Independent Reviewing Officer
Wiltshire Council
Trowbridge BA14, UK
Published 2 days ago
Social care
Full Time
Job Description
Salary: £54,210 - £56,491 per annum (Inclusive of 10% market supplement)
Hours per week: 37 hours
Interview date: Monday 11 May 2026
We are looking for an experienced Children and Families Social Worker to step into the role of Independent Reviewing Officer a position suited to someone with strong practice knowledge, confidence in complex decision making, and ideally supervisory or quality assurance experience.
This opportunity offers the chance to grow, develop and work alongside a highly skilled and supportive team within a respected organisation committed to improving outcomes for children we care for. You will collaborate with dedicated professionals, benefit from reflective and restorative practice, engage with new technology that supports quality and performance, and enjoy clear pathways for career progression. Our Quality Outcomes for Children service plays a vital role in safeguarding, influencing practice, and ensuring that the voices and lived experiences of children shape the support they receive.
In this role, you will organise, chair and lead statutory Looked After Children Reviews, provide independent oversight of care planning, and ensure that children's welfare is consistently promoted. You will focus on restorative practice, permanence planning and reunification where appropriate, while delivering high quality written records and meaningful letters to children that reflect their unique circumstances. Your work will challenge, monitor and support professionals to prevent drift, strengthen accountability and achieve timely, purposeful care plans.
You will be a qualified Social Worker registered with Social Work England, bring experience in child protection and looked after children practice, and demonstrate confidence in identifying risk, offering authoritative challenge, and chairing complex multi agency meetings. A commitment to children's rights, participation and lived experience is essential.
If you are passionate about driving high quality practice and making a lasting difference, we would love to hear from you.
This position comes with a 10% market supplement payment. All market supplement payments are subject to review on an annual basis.
Why us?
Wiltshire Council is a friendly, welcoming place to work, with a 'One Council' ethos. Find out more about Our Identity, staff networks, and employee benefits here.
Our hybrid working model means office staff are on site for at least half their hours, community-based staff carry out at least half their admin time in a workplace, and customer-facing roles work entirely from their service location.
We are committed to creating a workplace where positive relationships thrive and everyone feels engaged, supported and able to do their best. We do not tolerate discrimination, bullying or harassment. Everyone is expected to promote a culture of inclusion, dignity, trust and respect, guided by our vision and Our Identity.
Contact details
Gerry Brown, Operational Lead at Gerry.Brown@wiltshire.gov.uk
Please ensure to regularly check your spam or junk folder for any communication from us regarding the status of your application.
Application criteria
Please download and read the role description and person specification carefully before you apply.
We understand that AI tools can support you in preparing job applications. However, we value authenticity and would encourage you to ensure your submission genuinely reflects your own experiences, skills, and motivations.
While we welcome applications from job seekers who require skilled worker sponsorship, we are not able to issue a defined certificate of sponsorship due to limitations in our sponsorship capacity.
We are firmly committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and to the principles of inclusion and diversity in both employment and the delivery of services. Statement of commitment to equality and inclusion Disability Confident Employer Application process
Wiltshire Council does not accept unsolicited CVs or candidate details from recruitment agencies that are not appointed under a current, valid contract or approved supplier arrangement (including through our neutral vendor, Comensura).
Submission of unsolicited CVs or candidate details to the Council, whether directly or to individual employees, will not be considered as an introduction and will not create any obligation on the Council to pay any fees. If a candidate whose details have been submitted speculatively is subsequently appointed through a compliant route, no agency fee will be payable in respect of the unsolicited submission.
Agencies wishing to work with the Council must do so only via our approved procurement processes and neutral vendor arrangements.
Salary: £54,210 - £56,491 per annum (Inclusive of 10% market supplement)
Hours per week: 37 hours
Interview date: Monday 11 May 2026
We are looking for an experienced Children and Families Social Worker to step into the role of Independent Reviewing Officer a position suited to someone with strong practice knowledge, confidence in complex decision making, and ideally supervisory or quality assurance experience.
This opportunity offers the chance to grow, develop and work alongside a highly skilled and supportive team within a respected organisation committed to improving outcomes for children we care for. You will collaborate with dedicated professionals, benefit from reflective and restorative practice, engage with new technology that supports quality and performance, and enjoy clear pathways for career progression. Our Quality Outcomes for Children service plays a vital role in safeguarding, influencing practice, and ensuring that the voices and lived experiences of children shape the support they receive.
In this role, you will organise, chair and lead statutory Looked After Children Reviews, provide independent oversight of care planning, and ensure that children's welfare is consistently promoted. You will focus on restorative practice, permanence planning and reunification where appropriate, while delivering high quality written records and meaningful letters to children that reflect their unique circumstances. Your work will challenge, monitor and support professionals to prevent drift, strengthen accountability and achieve timely, purposeful care plans.
You will be a qualified Social Worker registered with Social Work England, bring experience in child protection and looked after children practice, and demonstrate confidence in identifying risk, offering authoritative challenge, and chairing complex multi agency meetings. A commitment to children's rights, participation and lived experience is essential.
If you are passionate about driving high quality practice and making a lasting difference, we would love to hear from you.
This position comes with a 10% market supplement payment. All market supplement payments are subject to review on an annual basis.
Why us?
Wiltshire Council is a friendly, welcoming place to work, with a 'One Council' ethos. Find out more about Our Identity, staff networks, and employee benefits here.
Our hybrid working model means office staff are on site for at least half their hours, community-based staff carry out at least half their admin time in a workplace, and customer-facing roles work entirely from their service location.
We are committed to creating a workplace where positive relationships thrive and everyone feels engaged, supported and able to do their best. We do not tolerate discrimination, bullying or harassment. Everyone is expected to promote a culture of inclusion, dignity, trust and respect, guided by our vision and Our Identity.
Contact details
Gerry Brown, Operational Lead at Gerry.Brown@wiltshire.gov.uk
Please ensure to regularly check your spam or junk folder for any communication from us regarding the status of your application.
Application criteria
Please download and read the role description and person specification carefully before you apply.
We understand that AI tools can support you in preparing job applications. However, we value authenticity and would encourage you to ensure your submission genuinely reflects your own experiences, skills, and motivations.
While we welcome applications from job seekers who require skilled worker sponsorship, we are not able to issue a defined certificate of sponsorship due to limitations in our sponsorship capacity.
We are firmly committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and to the principles of inclusion and diversity in both employment and the delivery of services. Statement of commitment to equality and inclusion Disability Confident Employer Application process
Wiltshire Council does not accept unsolicited CVs or candidate details from recruitment agencies that are not appointed under a current, valid contract or approved supplier arrangement (including through our neutral vendor, Comensura).
Submission of unsolicited CVs or candidate details to the Council, whether directly or to individual employees, will not be considered as an introduction and will not create any obligation on the Council to pay any fees. If a candidate whose details have been submitted speculatively is subsequently appointed through a compliant route, no agency fee will be payable in respect of the unsolicited submission.
Agencies wishing to work with the Council must do so only via our approved procurement processes and neutral vendor arrangements.