Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO)- Child Looked After in Bury

Become an Independent Reviewing Officer - Child Cared For for Bury and help with our ‘Let’s Do it for Children’ vision. Apply for one of our IRO posts now!

This is an exciting opportunity to join our experienced and stable team of Independent Reviewing Officers dedicated to improving outcomes for children in care. As an IRO in Bury, you will play a pivotal role in ensuring that care planning for children is robust, timely, and focused on achieving permanence and improved life chances.

You will chair statutory reviews for children looked after, ensuring these meetings are child‑centred, rigorous, and outcome‑focused. Your role will be to provide independent oversight of care planning, ensuring that plans are based on a clear understanding of the child’s needs, risks, and lived experience, and that they progress without delay. A core aspect of the role is ensuring the child’s voice, wishes, and feelings are central to all planning and decision‑making.

You will meet or make direct contact with children and young people before their reviews to understand their views and ensure these are accurately reflected and acted upon. You will also promote meaningful participation from parents, carers, and key professionals, supporting transparent and inclusive planning.

You will maintain continuous oversight of children’s plans between reviews, monitoring progress, identifying drift or delay, and taking timely action where plans are not achieving the intended outcomes. This includes using escalation processes where necessary to challenge practice and ensure that children receive the right support at the right time.

As an IRO, you will be a confident and authoritative safeguarding professional who can provide constructive challenge and influence practice across the partnership. Through effective scrutiny, relationship‑based practice, and a strong focus on permanence, you will help ensure that all work remains focused on improving the safety, stability, and wellbeing of children and young people in Bury.

About You

We are looking for a motivated, experienced, and child‑focused professional who is committed to improving outcomes for children in care. You will be a qualified and experienced social worker with at least 5 years post‑qualifying experience, alongside a minimum of 2 years’ management experience or equivalent. You will bring a strong track record of working with children looked after, including a clear understanding of care planning, permanence, and safeguarding processes.

You will have excellent communication skills and a demonstrable ability to build purposeful, trusting relationships with children and young people. You will be confident in hearing and representing the child’s voice, ensuring their wishes and feelings are central to planning and decision‑making. As an Independent Reviewing Officer, you will be confident in providing independent oversight and constructive challenge.

You will be able to critically evaluate care plans, identify drift or delay, and take appropriate action to ensure timely progression towards permanence and improved outcomes for children. This includes the ability to elevate concerns and use formal dispute resolution processes where required. You will be experienced in chairing complex multi‑agency meetings and able to manage professional challenge effectively, maintaining a clear focus on the child’s lived experience.

You will demonstrate strong analytical skills, professional curiosity, and the ability to influence practice across the partnership. You will be resilient, organised, and able to manage competing demands, maintaining oversight of a complex caseload while ensuring statutory responsibilities are fulfilled to a high standard. A sound understanding of the IRO Handbook and relevant statutory guidance, alongside a commitment to reflective and relationship‑based practice, is essential.

About Bury

Bury is a busy town with its world famous market and large shopping centre! We are part way through a journey in Bury and are doing things differently. IRO’s are vital to drive improvements and implement our new practice model. We are committed to finding and supporting the best talent to work in Bury. The Independent Reviewing Officers sit within children’s services but retain their independence, which enables them to advocate effectively for Bury’s children and young people.

We are one of the first Authorities in the North‑west to be pioneering the Hertfordshire Family Safeguarding model of working with families and training will be provided to learn new skills such as motivational interviewing which will help you forge strong connections with children, young people, and their families. We want to invest in you, and we have a clear vision around succession planning for our most talented workers. At the heart of everything we do are the children and young people of Bury. We want staff who can form relationships, seeing the strengths in families and building on those assets, always looking for solutions to support families to live together safely and for children and young people to thrive.

Work Hours and Salary

Normal hours of work are 37 hours per week, worked throughout the year. Full time salary is £52,413 – £53,460.

Employee Benefits

• Reimbursement of the annual £90 Social Work England registration fees (conditions apply).
• Pay increases in line with your continued professional development.
• Free parking where you work – worth £860 a year for qualified Social Workers who work from town centre locations where there is no ready access to free parking, plus car mileage.
• Opportunities to develop new and specialist skills.
• Innovative training and development opportunities.
• Supportive integrated teams and a friendly working environment.
• Professional supervision to a high standard.
• Local Government Pension Scheme.
• A range of attractive work/life balance policies.
• 26 days annual leave (rising to 31 days after 5 years), plus an additional day of leave over the Christmas period and the option to buy an additional 10 days on top of that.
• Employee discount scheme which provides discounts with local business within the borough as well as a cycle to work scheme and car lease scheme.
• Employee Assistance Programme, to support you through difficult times, with things like free counselling, financial or legal advice.

Further information

The Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff to share this commitment. Appointment is subject to a satisfactory disclosure at the appropriate level under the Disclosure and Barring Service. In line with safer recruitment, please ensure that your application/CV covers your full employment history and there is a reason noted for any gaps in employment. Successful candidates will be asked to provide relevant references for the past ten years and character references will not be accepted.

For an informal chat regarding the role please contact Rae Capon, Head of Service Safeguarding and Quality Assurance and Principal Social Worker, on 07458 031 433 or email R.Capon@Bury.gov.uk.