IRO Service Manager

An opportunity has arisen to be part of the Practice and Learning Service as IRO Service Manager. Reporting to the Assistant Director for Practice and Learning, you will be joining our Children’s Social Care service that is continually developing the conditions to ensure transformational impact for our children and families through our Outstanding Practice Framework.

About the role

The IRO Service Manager will lead and manage the IRO team who are responsible for care plans for children looked after (including a Fostering IRO role) and child protection plans for children in need of protection, as well as the LADO. You will lead this team as we implement the social care reforms and embed the national practice framework, putting children’s outcomes at the heart of all we do. You will be passionate about the participation of children and their families, skilled in analysing data and use of performance data to continually improve, as well as supporting the development of each IRO and the LADO. You will work collaboratively with senior managers across the whole of children’s social care to embed a practice focussed culture to deliver high quality outcomes for our most vulnerable children and young people against service priorities. With the anticipated changes to service delivery from the reforms, this role is up to 12 months for a fixed term period.

Essential Qualifications, Skills and Experience

• Proven experience of leading teams.
• Proven experience of team/service development and collaboratively leading change and delivering quality assurance.
• Sound knowledge and understanding of the legal and statutory framework and care planning processes governing how the local authority meets its responsibilities towards looked after children and children in need of protection.
• A proactive and creative approach to the social care reform agenda and impact on service delivery.
• Social work qualification and Social Work England registration.

Closing date: 17 March 2026
Shortlisting date: 18 March 2026
Interview date: 19 & 20 March 2026

All internal applicants for this secondment must seek permission from their current line manager before applying. Failure to do so may result in the secondment not being authorised. We may close this vacancy early once a sufficient number of applications has been received. Please submit your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

Richmond & Wandsworth Better Service Partnership 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 proud to be a Disability Confident employer. If you require any reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment and selection process, please let us know. We are also committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people/vulnerable adults and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

Some posts may be exempted under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and as such appointment to these posts will be conditional upon the receipt of a satisfactory response to a check of police records via Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). We offer a wide range of benefits designed to attract, develop, and reward our employees such as 40 days annual leave (including Bank Holidays), flexible working and a generous pension plan.