Directorate: Peoples Services
Salary: Grade L, £50,269 - £53,460 a year
Location: Gatehouse Derby
Hours: 37 hours a week
Closing Date: 1st February 2026
Contract Type: Permanent, Full time
Do you want to be part of a team that is committed to improving outcomes for Children in Care in Derby?
If so, then we would like you to apply to join our enthusiastic and supportive team of Independent Reviewing Officers.
You will need to have significant post-qualifying social work experience, working with children in care, preferably with management/ supervisory experience.
You will need a clear understanding of the current responsibilities and challenges within the role of Independent Reviewing Officer and be able to evidence your ability to carry out the requirements of the post. Experience of managing complex cases, effectively communicating with young people and their families and the confidence and ability to work constructively with senior managers offering a critical perspective and appropriate challenge will also be a key requirement of the post.
This is a specialist Independent Reviewing Officer post which also has specific lead responsibilities for children with disabilities and to lead on short breaks reviews. You will be required to have a good understanding of the services for and needs of young people with disabilities.
You will also be involved in wider Quality Assurance issues such as identifying themes that affect the service to Children in Care as a whole and developing children's participation.
You will need to be SW England registered and you will need to have a good working knowledge of current legislation and regulations relating to Children in Care. You must be able to travel to placements across the country.
You will receive good management support, regular supervision and professional development opportunities locally and regionally.
Who We Are
Here at Derby City Council, we're dedicated to delivering nearly 250 first-class services to citizens and businesses in the heart of the Midlands. People are at the centre of all that we do, and we have an outstanding track record of recruiting and developing talented individuals by providing them with varied and fulfilling career opportunities. Find out more about what it's like to work for us.
What We Offer
You too could be part of something brilliant by becoming a colleague at Derby City Council; in addition to making a difference to the lives of people across the city, you'll also receive:
• Flexible work/life balance scheme (depending on your role)
• Modern office environment (depending on your job location)
• Continued professional development opportunities & career conversations
• 27 days annual leave (rising to 32 days after 5 years' service), plus bank holidays (depending on contract)
• Local Government Pension Scheme (depending on contract)
• Team Derby Rewards - retail and leisure discounts
• Tusker Car Benefit Scheme
• Cycle2Work Scheme & free cycle training
• Employee Assistance Programme, Wellbeing Calendar and Support
• Access to our Equality Employee Networks - LGBTQ+, Disabled Employee Network & Carers and our Black, Asian & Minority Ethnic Employee Support Network and Neurodiversity Network
• Support for colleagues who are carers
The Opportunity
In the role of Independent Reviewing Officer , here's an example of what you'll be doing to make an impact:
Fulfil the statutory duties of the IRO in relation to children in care, to:
• monitor the performance by the local authority of their functions in relation to the child's case
• participate in any review of the child's case;
• ensure that any ascertained wishes and feelings of the child concerning the case are given due consideration by the appropriate authority; and
• perform any other function which is prescribed in regulations.
The primary task of the IRO is to ensure that the care plan for the child fully reflects
the child's current needs and that the actions set out in the plan are consistent with
the local authority's legal responsibilities towards the child as corporate parents.
About You
To be successful in this role, you'll ideally have...
• significant post qualifying experience in children's social work (fieldwork)
• experience of chairing meetings
• experience of providing social work supervision and support
• DipSW (or equivalent) & SW England Registration
• a driving Licence
• a thorough working understanding of the legal process and the issues involved when a local authority makes application for a care order
• knowledge of the evidence about what makes for good quality practice in working with children and families to safeguard children and promote their welfare
• a thorough understanding of the legal framework relating to looked after children and care leavers
• the ability to communicate with children and young people and their parents and promote participation
• confidence and ability to work constructively with senior managers, offering a critical perspective and appropriate challenge
• ability to organise workload/work on own initiative
• ability to constructively challenge practice
• ability to work flexibly and to travel
• an understanding and commitment to the Council's Equalities Policy
• an understanding and commitment to the CYPD's policy of promoting the upbringing of children by their own families
Next Steps
If you would like to apply for this vacancy via an application form, please submit an application via the Derby City Council website.
