4 Month Contract With A Local Authority

The Quality Assurance Reviewing Officer (QARO) provides high-quality, independent oversight of Children’s Social Care practice. As an experienced and qualified social worker, specialising as an Independent Fostering Reviewing Officer, you will be responsible for conducting independent Foster Carer Annual Reviews and contributing to the overall quality assurance of the fostering service.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide independent oversight of practice for Children in Care, Child Protection (CP), Child in Need (CIN), and fostering services.

• Ensure consistent compliance with statutory guidance including the Children Act 1989, Working Together 2023, Care Planning Regulations, and the IRO Handbook.

• Provide high-quality scrutiny of care plans, fostering reviews, and safeguarding processes, ensuring they meet required standards.

• Undertake independent audits, quality assurance activities, and reporting in line with the Quality Assurance Framework.

• Review foster carers’ suitability and compliance with fostering standards.

• Approve key care planning decisions, including recommendations for adoption, prior to submission to the Court.

• Provide safeguarding advice to multi-agency professionals.

• Ensure concerns about practice are escalated to senior leaders and, where necessary, to Cafcass or independent legal advisors.

• Lead and chair complex meetings including Child Protection Conferences, CIN meetings, LADO investigations, and strategy discussions.

• Ensure appropriate investigation of allegations against professionals, carers, volunteers and others working with children.

• Ensure children and young people are central to care planning, decision-making and reviews.

• Promote and uphold the rights of children to family life and to be heard.

• Support children, young people and families to express their views and engage in their plans.

• Build effective working relationships with social workers, foster carers, families and partner agencies.

• Provide robust challenge, guidance and professional leadership across the service.

• Represent the service in meetings, including with courts, legal services, and external agencies.

• Deputise for the Service Manager or Head of Service as required.

• Chair meetings and manage complex multi-agency dynamics.

• Manage multiple deadlines, competing priorities, and changing situations.

• Maintain accurate records, reports, and performance data.

• Support service development through analysis, innovation, and continuous improvement.

Requirements

• Minimum 5 years post-qualifying social work experience in Children’s Social Care.

• Recent experience supervising and managing staff.

• Significant experience chairing complex meetings where challenge and conflict are present.

• Experience working with Child Protection, Children in Care, and fostering.

• Skilled in report writing, including court reports, and maintaining accurate case records.

• Experience working in partnership with carers, families and multi-agency teams.

• Experience using escalation policies and procedures, including raising concerns to Cafcass or senior leaders.

• Evidence of continuous professional development.

• Proven ability to analyse qualitative and quantitative data.

• Expert understanding of safeguarding legislation, guidance and social work practice frameworks.

• Ability to assess risk, protective factors, and levels of need.

• Strong influencing, negotiation and conflict-resolution skills.

• High emotional intelligence, resilience, and reflective practice.

• Understanding of equal opportunities and anti-discriminatory practice.

• Strong computer literacy and ability to use management information systems.