Independent Reviewing Coordinator (Looked After Children) (Permanent)

Job Description

We are seeking to recruit a skilled, confident and child centred professional to join us as an Independent Reviewing Co ordinator (IRC). This is a pivotal role within West Dunbartonshire’s Looked After Children’s system through the provision of independent oversight, challenge, and quality assurance in order to ensure that every child’s plan is aligned to meeting their identified needs and is progressing without drift or delay.

As an Independent Reviewing Co-ordinator it is expected that you will:

• Chair Looked After Reviews with independence, clarity and authority
• Ensure the child’s voice, rights and experiences are central to all decision making
• Have a sound understanding of The Looked After Children (Scotland) Regulations 2009
• Provide robust oversight of care planning, permanence pathways and multi agency
contributions
• Identify and challenge drift, delay or barriers to progress
• Promote the development of quality assessments, clear SMART plans for each child/young person and the timely progression of actions to achieve identified outcomes
• Track the progress of actions across reviews and ensure accountability across the Team around the Child including parent(s)/carer(s) and all agencies
• Contribute to service development and improvement, including regular quality assurance and audit activity
• Support the development of consistency in practice standards across the Looked After system

This role is critical in delivering our commitment to The Promise and ensuring that we are Getting It Right For Every Child (GIRFEC).

We are looking for an individual who has:

• Significant experience in children’s social work and/or permanence planning
• Strong assessment and analytical skills and the confidence to provide constructive challenge
• Excellent chairing, communication and report writing abilities
• A commitment to children’s rights, participation and relational practice
• The ability to work independently while contributing to the development of a supportive and
reflective team
• A calm, authoritative presence in complex multi agency environments

Requirements

This post is considered as Regulated Work with Children and Adults under the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2020 and as such membership with the PVG scheme is essential. Further details of this scheme can be found here.

Preferred applicants will be required to become members of the relevant PVG scheme, or undergo a PVG Scheme update check prior to a formal offer being made by West Dunbartonshire Council.

Responsibilities

The employment for which you are applying is excepted from the provisions of section 4(2) of the Rehabilitation of Offenders (Exceptions) Order 1975. Applicants are, therefore, not statutorily entitled to withhold information about convictions which for other purposes are "spent" under the provisions of the Act. In the event of employment any failure to disclose such convictions could result in dismissal or disciplinary action.

The Individual

WDC was voted one of the top ten flexible employers and prides itself in providing flexible working to support work life balance. In addition to this there are also additional benefits:

• Access to the Local Government pension scheme (LGPS) with an employer’s contribution of at least 19.3% and all associated benefits
• A minimum of 25 days annual leave, increasing a day each year up to 35 days as well as 8 fixed public holidays each year
• Access to employee wellbeing supports including occupational health & counselling if ever you need help and support

Now that you have read the role and what we have to offer, we would love to hear from you. Please use the application to tell us your experience, and why you are the candidate for this role.

For information about West Dunbartonshire Council please click on the following link and see why we are an employer of choice:

http://www.west-dunbarton.gov.uk/jobs-and-training/working-for-us/about-us/

More information on the benefits of working within West Dunbartonshire Council, can be found using the following link:

http://www.west-dunbarton.gov.uk/jobs-and-training/working-for-us/benefits-of-working-with-us/