The closing date for this vacancy is at midnight on 1st February 2026. Any applications received after the closing date will not be accepted.
Interviews will be held: 9 February 2026. Face to Face Interview at Kedleston Road Main Building, 184 Kedleston Road, Derby.
If you would prefer to apply for this job using your CV, then please download the attached Declaration Form and send your CV and completed Declaration form to Pervez.Akhtar@derby.gov.uk . Without a completed declaration form, your application will not be accepted. We also encourage you to download the Equalities Form and return this to recruitment.team@derby.gov.uk , however this is optional and will not affect your application.
Important Information
Links to the full Job Description and Person Specification are below.
As part of our safer recruitment checks the successful candidate will be subject to an enhanced DBS check.
All employees will normally be appointed to the minimum of the grade for the job.
Before you complete your application, please read our guidance on filling in your application form.
Remember to align your personal statement to the essential criteria in the Person Specification.
Please be aware that where there are colleagues within the organisation who are 'at risk' of redundancy, requirements to redeploy to another suitable role will apply and take priority.
Equality, Diversity & Inclusion
We are a fair and inclusive employer and welcome applications from people from all backgrounds. We recruit for diversity and value difference. As many of our roles can now be home-based, we are able to offer more opportunities for people who need this facility.
We are proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. If you are a disabled person, you have the choice to apply under our Guaranteed Interview Scheme so long as you demonstrate that you meet the essential requirements for the job.
We feel it is essential that we recruit a talented workforce that is as diverse as the community we work for.
Please let us know of any individual requirements or reasonable adjustments you may have during the application, interview, or onboarding process and we'll do all we can to help. We strongly believe in social understanding of disability and for us it's all about removing barriers to equality.
If you have any questions regarding this vacancy or are having difficulty applying, please contact our Recruitment Team on 01332 640844 (Relay UK - 18001 01332 640 844) or at recruitmentteam@derby.gov.uk . https://www.derby.gov.uk/signing-service/
Please see here for Job Description
Please see here for Person Specification
Please see Declaration Form for CV Applications here
Please see Equalities Form for CV Applications
Please see here for DBS Code of Conduct
Salary: Grade L, £50,269 - £53,460 a year
Location: Gatehouse Derby
Hours: 37 hours a week
Closing Date: 1st February 2026
Contract Type: Permanent, Full time
Do you want to be part of a team that is committed to improving outcomes for Children in Care in Derby?
If so, then we would like you to apply to join our enthusiastic and supportive team of Independent Reviewing Officers.
You will need to have significant post-qualifying social work experience, working with children in care, preferably with management/ supervisory experience.
You will need a clear understanding of the current responsibilities and challenges within the role of Independent Reviewing Officer and be able to evidence your ability to carry out the requirements of the post. Experience of managing complex cases, effectively communicating with young people and their families and the confidence and ability to work constructively with senior managers offering a critical perspective and appropriate challenge will also be a key requirement of the post.
This is a specialist Independent Reviewing Officer post which also has specific lead responsibilities for children with disabilities and to lead on short breaks reviews. You will be required to have a good understanding of the services for and needs of young people with disabilities.
You will also be involved in wider Quality Assurance issues such as identifying themes that affect the service to Children in Care as a whole and developing children's participation.
You will need to be SW England registered and you will need to have a good working knowledge of current legislation and regulations relating to Children in Care. You must be able to travel to placements across the country.
You will receive good management support, regular supervision and professional development opportunities locally and regionally.
Who We Are
Here at Derby City Council, we're dedicated to delivering nearly 250 first-class services to citizens and businesses in the heart of the Midlands. People are at the centre of all that we do, and we have an outstanding track record of recruiting and developing talented individuals by providing them with varied and fulfilling career opportunities. Find out more about what it's like to work for us.
