Location: Birmingham
Rate: £28.70 per hour (Umbrella)
Contract: Temporary (3 Months)
Hours: Full-Time
Working Pattern: Hybrid – 1–2 days office-based, 3 days working from home
Pay: Bi-weekly
This role offers a unique opportunity to provide essential operational support within the Children's Placement Service on a 3-month contract. As a Senior Placements Officer, you will be pivotal in managing placement requests and ensuring the effective sourcing of suitable placements for children and young people. Your expertise will guide the team in fostering, supported accommodation, and residential care settings, ensuring high-quality service delivery and optimal outcomes for children.
Placement Duty & Coordination:-
Lead daily operations within the Placement Service.
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Act as the main contact for placement-related inquiries and escalations.
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Support staff in placement discussions and matching decisions.
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Provide operational guidance and manage workflow priorities.
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Referral Screening & Quality Assurance:
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Conduct gatekeeping and quality assurance of referrals.
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Ensure referrals meet service standards and identify risk factors.
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Placement Finding & Brokerage:
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Assist in sourcing foster, residential, and supported accommodation placements.
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Evaluate placement suitability and support sufficiency planning.
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Work Allocation:
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Monitor and allocate workloads within the placements team.
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Ensure efficient distribution of work to maintain service responsiveness.
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Children's Commissioning Support:
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Support commissioning and brokerage activities.
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Contribute to placement planning and market management.
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Partnership Working:
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Collaborate with social workers, team managers, commissioners, and providers.
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Foster positive relationships to achieve the best outcomes for children.
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Problem Solving & Escalations:
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Provide solutions for complex placement challenges.
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Escalate risks and maintain a child-centered approach.
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Performance & Quality:
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Support service targets and quality assurance initiatives.
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Ensure accurate recording of placement activities.
Requirements:
Essential:-
Experience in Children's Placements, Brokerage, Commissioning, or Home Finding.
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Strong understanding of placement matching and commissioning principles.
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Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
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Excellent decision-making and problem-solving skills.
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Desirable:
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Previous duty management experience in a Children's Placements Team.
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Knowledge of Children's Commissioning and Placement Services.
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Previous Local Authority experience.
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Immediate availability is preferred.
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Candidates with current clearances and quick start availability are favored.
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This role does not include line management responsibilities.
