Kath Thomas Email & Phone Number

Bury Safeguarding Unit

Independent Reviewing Officer. Roles and responsibilities: Chairing Looked After Children’s Reviews. Promoting partnership working and inclusion. Developing new and inclusive methods of facilitating review meetings and pushing the participation agenda. Challenging as appropriate Social Care Plans, Providing advice when requested to SW’s and other professionals, Escalating issues of poor practice and tracking theses, Pushing forward quality standards within the improvement agenda. Highlighting themes and identifying gaps in service. Designated link to Children In Care Council. Duty LADO. Quality assurance audits. Permanent member of staff

Bury Safeguarding Unit

Chairing Child Protection Conferences. Duty LADO. Chairing Looked After Children’s Reviews. Promoting partnership working and inclusion. Challenging as appropriate Social Care Plans, Providing advice when requested to SW’s and other professionals, Escalating issues of poor practice and tracking theses, Pushing forward quality standards within the improvement agenda. Highlighting themes and identifying gaps in service. Given the lead role in developing oversight of the work of the CSE Team(July 2015), developing forms and protocols to underpin this. Highlighted as excellent practice by OFSTED and also within the Phoenix Peer review. Ensuring good and consistent practice within the CSE Team and working in partnership with the Police and other agencies to improve outcomes for children and young people. Given the lead role for Missing From Home (September 2016), monitoring tracking and ensuring compliance with procedures. Tasked with developing new procedures to update the existing MFH procedures. Continued chairing of Looked After Children Reviews and Child Protection Conferences. Chairing complex strategy meetings including those with a specific focus on CSE. Producing quarterly reports for the Safeguarding Board in respect of Missing From Home children and young people.

Riverside House

Developing a new role: Vulnerable Lead chairing complicated and multi person strategy meetings in respect of Missing From Home and CSE. Providing consultation and advice to practitioners. Ensuring compliance with policy and procedures. Maintaining a data base reflecting trend and issues. participating in multi agency meetings and developing the role. Chairing Child Protection Conferences.with particular focus on CSE. Reviewing Private Fostering arrangements and feeding back in practice or developmental issues.

Independent Reviewing Officer. Roles and responsibilities: Chairing Child Protection Conferences. Duty LADO. Chairing Looked After Children’s Reviews. Promoting partnership working and inclusion. Challenging as appropriate Social Care Plans, Providing advice when requested to SW’s and other professionals, Escalating issues of poor practice and tracking theses, Pushing forward quality standards within the improvement agenda. Highlighting themes and identifying gaps in service.

John Draydon House

Chairing Looked After Reviews, chairing Child Protection Conferences using the strengthening families approach in an improving authority. Providing robust challenge and escalating issues as appropriate. Driving forward and championing good practice.

Blackburn

Chairing LAC Review, Child Protection Conferences, LADO Duties, Dealing with OFSTED enquiries, Chairing missing form home and sexual exploitation meetings, Lead on Missing from home and Sexual exploitation. Audits

Castlefield, Wakefiled

Chairing Child Protection Conferences, Chairing LAC Reviews, Audits, Peer Audits, LADO duties, Foster Carer Reviews, Reg 33 Visits, maintain Reg 33 data base and completion of reports for OFSTED.

Headingly Leeds

Chairing Reviews for Looked After children, Duty cover for Child Protection Conferences using the strengthening families model, Audits

Blackburn

Chaired Child Protection Conferences, LAC Reviews, LADO duties, Missing from home meetings, sexual exploitation meetings, audits. Lead on Participation and developing new consultation booklets for looked after children with two other colleagues. Dealing with OFSTED enquiries.

Barrow-In-Furness And Kendal

Managing a front- line social work team. Screening all initial referrals, Initial Assessments, Core assessments, Child Protection. Driving forward change and good practice, Supervision of staff. Audits. Mentoring colleagues. Budget responsibility. Covering a poorly performing area and improving practice standards. Developing two new multi disciplinary Teams and shaping new services. Championing the CAF and providing support and advice to other professionals to improve outcomes for children and families. Completed NVQ 4 in Management.

Manchester

Managing a very busy front-line SW Team, Supervision, Screening all initial referrals, Initial Assessments, Core Assessments, Court Work, Looked After Children. Proactive practice development, Audits, Member of the management team, Budget responsibility, Representation of MCC at corporate meetings. Responsibility for assisting in the development and setting up of 2 Sure Start Centres.

Manchester

Front-line SW, Covering Duty, LAC, CP, Court. Mentoring staff, supervision and development of new family support service, Representing MCC at corporate meetings, Chairing complex meetings, supporting Team manager, driving forward good practice, Practice Teacher Supervising student SW's.

Front-line social work duties, Covering Duty, Initial assessments, Core assessments, Child Protection, Court work and looked after children.