Conference/ Independant Chair (Children) CAP

3-Month Contract with a local authority

Umbrella Rate: £38.16 per hour umbrella

Summary

• We are seeking an Independent Chair for the Safeguarding and Quality Assurance Service. You will perform the statutory duties of an Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO), an Independent Chair of Child Protection Conferences, and a Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO), ensuring high-quality, child-focused planning and safeguarding.
  

Responsibilities

• Co-ordinate and independently chair Child Protection Conferences, Looked After Children (LAC) Reviews, Position of Trust (POT), and Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) Strategy Meetings.
  
• Ensure the meaningful participation of children and young people, guaranteeing their voice is heard and taken into account in decision-making.
  
• Quality assure and monitor the implementation of individual Care Plans and Child Protection Plans, identifying drift, delay, or patterns of concern.
  
• Escalate concerns about plans for children or their implementation through the statutory Dispute Resolution Process.
  
• Provide consultation, advice, and challenge to operational staff and managers in Children's Social Care and partner agencies.
  
• Develop and maintain performance management information for reports to the Children's Services' Performance Board and Worcestershire Safeguarding Children Board (WSCB).
  

Experience

• Extensive experience in safeguarding, child protection, and Looked After Children (LAC) statutory processes.
  
• Experience offering quality assurance, support, and challenge to social care practitioners and managers.
  
• Experience chairing complex multi-agency meetings and managing dispute resolution.
  

Qualifications

• Comprehensive knowledge of the Care Planning Regulations, IRO Handbook 2010, and Working Together to Safeguard Children.
  
• Strong understanding of equal opportunity, anti-discriminatory, and anti-oppressive practices within children's services.
  

Additional Information

• Working hours: 22.5 hours per week.
  
• Enhanced DBS required
  
• We work on a biweekly payment schedule.
  
• This role is based in Worcestershire
  
• Working pattern: To be decided depending on workload/area of work