Independent Reviewing Officers (known as “IROs”) are called Reviewing Officers (ROs) in Bromley; this is because they are the chairperson in Child Protection Conferences.
Who is the RO?
The Reviewing Officer is a very experienced social worker. They work within the Quality Improvement Service and do not have anything to do with the day to day decisions that happen with your care. ROs have an important role in deciding what happens in your future. When you move into a foster placement, care home or preparing to live independently, you will be allocated an RO. It is the ROs job to make sure that decisions made are the best for you, that they follow your care plan and respect your rights.
In a nutshell:
They have two main jobs to do for you:
- To Chair your review and make sure you are part of it;
- To keep an eye on things between reviews to see how you are doing and make sure your care plan is working.
The role that your RO plays at your review?
Your reviews are all about you, about your health, your education, where you live etc. It’s an opportunity for all the adults in your life to get together and works together to make sure that you are receiving the best care possible. They will discuss with you any changes that need to be made to your care in a Care Plan. The review is about YOU and it is important that you have your say too.
A RO will contact you prior to the meeting and will want to meet with you alone, although this is always your choice. You are also encouraged to be the leader of the meeting and can add items to the agenda that you want to be discussed. If you are nervous or upset and do not want to attend, please let the RO and your social worker and they can share your views.
What happens at Reviews?
You and the other people there will talk about how things are going for you. There may be things that you decide you want to talk about or get sorted and there will be some things that need to be talked about. Some of the things that adults will need to talk about are:
- making sure they keep you healthy;
- making sure they keep you safe.
- making sure they are supporting you to enjoy being a child and doing as well as you can at school.
If you don’t understand what someone says, you can ask them to say it again or to explain in another way. Your social worker will talk to you more about what happens before your review.
You will be sent a record of what was discussed in the review as will everyone that attended. It is important that you keep this document safe and you can seek support from your social worker with ensuring this takes place.
Young peoples guide to the IRO Handbook
All About Me Meetings – Review Forms for Children In Care
These forms are designed to support young people who are looked after in preparing for and taking part in their review meetings. “All About Me” meetings are a chance for children and young people to share their views, wishes and feelings with their Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO) and wider support team.
The forms give young people a voice, help ensure their experiences are heard, and allow them to shape decisions about their care. They are age-appropriate and can be completed before review meetings to help everyone understand what’s going well and what could be improved.
CLA_Consultation Form age 4-7
CLA_Consultation Form age 7-11
CLA_Consultation Form age 11-18
