Children's Placement Support Officer

4Recruitment Services are seeking to recruit a Children’s Placement Support Officerto work for our client based in Barnsley.

You will be required to:

• work as part of the placements team in identifying and maintaining suitable placements for children and young people coming into the care of the local authority.
• have the ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders including Social Care and Health colleagues, providers of residential children’s homes, fostering and 16+ semi-independent accommodation.
• manage competing priorities and work in a demanding but rewarding role within Barnsley’s established children’s placements team.
• be part of a team responsible for processing referrals for Looked After Children and Young people who require a placement/setting to live.
• liaise directly with a range of providers to secure appropriate and suitable placements for Barnsley children and young people.

This post will also work with the lead commissioner for Children's placements and will support working with existing and developing new providers as part of our approach in managing placement sufficiency.
  
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE:

• Process referrals for Looked After Children and Young people who require a placement/setting to live
• Liaise directly with a range of providers to secure appropriate and suitable placements for Barnsley children and young people.
• Work with the lead commissioner for Children’s placements and support working with existing and developing new providers as part of the approach in managing placement sufficiency.
• Identify suitable placements to meet assessed need in consultation with other internal stakeholders and managers.
• Support and maintain the development and updating of systems for the compilation of statistical data.
• Support the process of contract completion, compliance and monitoring in respect of independent fostering and residential placements.
• Support the lead commissioning officer on quality assurance and the contract completion and compliance processes.
• Support the payment process for independent providers to ensure prompt and accurate payments are made.
• Attend meetings as required and undertake any identified actions. Provide support as required to the outcomes of any relevant panels which may be identified for the support of children’s placements.
• Provide information from the data-bases to assist with internal reports, external enquiries and any other appropriate data requests.

ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Extensive experience in delivering either administrative support to children’s services or direct work with children and families such as family support work or youth work.
• Demonstrable experience of working with digital payment or performance systems.
• Experience working in children’s services or a related field.
• Minimum of 12 months recent experience in a similar role or context and ideally within a public sector organisation.
• Ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders including Social Care and Health colleagues, providers of residential children’s homes, fostering and 16+ semi-independent accommodation.
• An enhanced DBS

 
What we offer:

• 24 hour one on one specialist consultant based within your geographical area
• 4Recruitment Services Employee Benefits Programme
• Our own dedicated payroll support ensuring you get the full benefits of your payment

Recruitment is done in line with safe recruitment practices. 4Recruitment Services is an equal opportunities employer.

To discuss this vacancy in further detail or any other vacancies, please contact our Team on or email  .