Team Manager - Independent Review Team

Job Title: Team Manager - Independent Review Team
Starting Salary: £53,806 plus £8,560 Market Enhancement with the opportunity to progress to £59,497 plus £8,607 Market Enhancement pa
Hours: 37
Location: Apsley, Hemel Hempstead with travel countywide
Contract Type: Fixed Term / Secondment to May 2027 (Maternity cover)
Directorate: Childrens Services

About the team

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Team Manager in the Independent Review Team.

The Independent Review team plays a vital role in safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children in care. They ensure that every child’s voice is heard and that care plans are robust, timely, and focused on achieving the best outcomes. The team provides independent oversight by chairing statutory reviews, challenging practice where necessary, and monitoring the local authority’s performance. In addition, Placement IROs carry out Regulation 44 visits and independent fostering reviews, helping to maintain high standards across placements.

About the role

Hertfordshire is a large, Outstanding rated authority, and we are looking for someone with passion and enthusiasm to join our stable, supportive and inclusive management team, to support the service in its work in improving outcomes for children.

You’ll work alongside our existing Team Manager to supervise a large team of children’s IRO’s, whilst having responsibility for supervising two Placement IRO’s who undertake Regulation 44 Visits and Independent Fostering Reviews.

You will ensure effective monitoring of our engagement with children, identify themes that impact the performance of the local authority and support IRO’s to challenge issues of concern.

The successful candidate will have the opportunity to shape the continued development of our busy team. In addition, there are further opportunities to impact the development and practice across the wider social work workforce, through contributions to task and finish groups and county wide service panels.

About you

Essential:

• A qualified and registered Social Worker with at least 5 years post qualifying experience.
• Excellent communication skills.
• A good understanding of the role of the Independent Review Office and legislation as it applies to Looked after Children.
• Experience of having worked successfully at a supervisory/managerial level to develop a high performing social work team.
• Experience and skills in partnership working across Children’s Services.
• Ability to advise and make decisions on complex cases.
• You will be able to challenge practice, where appropriate, both internally and with our external providers.
• Driving licence and access to your own vehicle - as part of this role you will be required to travel across the County.

If you are excited about the prospect of making a tangible impact on the lives of Hertfordshire’s looked after children, please get in touch.

This job role is within the Health and Social Care Services, level HSC13 job profile. Please locate this via:

Job profiles - Health and social care

For an informal discussion and more information please contact: Kim Burrowes, kim.burrowes@hertfordshire.gov.uk

Interview Date: 28th January

Benefits of working for us

How to apply

As part of your application, please upload your most recent CV. Ensure your CV is up to date with your employment history (including any employment gaps), and including any training/qualifications. We encourage you to include examples of where you have demonstrated the requirements/criteria in the advert / job profile to allow the panel to fully recognise your skills and abilities. You will have the opportunity to include a short covering paragraph within your application to give us a little more information about your skills, knowledge, and experiences.

Secondment
This position is open to secondments. If you work for HCC or any other Local Authority and would like to be considered as a Secondment contract, please ensure you complete the Secondment Form as part of your application. If you do not, your application will be considered as a Fixed Term Contract only.

Additional information

We welcome applications from candidates who currently reside in the UK with established proof of right to work documentation. We are not able to offer sponsorship at this time for this role.

Disability Confident
We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer and guarantee an interview to anyone disclosing a disability whose application meets the minimum criteria for the post.

Safeguarding
This role has been identified as requiring a Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check.

Driving required
You’ll need to have the ability to drive and/or travel around Hertfordshire, either using your own mode of transport or a company car to travel to other locations.

English Fluency
The ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post (for those whose language is a signed language the provision of a sign language interpreter who speaks English to the necessary standard of fluency will be required). Further information about the legal requirement can be found here.