Independent Reviewing Officer

Independent Reviewing Officer (LAC & Pathway Reviews)

• Location: Leicester, East Midlands

• Authority: Leicester City Council (Children's Social Care)

• Pay Rate: £45.00 per hour (Umbrella - East Midlands MOU Rate)

• Contract: Part-Time Locum Assignment (22.5 hours per week / 3 days)

• Working Pattern: Hybrid (1 day in office; approx. 60% virtual / 40% face-to-face review split)

Are you an experienced IRO or senior manager looking for a highly flexible, part-time quality assurance role with zero generic casework?

Leicester City Council is recruiting a part-time Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO) to focus purely on Looked After Children (LAC) and Pathway reviews. Offering the maximum regional MOU rate of £45.00 per hour, this post provides exceptional flexibility, allowing you to choose your 3 working days each week.

• Statutory LAC & Pathway Reviews: Act as an independent Chairperson for statutory Looked After Children reviews and Pathway plan reviews for care leavers.

• Child-Centred Practice: Ensure the child's voice drives care planning. Conduct initial meetings face-to-face, then adapt subsequent reviews based on the young person's preferences.

• Care Plan Oversight: Review and monitor statutory care plans to ensure timeliness, legal compliance, and high quality of practice across the local authority.

• Constructive Challenge: Offer independent oversight, critical reflection, and appropriate challenge to social work teams and managers to safeguard children's outcomes.

• Hours: 22.5 hours per week spread across 3 days (flexible choice of working days).

• Office Base: 1 day per week in the office (Wednesday morning encouraged for team cohesion).

• Meeting Structure: Approximately 60% virtual meetings and 40% face-to-face visits. Home working allowed for admin and virtual review sessions.

• Qualifications & SWE: Recognised Social Work qualification with active Social Work England (SWE) registration.

• Senior Experience: Proven experience as an IRO, CP Chair, Team Manager, or Senior Advanced Practitioner in statutory Children's Social Care.

• Legislative Expertise: Deep knowledge of Care Planning Regulations, LAC statutory frameworks, and care-leaver legislation.

• 💰 Top Regional Rate: Earn £45.00/hr under the East Midlands MOU.

• 🗓️ Flexible 3-Day Week: Choose the 3 working days that best suit your schedule.

• 💻 High Virtual Review Ratio: Enjoy 60% virtual reviews combined with home working for admin tasks.

Randstad Care acts as an employment business when supplying temporary staff and as an employment agency when introducing candidates for permanent employment with a client. Randstad Care is an equal opportunities employer and decisions are made on merits alone.

Did you know that Randstad Care have been awarded a place on the National Clinical Staffing Framework for the NHS? This means we will be able to bring you more opportunities within nursing & midwifery and clinical staffing.

experience

Children services

skills

be able to manage challenging situations

qualifications

university

education

BA in social work