Placements Officer

Placements Officer needed in Bedford, £25ph PAYE - Reference:

• To be accountable and responsible for searching thoroughly and sourcing suitable quality placements, taking full responsibility in managing placement searches for children looked after and care leavers. Including for complex cases.
• To quality assure placement referral search forms, provider documents, checking providers have been regulated and highlighting where this isn't the case.
• To manage competing demands and have ability to work in a high-profile area and manage and prioritise requests.
• To ensure service managers approval for all searches and commissioned placement packages.
• To negotiate packages and costing with external providers.
• To collaborate with social work teams, particularly the fostering team, when trying to source placements to ensure options internally are exhausted before looking externally.
• To manage a range of database systems to record and maintain up to date information about providers, commissioned packages, external placements and develop infrastructure for effective use of this information.
• To contribute to tender/framework development, evaluation and monitoring.
• To record, maintain, analyse and share data for management and budgetary information and other monitoring data including attending resource panel, monitoring meetings as required. Including but not limited to Freedom of information requests, auditing, reviews.
• To manage respite requests from in house foster carers and find suitable respite matches.
• To communicate with compassion and confidentiality as often placements made be of a sensitive nature.
• To manage payments to external stakeholders for placement packages.
• To communicate clearly with external stakeholders and respond to payment queries.

This is a full time role on a temporary contract basis.

Essential Employment is an Equal Opportunities Employer.

All roles may be subject to pre-employment checks including references.