Safeguarding & Review Manager (Independent Reviewing Officer)
Contract: Permanent
Location: Hereford and nationwide. With flexible and hybrid working opportunities
Hours: 37
Salary: HC11 £51,356 - £55,915 (plus market supplement of £5,000 per year)
Welcome payment: £10,000 (see attached guidance)
Relocation package of up to £10,000 available
Closing date: 29/07/2026
Interview date: 03/08/2026
“Delivering Good quality services through Outstanding Leadership” – Ofsted
Introduction
Make a Difference for Children in Herefordshire
Are you an experienced social work professional with a passion for championing children's rights, driving high-quality practice, and achieving the very best outcomes for children in care?
Herefordshire Council is seeking an exceptional Safeguarding & Review Manager (Independent Reviewing Officer) to join our Safeguarding and Reviewing Service. This is a unique opportunity to play a pivotal leadership role in ensuring children’s voices remain at the heart of decision-making while providing robust oversight, challenge and quality assurance across the care planning system.
Working within a supportive and ambitious service, you will provide independent scrutiny of care plans, chair statutory reviews, and work collaboratively with children, families, carers, social workers and multi-agency partners to secure permanence, stability and positive outcomes for children and young people.
Curious about what it’s really like to work with us?
Want to know what it really feels like to work with our passionate and dedicated Social Work teams? This short video gives you a glimpse into the heart of our service and shows why Herefordshire Council could be the perfect place for your next career move.
https://youtu.be/FSjU-FV5uic
The Role
As a Safeguarding & Review Manager (IRO), you will be responsible for overseeing the care planning and review process for children looked after by Herefordshire Council. You will chair statutory Child Looked After Reviews and Adoption Reviews to provide independent oversight to ensure plans are child-focused, outcome-driven and delivered to a high standard.
You will be a visible leader within Children's Services, promoting excellence in practice, challenging delay and drift, and ensuring that children receive the support, protection and opportunities they deserve.
The role requires a confident practitioner who can balance support and challenge, maintain independence of judgement, and build effective relationships across a wide range of professional networks.
Key Responsibilities
You will:
- Chair statutory Child Looked After Reviews and Adoption Reviews to ensure compliance with legislation, regulations and statutory guidance.
- Ensure children have clear, ambitious and achievable plans that promote safety, stability and permanence.
- Provide independent oversight and scrutiny of care planning and service delivery.
- Monitor progress against agreed actions and challenge where plans are not progressing effectively.
- Ensure children's wishes, feelings and lived experiences inform all decision-making.
- Work in partnership with children, families, carers and professionals to improve outcomes.
- Identify practice strengths and areas for development through quality assurance activity.
- Escalate concerns where children's needs are not being met or where service delivery falls below expected standards.
- Contribute to service improvement, practice development and organisational learning.
To arrange an informal discussion, or ask any questions about the role, please contact
[email protected]
About You
What We Are Looking For
We are seeking an experienced, child-focused social work professional who can demonstrate strong leadership, professional curiosity and excellent analytical skills.
Essential Requirements
- Qualified Social Worker registered with Social Work England.
- Significant experience within Children's Social Care.
- Experience as an:
- Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO); or
- Team Manager within Children's Services.
- Extensive knowledge of:
- The IRO Handbook
- Working Together to Safeguard Children
- Child Protection Procedures
- Relevant childcare legislation and statutory guidance.
- Strong understanding of child development, attachment, separation and loss.
- Knowledge of Human Rights and Equality legislation.
- Experience of working effectively within multi-agency safeguarding environments.
- Proven ability to challenge practice constructively and influence positive change.
- Full UK driving licence and willingness to travel both in and outside of County.
Key Skills and Attributes
You will demonstrate:
- Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills.
- Confidence in managing complex and sensitive discussions.
- The ability to influence professionals at all levels.
- Strong negotiation and conflict resolution skills.
- Excellent chairing and facilitation abilities.
- Outstanding report writing and analytical skills.
- The ability to capture and represent children's views effectively.
- Excellent organisation and time management skills.
- A commitment to achieving the best possible outcomes for children and young people.
We Offer
A competitive salary, holiday entitlement, and access to our contributory pension and staff benefits scheme, which includes:
- Starting salary of HC11 £51,356- £55,915 (plus market supplement of £5,000 per year)
- Relocation packages: support of up to £10,000
- Welcome payment £10,000 for experienced social workers joining our children’s teams.
