Address
SalaryJob Title:Fostering Independent Reviewing Officer
Location: Hereford
Hours: 37 hours
Salary: HC11 £53,474 - £57,859 (including £5000 Market Forces Supplement)
Welcome payment £5,000 after 6 months completion in post
Relocation package of up to £10,000 available
Contract: Permanent
Closing date: 14/04/2024
The Role
We are looking for an experienced and dedicated Fostering Independent Reviewing Officer (FIRO) to work full-time in Herefordshire Council. The ideal candidate will possess highly developed specialist knowledge of Social Work Practice in Children's Social Care and be registered with Social Work England. Suitable candidates must have a degree in social work, be on the SW England register and have extensive Independent Reviewing Officer or Child Protection Chair experience.
Our vision is to make a difference to the lives of children and young people in our care, supporting foster carers to do an important job really well. Always striving for excellence in everything we do. We provide safe, secure, loving homes to the children in our care and the very best training and support services to our foster carers.
The role of the Reviewing Officer will involve being the chair of foster carers’ annual reviews, post complaints, standard of care investigations or allegations and ad hoc reviews of the foster carers and requires an in depth knowledge of, and strong commitment to, all aspects of the fostering task. It will also include a commitment to improving the overall and developing the policies and procedures that will underpin progress.
We Offer
A competitive salary, generous holiday entitlement, and access to our contributory pension and staff benefits scheme, which includes:
- Basic Salary £53,474 - £57,859 (including £5000 Market Forces Supplement)
- Welcome payment £5,000 for experienced social workers joining our children’s teams
- Relocation packages: support of up to £10,000
- Pension Scheme Enrolment in the Local Government (LGPS)
- Professional development: protected time and budget to support social workers develop themselves and their careers.
- Generous Annual Leave: 31 days’ annual leave (pro rata) plus bank holidays. You can also purchase an additional 10 days per annum
- 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.
Herefordshire is a beautiful, historic county located in the heart of the Marches on the border with Wales. We are one of the most rural and sparsely populated counties in England with a wealth of unspoilt countryside, distinctive heritage, and lively and attractive market towns.
Our priority in Herefordshire is to keep children safe and give them a great start in life. It’s the priority for the council, our partners and for all of us who work with Children & Young People.
How do we do this? By having dynamic, dedicated, passionate and professional staff who work in a culture that focuses on what we can achieve with children, what they can achieve themselves, and the relationship we build with families and partners to enable this. We have invested heavily in training and developing staff in our relational practice approach with our improvement partner Leeds City Council, so it's an exciting time to join Herefordshire – we believe in investing in you so you can be the best you can be!
Herefordshire has a really strong team ethos. Our teams are passionate about the work they do and the positive difference they and the teams they are in make to people’s lives. This is all underpinned by the focus and support from their managers and the council as a whole.
We will deliver better support to our most vulnerable children and their families, develop stronger relationships with partners across the region, and beyond.
Therefore, 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.
Come to Herefordshire and join the journey.
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 supporting statement that they are an Armed Forces Veteran or Reservist. This is part of our pledge to support the Armed Forces Covenant; and
- Those who indicate in their supporting statement that they are a Herefordshire care leaver. This is part of our commitment to supporting young people leaving our care.
To apply, please submit your CV and complete the supporting statement within the application form, referring to the job description & person specification, detailing how you meet the specific requirements of the role.
