About this opportunityCumberland Council is seeking a committed and experienced Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO) Team Manager to lead our Conference and Review Service. This is a key leadership role where you’ll manage a team of IROs and Fostering IROs, ensuring high-quality statutory reviews and child protection conferences are delivered in line with national guidance and local safeguarding procedures. You’ll also play a vital role in quality assurance, performance management, and service development to improve outcomes for children and young people.

We’re looking for a qualified social worker registered with Social Work England, with strong leadership experience and a deep understanding of care planning, safeguarding, and multi-agency working. If you’re passionate about making a difference and confident in driving forward best practice, we’d love to hear from you.

This role is available on a permanent basis.

Cumberland Council is proud to hold an Ofsted rating of 'Good’ for our Children’s Services, demonstrating our dedication and strong commitment to providing high-quality services for children and families. Ofsted recognised that staff unanimously report a ‘real buzz about working in Cumberland’ and that they feel ‘energised, valued and listened to’, observing that ‘leaders have established a strong Cumberland identity that staff can be proud of’.

Who we’re looking forWe’re looking for individuals who embody our organisation's core values: ambitious, collaborative, compassionate, empowering, and innovative. We believe in the power of these values to drive positive change, deliver excellent public services and shape a better future for our communities.

We’re also about potential over perfection and we can help you grow in the role and thrive in your career.

Be sure to take a look at the post specification (below) for the essential criteria for this role.

Contact

For more information about the role or to arrange an informal chat prior to your application, please contact louise kitcher by email at Louise.Kitcher@cumbria.gov.uk

DBS ChecksThis role requires a DBS check. The level of check for this role is - Enhanced DBS Check with a Children’s Barred List check.

Please note this role involves working in regulated activity with Children. It is an offence for people who are barred from working in regulated activity to apply for roles that require them to work unsupervised with Children. Guaranteed InterviewsWe offer a guaranteed interview to the following applicants as long as your application can demonstrate you meet the essential criteria for the role.

• Those who consider themselves disabled as defined by the Equality Act 2010
• Those in care or who have left care and are aged 24 and under
• Armed forces veterans whose last long term substantive employer was the armed forces

If you meet one or more of the criteria above, and wish to be considered for this scheme, select 'yes' to the appropriate question during your application. Find out more.

Diversity, Inclusion & AdjustmentsWe’re dedicated to enhancing the diversity of our workforce and we encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds. That’s why we’re a proud Disability Confident Employer and also an Age Friendly Employer – to provide opportunities for everyone to thrive.

If you need any reasonable adjustments to participate in the recruitment process, please let either the hiring manager or our Resourcing Team know by emailingResourcing@Cumberland.gov.uk. While adjustments aren’t always guaranteed, we’ll always listen and we’ll try our best to accommodate your needs.

Application and Interview information

Closing date: 4th August 2025

Interview date:13th August 2025

Please note this role may close early subject to demand. If you’re interested in applying, you should apply well before the advised closing date. We cannot accept applications once the role has closed.

Please read the supporting information:

Post Specification

Please also refer to our Careers site to find out more:

• Our Staff Benefits
• Candidate Support
• About Cumberland Council

Hours: 37 hours per week

Salary: £34,434 – £35,412

Workbase: Flexible, currently home working. Team base is Civic Centre, Carlisle or Allerdale House, Workington.

Contract: We have two vacancies available, one permanent and a further role on a 12-month fixed term. Please confirm in your supporting application if you are applying for either or both options.

It’s a challenging and exciting time to work for Cumberland Council.  We are looking for dynamic and motivated professionals to join us as part of the council’s Transformation team.

These roles are a fantastic chance to make a difference, putting health and wellbeing at the centre of everything we do, building inclusive economy, having a fairer society, protecting our environment and ultimately, delivering great public services. As well as further developing your knowledge and experience, you will work across the full project lifecycle, supporting scoping, initiation, implementation, delivery and benefits realisation.

Cumberland Programme Management Office is within the Corporate and Transformation Services Directorate and supports ways of improving, governing, controlling, and assuring investment and change within the Council.

There’s a wide variety of work that the team is focussed on, with opportunities for you to work alongside services across the authority from adult social care to assets and fleet and many more. An understanding of local government services is helpful, but we also welcome applications from other sectors. Our transformation programme is ambitious and covers a wide variety of projects from managing demand to workforce planning.

About the role

We’re looking for candidates with excellent organisation skills and a customer focussed approach, capable of managing multiple and competing priorities. These roles provide project support to colleagues across the Cumberland Council, providing support to manage and administer transformation projects/programmes.

Working closely with the Senior Responsible Owners and project teams providing professional project support through, effective organisation, activity planning/monitoring, information management and project reporting. You will also offer project management advice, support, and guidance and tools to senior managers and service leads who are overseeing the projects and programmes.

You will have a commitment to a customer focussed approach and the ability to manage your own work and work as part of a project team. If you are proactive, flexible and hard-working, then we want to hear from you. This is a fantastic opportunity for those looking for their next career step into project management.

Who we’re looking for

We’re looking for individuals who embody our organisation's core values: ambitious, collaborative, compassionate, empowering, and innovative. We believe in the power of these values to drive positive change, deliver excellent public services and shape a better future for our communities.

We’re also about potential over perfection and we can help you grow in the role and thrive in your career.

Be sure to take a look at the post specification (below) for the essential criteria for this role.

Contact

For more information about the role or to arrange an informal chat prior to your application, please contact Sandra Hill by email at sandra.hill@Cumberland.gov.uk

Guaranteed Interviews

We offer a guaranteed interview to the following applicants as long as your application can demonstrate you meet the essential criteria for the role.

• Those who consider themselves disabled as defined by the Equality Act 2010
• Those in care or who have left care and are aged 24 and under
• Armed forces veterans whose last long term substantive employer was the armed forces

If you meet one or more of the criteria above, and wish to be considered for this scheme, select 'yes' to the appropriate question during your application. Find out more.

Diversity, Inclusion & AdjustmentsWe’re dedicated to enhancing the diversity of our workforce and we encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds. That’s why we’re a proud Disability Confident Employer and also an Age Friendly Employer – to provide opportunities for everyone to thrive.

If you need any reasonable adjustments to participate in the recruitment process, please let either the hiring manager or our Resourcing Team know by emailing Resourcing@Cumberland.gov.uk. While adjustments aren’t always guaranteed, we’ll always listen and we’ll try our best to accommodate your needs.

Easily apply by submitting your CV and answering a few short questions.

Application and Interview information

• Closing date: 6th August 2025
• Interview date: 27th & 28th August 2025

Please note this role may close early subject to demand. If you’re interested in applying, you should apply well before the advised closing date. We cannot accept applications once the role has closed.

Please read the supporting information:

• Post Specification

Please also refer to our Careers site to find out more:

• Our Staff Benefits
• Candidate Support
• About Cumberland Council