- £2,000 retention payment (after 12 months, with annual review)
- Pension Scheme Enrolment in the Local Government (LGPS)
- Professional development: protected time and budget to support social workers develop themselves and their careers.
- Career progression: clear pathways to progress
- Generous Annual Leave: 31 days’ annual leave (pro rata) plus bank holidays. You can also purchase an additional 10 days per annum
- Flexible working: flexi-time, job-share, part-time hours and, in some instances, home working
- Employee Assistance Programme: 24/7 access to support and counselling
- Payment of professional membership fees
- Pick your perks – our benefits include access to a range of retail, leisure, holiday and health benefits. This includes savings, cash back and discounts.
Why Choose Us?
We're proud and excited to unveil our new recruitment video, a celebration of Herefordshire's people, places, and purpose. Set in the heart of England and filled with pride, compassion and possibility, the video brings to life what it means to work somewhere you truly belong.
At Herefordshire Council, every role matters and every person makes a real difference for our communities. We’re a team where people feel valued, supported and empowered to grow together.
Herefordshire is a beautiful, historic county on the Welsh border, one of England’s most rural and unspoilt areas, with vibrant market towns and a strong sense of community.
Our priority is clear: to keep children safe and give them the best start in life. We do this through passionate, dedicated professionals who build strong relationships with children, families, and partners to make a lasting difference.
It’s an exciting time to join us. We’re investing in our people and our relational practice approach, working alongside our improvement partner, Leeds City Council. You’ll be supported by experienced managers, continuous professional development, and a genuine team ethos that values collaboration and care.
If you’re committed to helping children and young people thrive, come and join the journey in Herefordshire - where your work truly matters.
Herefordshire Council Plan
The Council plan sets out how we will make our contribution to achieving a better and more successful Herefordshire, please see the link below to find out more:
Herefordshire Council Plan 2024-2028
Reasonable Adjustments
Our recruitment process runs in partnership with Hoople Resourcing. If you require any reasonable adjustments or alternative methods for the online application process, please contact the resourcing team by email: [email protected].
If you’re shortlisted for interview and require any reasonable adjustments, our Children & Young People Recruitment Team will be happy to support you.
Creating an inclusive workplace
We encourage our employees to feel empowered and to use their voices to help embrace diversity, promote inclusivity and shape our organisation. We have eight employee network groups, collectives of colleagues who often share identities, life experiences or cultures and offer support and community. They also play an important role in strengthening the voices of employees at Herefordshire Council. Embedded in the Council's values is a commitment to listen to people's views and needs.
For more information on our Employee Network Groups please view our dedicated recruitment website: www.spiritofherefordshire.com.
Commitments, Covenants and Statutory Obligations
The following candidates will be interviewed if they meet the essential criteria for the post they are applying for:
- Those who indicate that they have a disability. This is part of our commitment to the “Disability Confident” scheme.
- Those who indicate in their application that they are an Armed Forces Veteran or Reservist. This is part of our pledge to support the Armed Forces Covenant.
- Those who indicate in their application that they are a Herefordshire care leaver. This is part of our commitment to supporting young people leaving our care.
We take our commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults seriously and expect all of our staff, visitors and volunteers to share in this commitment.
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children & young people and vulnerable adults. If you are offered this position, it will be subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service enhanced check and further pre-employment checks.
How to apply
To apply for a position, please upload an up-to-date CV and complete the application form demonstrating your experience, skills and abilities for the role.
Be sure to include reference to the job description and person specification or role profile! If you are successfully shortlisted, the C&YP Recruitment Team will contact you via email to arrange your interview and/or assessment. They will confirm the date, time and location of your interview, so please keep an eye on your email inbox - check your spam/ junk folder too.
Good luck, we’re looking forward to meeting you!
Please note: the council is currently unable to offer overseas visa sponsorship for Social Worker roles in Children & Young People. Overseas prospective candidates that require sponsorship to work in the UK should not apply for these roles. We appreciate your interest in Herefordshire Council and would encourage you to consider other opportunities with us that may be open to sponsorship. A full list of current vacancies can be found here: https://spiritofherefordshire.com/children-young-people/jobs/
Sponsorship Available (UK Only): We can provide Skilled Worker visa sponsorship for successful candidates who are already living in the UK and have a minimum of two years’ UK‑based experience in the relevant team or discipline.