Independent Reviewing Officer | Safeguarding, Inspection & Audit | Central & East Lancashire in Accrington

Salary £46,142 - £51,356 Per Annum (Pro Rata) | Fixed Term, Until October 2026 | Part Time, 33.3 Hours Per Week | Central & East Lancashire

International Sponsorship – this role is not open to international sponsorship.

Location: Travel required across East & Central Lancashire.

We are looking to recruit an Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO) to join our dedicated Safeguarding, Inspection and Audit Service. This is a specialist role within Lancashire that operates independently from operational teams and carries a high level of professional autonomy.

About The Role

As an IRO, you will chair statutory Looked After Children’s Reviews, Child Protection Conferences and Specialist Safeguarding Meetings. Your core responsibility is to ensure that every child’s care plan or child protection plan accurately reflects their needs, while providing robust challenge where practice falls short. This temporary post is for 33.3 hours per week and will cover both East and Central Lancashire. IROs are aligned to a locality, and caseloads have been significantly reduced in accordance with the IRO Handbook. This ensures that IROs have the capacity to build meaningful relationships with children, young people, staff and partner agencies. This position is part time; please note the salary quoted is full time equivalent, the salary received will be paid on a pro–rata basis.

About You

To be a successful Independent Reviewing Officer, you must hold:

• A Social Work qualification, and valid Social Work England Registration
• At least 5 years post-qualification experience in a statutory childcare setting
• Experience of complex case work & risk management, as well as working collaboratively with other agencies.

Why join us?

By joining Lancashire County Council, you can shape the career path that is right for you with the opportunity to gain personal and professional qualifications, coaching and mentoring – Lancashire County Council really is the place where you can have the career you’ve always wanted. In return for your passion and expertise, we also offer a generous benefits package which includes:

• A competitive salary and Local Government Pension Scheme with generous employer contributions and optional Additional Voluntary Contributions.
• A great holiday entitlement of 26 days annual leave, which rises with length of service.
• You will also be entitled to 8 Bank Holidays, 2 additional statutory Bank Holidays, and have the option to buy additional leave each year.
• Our staff discount scheme in partnership with Vivup allowing you to access discounts with a range of UK retailers, saving on everything from weekly food shops to white goods and cars.

How To Apply

If you have any enquiries or would like an informal chat, please contact Carl Spedding – carl.spedding@lancashire.gov.uk. To submit your application, please click 'Apply Now' and ensure you attach the following:

• An up to date CV
• Supporting Statement

Please ensure you upload all supporting documents, including your supporting statement or CV, before submitting your application, as additional documents cannot be accepted after the closing date.

Closing Date: Thursday 12th February. We reserve the right to close this vacancy early should we receive a high volume of applications.

You will need access to a car for the duties of this post and must have business-use insurance. Applicants who cannot drive due to a disability may still be considered. You must be registered with Social Work England (SWE) or have applied for registration to be appointed as a Social Worker. Where roles allow for non-social-work qualifications, the post will be offered as a Care Manager and registration will not be required.

The post you are applying for is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2013). If successful you will be required to apply to the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) for a "disclosure". Further information can be found on the "Our Recruitment Process" tab.