Host Family Senior Executive

The Host Family Senior Executive is responsible for the day-to-day delivery, coordination and continuous improvement of the Academy host family provision. The role helps ensure that Academy players and trialists who live away from home are placed in safe, suitable and supportive accommodation, with their welfare, safeguarding and individual needs at the centre of each placement.

Working closely with players, parents and guardians, host families, the Safeguarding Team, Player Support colleagues and wider Academy staff, the postholder will manage placements from initial host assessment and onboarding through to ongoing monitoring, support, review and, where required, placement moves. The role also maintains accurate records and provides clear communication so that the Club can respond promptly to welfare concerns and deliver a consistent, high-quality experience.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the recruitment, assessment, approval and onboarding of new host families, including home assessments, references, local authority checks, DBS processes and required training.
• Present host assessments and placement information to the appropriate panel for approval, ensuring documentation is complete, accurate and clearly sets out any identified risks or support needs.
• Coordinate and contribute to matching decisions for players and trialists, taking account of welfare, safeguarding, practical, cultural and individual needs.
• Prepare and maintain placement plans and agreed support arrangements between the player, host family, parent or guardian and the Club.
• Undertake regular home visits to players in host placements and meet players at Academy sites to understand their experience, identify concerns and agree appropriate actions.
• Maintain regular communication with parents and guardians about their child’s host placement and respond professionally to questions or concerns.
• Act as a first point of contact for day-to-day issues relating to host family arrangements, escalating safeguarding or welfare concerns promptly in line with Club policy.
• Arrange alternative placements and manage placement moves where a placement is no longer suitable or breaks down, supporting the player and host family through the transition.
• Coordinate accommodation for trialists, including identifying a suitable host, introducing the parties and confirming practical arrangements before arrival.
• Attend weekly PDP player wellbeing meetings and contribute updates and actions to individual support planning.
• Attend and help deliver regular Host Family Forums, training and updates, supporting hosts to understand expectations and good practice.
• Issue the weekly PDP schedule to host families to support planning and communication with players.
• Maintain accurate records of placements, host availability, holidays and alternative arrangements, including the relevant Outlook calendar and Club systems.
• Complete timely visit records, placement plans, assessment documents and case notes, including recording information on Club recording systems.
• Coordinate host family payment information and seek the necessary approval so that payments can be calculated and processed accurately.
• Manage renewal activity for existing hosts, including DBS renewals, updated checks, documentation and training requirements.
• Work with the People team to facilitate safer recruitment checks and keep evidence of checks in line with information governance requirements.
• Support the onboarding and welcoming of players joining the Club who use host provision and work with Academy recruitment and player support colleagues to enable an effective transition.
• Contribute to activities that help players develop independent living skills and prepare for future transitions.
• Provide reasonable out-of-hours advice and support to host families and players as required by the role and maintain a flexible approach to visits and appointments.
• Provide cover and support across the Safeguarding and Player Support functions during periods of absence, where appropriate to the postholder’s competence and responsibilities.
• Undertake other reasonable duties that are consistent with the level and purpose of the role.

Knowledge

• Strong practical knowledge of safeguarding children and young people, including recognising, recording, sharing and escalating concerns appropriately.
• Knowledge of safer recruitment and suitability-checking processes relevant to adults caring for or accommodating children and young people.
• Knowledge of child and adolescent development and an understanding of how individual circumstances can affect a young person’s needs and behaviour.
• Understanding of confidentiality, information sharing, data protection and safe record-keeping in a welfare or safeguarding environment.
• Understanding of the pressures that can arise in an elite sport environment and the potential impact on children and young people is desirable.
• A relevant social care, welfare, safeguarding or related qualification, or equivalent substantial experience.

Specialist Skills

• Demonstrable ability to assess the suitability of carers, hosts or accommodation for children and young people and to produce clear written recommendations.
• Ability to manage multiple live placements, visits, checks, deadlines and changing priorities with a high level of accuracy and ownership.
• Ability to conduct sensitive welfare conversations, identify risk, make proportionate recommendations and escalate matters without delay where needed.
• Strong written skills, including producing visit records, placement plans, assessment reports, support plans and concise updates for decision-making forums.
• Competent use of Microsoft Office and the ability to learn Club systems used for case management, records, scheduling and communication.
• Full driving licence and the ability to travel regularly to host family homes and Club sites.

