Are you an experienced and committed Independent Chair / Independent Reviewing Officer? Our Safeguarding and Review Service comprises of a group of highly skilled and experienced workers who are committed to improving the outcomes for all children subject to Child Protection planning and our Children in Care. We have a role based within our Tamworth office, however you will also be required to work across the County on occasions. Main Responsibilities You will: strengthen our existing team of Independent Reviewing Officers and Conference Chairs by ensuring that plans for children fully reflect each child's needs, that all planning processes meet regulatory requirements, reflect best practice and maintain a focus on achieving best outcomes for the child. Chair child protection conferences and statutory reviews to ensure that plans are child focused, robust, and achievable Challenge if plans are not progressing or meeting a child’s needs and also to highlight and promote best practice and outcomes for children through use of the QA dispute & resolution process Work with the Service Leads in the development of best practice and monitoring of quality standards, highlighting themes or deficits in services provided by the Local Authority or external partner agencies The Ideal Candidate You'll have: A professional Social Work qualification and be registered with Social Work England Significant post-qualifying experience Experience of team management within social work Sound knowledge of relevant childcare legislation and statutory guidance An unrelenting focus on achieving great outcomes for children and young people, using a solutions-focused approach to challenge and promote best practice Ensure the child’s voice is heard and central to planning and decision making. Excellent written and oral communication skills, including being able to analyse and evaluate information effectively and negotiate with colleagues In return, you will be a valued team member where you have the opportunity to shape and improve services for children. You will also be able to grow and strengthen your own personal development through Staffordshire's training package, having access to Research in Practice and Care Knowledge. For more information about the role please contact: Kim Morris on kimberley.morris@staffordshire.gov.uk or Angela Banks on angela.banks@staffordshire.gov.uk Interviews will be held: 27th October 2025. Our Recruitment Process: We anonymise applications during shortlisting to ensure only relevant information is considered. Please complete your application fully, especially the supporting statement, to highlight what you’ll bring to the role. About Staffordshire County Council We are no ordinary county council: Our Values: The core of who we are as an organisation. Just like we all have personal values that shape our thoughts and behaviour, organisational values drive how we think and act collectively. Our values were created and shaped by colleague feedback and national best practice and they sit at the heart of People Strategy: We have a real sense of community spirit that brings our people together. This feeling of belonging means we are all connected to what we do and take pride in the difference we make every day for Staffordshire people. We are ambitious and our sights are set firmly on a better future. We look forward and race ahead - that goes for your career too. Our benefits: We recognise that it is our employees that are central to everything we do. We aim to create a supportive working environment where employees can achieve their full potential and achieve a healthy work-life balance. In addition to your salary, as a member of staff, you will have access to Our rewards and benefits - Careers at Staffordshire Our recruitment process: As an Authority we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people/vulnerable adults and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Staffordshire County Council is an equal opportunities organisation and Disability Confident employer. We encourage applications from all background and communities As part of our commitment as a Disability Confident employer, a Gold Award Armed Forces employer and our commitment to supporting care leavers - we offer a guaranteed interview as long as your application meets the minimum criteria for the post. As you’ll know safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our children and young people/vulnerable adults is important to us and that’s why this position is subject to a criminal record check from the Disclosure and Barring Service. If applicable you should disclose details of unspent and unfiltered spent reprimands, formal warnings, cautions and convictions in your application form.