Southampton City Council Children’s Services have worked hard over the last 4 years to create a significant shift in culture and performance, becoming an employer of choice for the best social workers, managers and leaders in the South. Our efforts were recognized by OFSTED in our 2023 ILACS grading of “Good with Outstanding Leadership.” In our continued drive for innovation and improvement we have launched a full-service re-design to prepare us for the implementation of a Family Safeguarding/Family Help model of delivery in the City. As a result of this we have created several new leadership positions and are excited to offer an invitation for applicants to come and join us on our journey. In Southampton our staff are cared for and stretched in equal measure. We all need managers and leaders who listen to us, inspire us, support us, and provide a safe environment for us to practice at our very best. Our IRO and Child Protection Chairs are pivotal to our strong social work family, where practitioners and feel safe to learn from honest mistakes, are supported to develop enduring relationships with children and families and are actively encouraged to share their views about the environment in which they work. If you are looking for a change, we would love to hear from you. About You An exciting opportunity has arisen for an IRO and Child Protection Chair to join our Quality Assurance service. You will need to provide a quality assurance role in monitoring the performance of the local authority. As well as to act as a consultant and expert resource to promote the highest standards of operational practice in services for children looked after and children in need of protection based on research, experience and best practice. We are looking for passionate, dynamic leaders who are able to energise others with their vision and drive for delivering excellent services for children. We are proud to be creating a City where children are kept safe from harm and families are supported to raise their children in safe, loving environments. During our recent Ofsted inspection where we received Good with Outstanding for Leadership and Management Ofsted noted: “Impressive strategic and operational leadership, aligned with corporate and political commitment, has provided a clear vision, ambition and energy which has garnered the confidence and commitment of key partners. There is a collective momentum to continue to improve services and outcomes for children across the city.” Systemic practice is our overarching approach. Its principles encourage us to practise in a way that is appreciative, and strengths-based, with a belief in the family’s capacity to create real and sustainable change. A systemic approach invites us to be curious about our own and others’ perspectives, helping people in families to do the same. This can create space for new ideas and possibilities for change to emerge. We have chosen systemic practice as our overarching approach because we recognise how significant our relationships can be for building trust and having the kind of conversations that can lead to change. Our strong Community-of-Practice reflects this and is one of the many opportunities we offer for you to develop your systemic thinking and ideas. If this sounds like an opportunity that excites and interests, you then we very much look forward to receiving your application. Come Join Us Southampton City Council and its partners have made a collective commitment to run well-managed services, ensure manageable workloads for social workers, provide high levels of support and expert guidance to help with complex situations. We would like to warmly welcome those who live in or near to the city, and those who are looking to relocate to the area. We are committed to equal opportunities and welcome a broad diversity of talent to apply. We do reserve the right to cease any advertising prior to the published closing date for a role that receives a high number of applications. This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions. A social work qualification and Social Work England Registration is essential for this post. What We Can Offer You Here at SCC we have a range of different perks and benefits, a few examples can be found below. A generous local government pension scheme. Flexible working (role dependant). Up to 13 days of Flexi Leave. Hybrid working arrangements (role dependant). 25 days annual leave (pro rata), plus bank holidays. Online Benefits – salary sacrifice schemes, benefits and discounts. Great local transport links. Employee assistance programme with access to our health wellbeing and support. For Further Information On Our Benefits Package Please Visit Contact details for informal discussion: For more information or an informal discussion about the role please contact Service Manager Karen Cairns: Email Recruitment contact details: Tel: 023 8083 4033 For More Information About SCC Please Visit Follow us on social media for regular updates on our featured jobs and latest news.