People Skills

• Ability to build and sustain trusted, appropriate and professional relationships with children and young people, parents and guardians, host families and colleagues.
• Clear, calm and empathetic communication, including when managing sensitive, urgent or emotionally challenging situations.
• Ability to coordinate the day-to-day activity of multiple stakeholders and ensure actions are understood, owned and completed.
• Confidence to provide guidance, training and constructive challenge to host families while maintaining positive working relationships.
• Collaborative approach, working effectively with Safeguarding, Player Support, Academy Recruitment, Finance, People and Compliance and other Club teams.
• High standards of discretion, reliability, personal accountability and professional boundaries.

External Impact

• Represent the Club professionally when visiting host family homes and engaging with parents, guardians, prospective hosts, local authorities and external agencies.
• Build confidence in the Club’s host family provision through timely communication, consistent standards and appropriate follow-through on agreed actions.
• Maintain the Club’s reputation for safeguarding and player welfare by ensuring that external relationships and placement decisions reflect Club policy and values.
• Contribute to positive and respectful relationships with organisations and professionals involved in checks, referrals, support or accommodation arrangements.

Decision Making

• Plan and prioritise own caseload, visits, checks, placement activity and routine communications within agreed procedures and deadlines.
• Make day-to-day recommendations about host suitability, placement matching, support arrangements and practical solutions, supported by evidence and clear records.
• Use professional judgement to distinguish between routine placement issues and matters requiring immediate safeguarding or management escalation.
• Respond to emerging placement difficulties and coordinate alternative arrangements in a timely way, escalating significant risk, cost or policy issues.
• Balance the needs and views of players, parents and guardians, host families and the Club while keeping safeguarding and player welfare as the primary consideration.

Innovation

• Identify practical improvements to host recruitment, assessment, onboarding, monitoring, communication and record-keeping processes.
• Use feedback from players, parents and guardians, host families and colleagues to strengthen the host family experience and reduce repeated issues.
• Contribute ideas, resources and learning to Host Family Forums and training activity.
• Support the development of clearer templates, guidance, tracking and handover arrangements that improve consistency and service resilience.
• Share learning from placements and emerging themes with relevant colleagues so that risks can be addressed and good practice embedded.

General Club Accountabilities

• To comply with all Club policies, including health and safety, data regulations and other legal, ethical and social requirements.
• To build and maintain good working relationships while maintaining a professional image.
• To keep confidential any information gained regarding the Club and its personnel.
• To always maintain a flexible approach to work.

Inclusion Statement

Brentford FC is proud to be an organisation that values equity, diversity and inclusion. We strive to create a culture that celebrates difference and ensures fairness, safety, representation, and belonging. We recognise that some groups remain underrepresented in our workforce and are actively working to change this. As part of that commitment, we strongly encourage applications from people of all backgrounds — particularly those from ethnically diverse communities, women, LGBTQ+ individuals, and disabled people. We’re committed to a fair and inclusive recruitment process, with all decisions made based on merit and suitability — regardless of background or protected characteristic. Should you be selected for interview, we welcome the opportunity to discuss any specific arrangements, accommodations or reasonable adjustments you may require to be made.

Safeguarding Statement

Brentford FC is fully committed to promoting equality, and to safeguarding the welfare of all children and adults at risk. Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility and is a core part of the Club’s culture. All staff and volunteers share a collective duty to create and maintain a safe and supportive environment, both on and off the field. To ensure this, all staff are required to complete regular safeguarding training appropriate to their role. This training supports a proactive and informed approach to safeguarding practice. The successful candidate will be expected to understand, adhere to, and actively uphold all relevant safeguarding policies and procedures. This includes recognising signs of abuse or harm, responding appropriately, and reporting any concerns in a timely manner to the Club’s Safeguarding Team. Brentford FC operates safer recruitment practices. We remind individuals that it is a criminal offence for a person barred from engaging in regulated activity to apply for a role that involves such activity.