after 5 years of service and 35 days after 10 years of service.
* Free on-site parking at our offices on One Avenue Road (Aston) and Lifford House (Stirchley). We also provide onsite electric car charging ports which are free to use!
* Full access to our amazing internal employee benefits scheme including, Occupational Health services, Rewards Schemes, Benefits discounts (including the Blue Light Card), Health & Fitness and Personal Wellbeing support and much more!
* Flexible and hybrid working policy - we are well adapted to a hybrid model of working which includes a combination of time spent in the office and at home and we offer a variety of working patterns.
* Pension Scheme - You will receive a generous local government career average pension scheme in line with the local government pension scheme.
Onboarding Process:
Please note as part of our onboarding process, the successful candidate will be required undergo a series of background checks with Experian Including Experian Right to Work, and Digital ID verification. These are essential pre-employment requirements. This is a hybrid role based in Birmingham so you must have the correct right-to-work documents to work in the UK. Sadly, we do not support those who require sponsorship.
Please submit your CV and a supporting statement telling us why relational leadership matters to you, and how you would bring this ethos to our IRO Service.
If you would like an informal conversation about the role, please contact:
Marshelene William's – Director of Quality Assurance Marshelene.williams@birminghamchildrenstrust.co.uk