Purpouse of the Post:
Ensure that the people of Gwynedd are at the heart of everything we do.
Working towards achieving the service outcomes for children in Gwynedd:
keep them safe and protected from harm
they enjoy stability in their lives
their health and well-being is promoted
being so ambitious about children as if we are our own.
With an ambition for sound, quality child protection arrangements, the post will take on the role of chairing and supporting child protection processes, including chairing Child Protection Case Conferences. The post holder will also contribute generally to the support and development of the child protection function within the Safeguarding and Quality Unit.
With ambition for each looked after child, as if it were our own, the role of an Independent Reviewing Officer for looked after children allocated to the post holder. The post holder will also contribute generally to the support and development of the independent review function within the Safeguarding and Quality Unit.

Main Duties:
This post focuses on two main functions and, as such, contains the key elements of the job description, as evaluated, relevant to those functions. These include the post of Independent Reviewing Officer and some elements of the post of Co-ordinator and Chair of Child Protection.
Specifically for the role of chairing and supporting child protection processes:
Purpose:
This post is key to promoting safeguarding in individual cases and also in the interagency and corporate safeguarding network in Gwynedd
With an ambition for robust and high quality safeguarding practice, the post will act as Chair of Child Protection Conferences
 
Specific tasks:
Chairing Child Protection Conferences, including initial and review Conferences in Gwynedd in accordance with the statutory requirements of the Wales Safeguarding Procedures.
Ensure effective arrangements for the arrangements for, function and monitoring of Child Protection Conferences. This will include considerations such as ensuring the accuracy and timeliness of conference records, ensuring that the child's voice is central and that children and their families are given every opportunity to be invited and included in conferences.
For Review Conferences, ensure that the Child Protection Plan is reviewed by monitoring progress and updating the Child Protection Plan.
Promote multi-agency working in child protection, including facilitating agency involvement in Conferences and Protection Plans.
Lead on the promotion and development of frontline practice in child protection, bridging practice with policy expectations and guidance.
Ensuring the development of practice, contributing to practice development and training, delivering and providing relevant training on child protection issues as required.
Work within departmental guidelines and policies and statutory requirements.
Continually develop professionally, receive supervision, attend training and team and service meetings.
Maintain registration as a Registered Social Worker with the Care Council.
To work as a member of the Safeguarding and Quality Unit, contributing to the development of safeguarding work in the field of children and adults
 