What We Offer
You too could be part of something brilliant by becoming a colleague at Derby City Council; in addition to making a difference to the lives of people across the city, you'll also receive:
• Flexible work/life balance scheme (depending on your role)
• Modern office environment (depending on your job location)
• Continued professional development opportunities & career conversations
• 27 days annual leave (rising to 32 days after 5 years' service), plus bank holidays (depending on contract)
• Local Government Pension Scheme (depending on contract)
• Team Derby Rewards - retail and leisure discounts
• Tusker Car Benefit Scheme
• Cycle2Work Scheme & free cycle training
• Employee Assistance Programme, Wellbeing Calendar and Support
• Access to our Equality Employee Networks - LGBTQ+, Disabled Employee Network & Carers and our Black, Asian & Minority Ethnic Employee Support Network and Neurodiversity Network
• Support for colleagues who are carers
The Opportunity
In the role of Independent Reviewing Officer , here's an example of what you'll be doing to make an impact:
Fulfil the statutory duties of the IRO in relation to children in care, to:
• monitor the performance by the local authority of their functions in relation to the child's case
• participate in any review of the child's case;
• ensure that any ascertained wishes and feelings of the child concerning the case are given due consideration by the appropriate authority; and
• perform any other function which is prescribed in regulations.
The primary task of the IRO is to ensure that the care plan for the child fully reflects
the child's current needs and that the actions set out in the plan are consistent with
the local authority's legal responsibilities towards the child as corporate parents.
About You
To be successful in this role, you'll ideally have...
• significant post qualifying experience in children's social work (fieldwork)
• experience of chairing meetings
• experience of providing social work supervision and support
• DipSW (or equivalent) & SW England Registration
• a driving Licence
• a thorough working understanding of the legal process and the issues involved when a local authority makes application for a care order
• knowledge of the evidence about what makes for good quality practice in working with children and families to safeguard children and promote their welfare
• a thorough understanding of the legal framework relating to looked after children and care leavers
• the ability to communicate with children and young people and their parents and promote participation
• confidence and ability to work constructively with senior managers, offering a critical perspective and appropriate challenge
• ability to organise workload/work on own initiative
• ability to constructively challenge practice
• ability to work flexibly and to travel
• an understanding and commitment to the Council's Equalities Policy
• an understanding and commitment to the CYPD's policy of promoting the upbringing of children by their own families
Next Steps
If you would like to apply for this vacancy via an application form, please submit an application via the Derby City Council website.
The closing date for this vacancy is at midnight on 1st February 2026. Any applications received after the closing date will not be accepted.
Interviews will be held: 9 February 2026. Face to Face Interview at Kedleston Road Main Building, 184 Kedleston Road, Derby.
If you would prefer to apply for this job using your CV, then please download the attached Declaration Form and send your CV and completed Declaration form to Pervez.Akhtar@derby.gov.uk . Without a completed declaration form, your application will not be accepted. We also encourage you to download the Equalities Form and return this to recruitment.team@derby.gov.uk , however this is optional and will not affect your application.
Important Information
Links to the full Job Description and Person Specification are below.
As part of our safer recruitment checks the successful candidate will be subject to an enhanced DBS check.
All employees will normally be appointed to the minimum of the grade for the job.
Before you complete your application, please read our guidance on filling in your application form.
Remember to align your personal statement to the essential criteria in the Person Specification.
Please be aware that where there are colleagues within the organisation who are 'at risk' of redundancy, requirements to redeploy to another suitable role will apply and take priority.
Equality, Diversity & Inclusion
We are a fair and inclusive employer and welcome applications from people from all backgrounds. We recruit for diversity and value difference. As many of our roles can now be home-based, we are able to offer more opportunities for people who need this facility.
We are proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. If you are a disabled person, you have the choice to apply under our Guaranteed Interview Scheme so long as you demonstrate that you meet the essential requirements for the job.
We feel it is essential that we recruit a talented workforce that is as diverse as the community we work for.
Please let us know of any individual requirements or reasonable adjustments you may have during the application, interview, or onboarding process and we'll do all we can to help. We strongly believe in social understanding of disability and for us it's all about removing barriers to equality.
If you have any questions regarding this vacancy or are having difficulty applying, please contact our Recruitment Team on 01332 640844 (Relay UK - 18001 01332 640 844) or at recruitmentteam@derby.gov.uk . https://www.derby.gov.uk/signing-service/
Please see here for Job Description
Please see here for Person Specification
Please see Declaration Form for CV Applications here
Please see Equalities Form for CV Applications
Please see here for DBS Code of Conduct