The Role

Our firmly established Conference and Review Service has a vacancy for a Conference Chair & Independent Reviewing Officer post. This role requires you to be passionate about children, tenacious, knowledgeable and driven to pursue the best outcomes for all children.

You will chair Child Protection Conferences and Reviews for Looked after Children and be responsible for identifying any issues that may be affecting a child/young person’s welfare or preventing them from achieving permanence in a timely manner. You will take the lead in promoting and further developing high standards in Conferences and Review processes through quality assurance monitoring.

You will be an advocate for children and have well developed communication skills in direct work to promote their consultation and participation. You will also be skilled in promoting the involvement of parents and carers and have the ability to work in a demanding multi-agency environment. As a proactive professional, you will set high standards, shape ideas, and promote more effective practice using new approaches and ideas wherever appropriate. You will be responsible for reporting on the local authority’s performance as corporate parent and to escalate concerns to the appropriate management level using escalation and dispute resolution processes.

You will have a high level of research knowledge underpinning your practice and be fully informed about current policy and guidance; be able to demonstrate excellent organisational skills and the ability to manage conflicting priorities effectively.

To be a successful member of our team you will be Social Work England registered professional; with a social work qualification; an enhanced DBS clearance is required for this role. You will also have experience of management and/or supervision and bring proven experience of outcomes. Understanding and experience of working on Contextualised Safeguarding issues is one of the requirements of the post

How to apply?

To apply complete an application outlining how you meet the specific requirements of the role. Please refer to the attached full Job Description/Person Specification.

For an informal discussion contact Shabana Warne on  Shabana.Warne@richmondandwandsworth.gov.uk

Benefits

In return, we can offer you working arrangements that will enhance your work-life balance and a generous holiday allowance of 31 days plus bank holidays.  In addition, we offer a range of staff benefits such as membership of the Local Government contributory pension scheme, childcare vouchers, new technology scheme, interest-free loans on annual travel cards, discounts at many leisure activities, restaurants, shops, and other establishments. A wide range of developmental opportunities is also offered.

Indicative Recruitment Timeline

• Closing Date: 11:59pm on Thursday 30th July 2020
• Shortlisting Date: To be confirmed
• Interview Date(s): To be confirmed

Useful Information:

Please note that these dates are only indicative at this stage and could be subject to change.

The closing date is given as a guide. We reserve the right to close this vacancy once a sufficient number of applications has been received. Therefore, it is strongly advised that you complete and return your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

Equality Statement

Richmond and Wandsworth Councils are committed to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone. We are committed to promoting equality and diversity and developing a culture that values differences, recognising that employees from a variety of backgrounds bring important and positive contributions to the Councils and can improve the way we deliver services.

We are pleased to be Disability Confident employer.

Important Information

This post is exempted under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and as such appointment to this post will be conditional upon the receipt of a satisfactory response to a check of police records via Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) helps employers make safer recruitment decisions and prevent unsuitable people from working with vulnerable groups, including children. It replaces the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) and Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA).

Richmond and Wandsworth Councils are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people/vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

•  Child Protection Coordinator - Job Profile