Specifically for the role of the Independent Reviewing Officer:
Purpose:
Be a 'champion' for looked after children and ensure that the well-being and individual needs of looked after children in Gwynedd are at the heart of their Care and Support plan and all decisions made about their care.
Make sure the child's wishes and feelings are known and make sure their voice is heard in the planning and review process.
Ensure that there is a Care and Support Plan for all Looked After Children, and ensure that the plan is appropriate and meets the child's educational, health, emotional and developmental needs.
Ensure that there is stability for all looked after children and that a permanency plan is in place four months after they become looked after.
Monitor the local authority's performance in relation to looked after children, follow their journey through care, and ensure that all children receive the best opportunities to promote their health and well-being.
Make the local authority as ambitious for every looked after child, as if we were our own.
Ensure that the child's human rights are respected, that the child and their parents are seen and heard and considered before making any change to the care plan, and that suitable arrangements are in place for family contact together with appropriate safeguards.
Assess whether there are safeguarding issues and, if so, try to ensure that appropriate steps are taken to safeguard the child.
Ensure that the local authority fulfils its duties as a Corporate Parent, by involving staff from the education department, health authority and any agency concerned with the welfare of the child, as well as other key people: parents, relatives and friends.
Challenging poor practice through the accepted protocols, from the social worker level, through the management hierarchy (team manager, service manager, head of children's services, chief executive), and accessing independent legal advice as required.
Ensure that looked after children have access to legal advice when necessary, for example, to challenge decisions made about contact with relatives, or to challenge the care order.
Specific tasks:
To comply with the responsibilities of IRO, as set out in the Social Services and Well-being Act 2014 and the relevant Codes of Practice, Children Act 1989, Children Act 2004, Adoption Act 2002, Care Planning, Placement and Case Review Regulations 2015.
Chairing independent reviews for children looked after by Gwynedd Council in accordance with Part 6 of the Code of Practice (Looked After and Accommodated Children), Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014, Standards Practice and Good Practice Guide: Monitoring and Review Care and Support Plan Part 6 (2019), IRO Protocol between CAFCASS Cymru and ADSS Cymru (2018).
Thorough scrutiny, monitoring, assessment, review and challenge of the quality and effectiveness of Part 6 Care and Support Plans, where required.
Ensure that agreed Looked After Children Part 6 Care and Support Plans are implemented, evaluate the effectiveness of practice and ensure that adequate attention is given to education, health, contact and preparations to leave care, where appropriate.
Make decisions about whether any changes to a care and support plan are required, including changing legal status.
Ensure a permanent plan is in place by the four month review for looked after children.
Avoid violations of the child's human rights or failure to implement the agreed care and support plan by referring any escalating concerns, which cannot be resolved by the agreed departmental process for escalating concerns, to CAFCASS.
Challenging poor practice, meeting and writing to team and service managers, as appropriate.
Meeting with the Head of Service, Statutory Director of Social Services and Chief Executive, and escalating concerns, as appropriate.
Refer the child's case back to court through CAFCASS if the matter is not resolved through the agreed protocol for escalating concerns.
Ensure review meetings are held in a timely manner and within statutory guidelines.
Ensure that the views of children and their families are fully represented and considered during the review process; and ensuring and supporting young people to participate fully in the review process.
Ensure that all agencies working with looked after children in Gwynedd are consulted and able to meaningfully contribute to the review process and that this is recorded.
Ensure that the child's voice is heard in a variety of ways including talking to the child in private before each review, unless the child refuses to do so.
Share information with children about their rights, including their right to complain and ensure that looked after children are aware of the advocacy services available.
Ensure that looked after children, who are subject to care orders, are aware of their right to apply, with their consent, for a section 8 order (under the Children Act 1989) to apply for the discharge of a care order, and to personally ensuring that the child has access to advice and support.
Develop a relationship with the child and provide continuity throughout the child's journey through the care system.
Ensure that the review meetings reach clear decisions and monitor the implementation of any decisions made.
To be responsible for the accuracy of minutes of meetings chaired and to ensure that departmental and statutory timetables are met.
Report and record any identified resource shortfall.
Receive updates on progress or concerns from the social worker and team manager, parents, relatives and other professionals between reviews, - to determine if an early review is required, and to ensure that a review takes place before any change to a plan the child, including moving placement.
Providing high quality specialist advice and support to Social Workers, Team Managers and the various agencies involved with Looked After Children.
Take personal responsibility for challenging poor practice that affects children's wellbeing.
Prepare high quality reports for the Senior Management Team and Corporate Parenting Panel.
Network with other IROs across Wales and represent Gwynedd at national forums, as appropriate.
Provide information on issues affecting looked after children to the National Assembly for Wales and the Children's Commissioner, as required.
Promote a professional image for the service and work within the Care Standards code of practice.
To receive supervision in accordance with Council policy.
Provide peer supervision for other IROs in the team.
Innovate and monitor the implementation of new legislation and guidance affecting looked after children.
Responsibility for self-development.
Ensure compliance with Health and Safety rules in the workplace in accordance with the responsibilities noted in the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Council’s Health and Safety Policy.
Operate within the Council’s policies in relation to equal opportunities and equality.
Responsible for managing information in accordance with the Council’s information management guidelines. Ensure that personal information is treated in accordance with Data Protection legislation.
Commitment to reducing the Council’s carbon emissions in accordance with the Carbon Management Plan, and to encourage others to act positively towards reducing the Council’s Carbon Footprint.
Undertake any other reasonable duty which corresponds to the salary level and responsibility level of the job.
Responsibility to report any concern or suspicion that a child or vulnerable adult is being abused.

Special Circumstances:
It is essential that the post holder is flexible and willing to work within TOIL arrangements so that review meetings can be held at appropriate times for children.
IROs are expected to review children who have been placed out of county or children who are moving to adoptive placements. This will involve traveling long distances at times and may include overnight stays and working out of office hours.