At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead and coordinate placements for Children in Care and Care Leavers, ensuring best practices.
- Company: Join Dudley Council, a supportive and inclusive workplace dedicated to making a difference.
- Benefits: Competitive daily rate, professional development opportunities, and a chance to impact young lives.
- Other info: Dynamic role with opportunities for growth and collaboration in a fast-paced environment.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in the lives of children while developing your career in social care.
- Qualifications: Experience in children's social care and strong negotiation skills required.
The predicted salary is between 31500 - 38500 £ per year.
Location: Dudley Council
Rate: £160.21 (PAYE) or £209.57 (Umbrella) per day
To oversee and co-ordinate the brokerage of internal and external placement options for Children in Care and Care Leavers, ensuring best practice and best value principles apply. You will provide a placement finding service for children's social work teams and be responsible for managing and organising a caseload of children who require both planned and emergency placements. You will be required to negotiate placement costs with independent fostering agencies, independent residential children's homes and supported accommodation providers among others. You will develop an understanding of the market across children's services and ensure that all brokerage activities are in line with directorate strategies and plans, strategic commissioning principles and operational imperatives. You will be required to manage a small team of Placement Officers and direct the activities of any associated Business Support resources. You will support the development and implementation of systems to track & assure the quality of the commissioned services in line with individual placements and across regional/sub-regional framework agreements, working closely with the Strategic Commissioning Manager, Contracts Officer and Quality and Safety Officer.
Key Responsibilities- Lead and coordinate the sourcing of internal and external placements for Children in Care and Care Leavers, including emergency and planned placements.
- Manage a complex placement brokerage caseload, ensuring timely, suitable and cost-effective placement solutions.
- Negotiate placement costs and terms with fostering agencies, residential providers and supported accommodation providers to achieve best value.
- Develop and maintain positive relationships with providers, social work teams and key stakeholders.
- Monitor placement availability, market capacity and provider performance to support placement sufficiency.
- Manage and support a small team of Placement Officers and oversee associated business support activity.
- Ensure brokerage activity aligns with strategic commissioning priorities, sufficiency plans and operational requirements.
- Support quality assurance, contract monitoring and provider performance management in partnership with Commissioning, Contracts and Quality teams.
- Maintain accurate records, performance data and management reports relating to placements, costs and outcomes.
- Contribute to service improvement, market development and commissioning initiatives.
- Significant experience within children's social care placement brokerage, commissioning, placements or provider management.
- Strong knowledge of Children in Care, Care Leavers, fostering, residential care and supported accommodation services.
- Proven experience negotiating placement costs and securing placements in a challenging market.
- Experience managing staff and coordinating workloads within a fast-paced environment.
- Sound understanding of children's social care legislation, safeguarding and placement sufficiency requirements.
- Strong stakeholder management, communication and relationship-building skills.
- Excellent organisational skills with the ability to manage competing priorities and tight timescales.
- Ability to analyse placement, performance and financial information to support decision-making.
- Proficient in Microsoft Office and case management/database systems.
- Commitment to achieving positive outcomes for children and young people through high-quality, value-for-money placements.
Senior Placements Officer in Dudley employer: Connect2Dudley
Connect2Dudley offers a supportive and inclusive work environment, where employees are valued for their contributions to the community. With a focus on professional development and growth opportunities, staff can thrive in their roles while enjoying a collaborative culture that prioritises teamwork and service excellence. Located in Dudley, this position provides a unique chance to engage with diverse visitors and contribute to essential services, making it a rewarding place to work.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Placements Officer in Dudley
✨Dive into Local Community Groups
Social work thrives on community connections, so get involved in local groups or forums specific to your interests. Whether it’s volunteering at local shelters or joining community action boards, these are great ways to boost your visibility and make direct contacts that could lead to opportunities like the one at Connect2Dudley.
✨Attend Social Work Events and Workshops
Keep an eye out for workshops, seminars, or conferences in social work. These events are fantastic for meeting professionals in the field, learning about emerging trends, and spotting job openings. Plus, you might just bump into someone from Connect2Dudley!
✨Showcase Your Passion and Expertise
Use platforms like Instagram or LinkedIn to share your journey and insights into the social work sector. Whether it’s writing about your experiences or sharing relevant articles, this helps to establish you as an engaged professional. Potential employers, like Connect2Dudley, will notice your enthusiasm!
✨Leverage Your Network
Don’t hesitate to reach out to professors, mentors, or even past colleagues who are in social work. They might have inside knowledge about openings at Connect2Dudley or be able to connect you with someone who’s hiring. Networking is key, especially in a full-time role where relationships matter.
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Placements Officer in Dudley
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion for Social Work:In your cover letter, let us see your passion for social work shine through! Talk about the experiences that made you want to pursue this career—whether it’s volunteering, personal experiences, or academic projects. We want to know why this field matters to you.
Emphasise Relevant Qualifications:Make sure your CV highlights any relevant qualifications, like degrees in social work or certifications like a DBS check. If you've done any workshops or training, don’t forget to include those as well. We're keen to see your commitment to your professional development!
Detail Your Experience with Clients:Since this is a hands-on field, detailing any direct experience you have with clients is crucial. Whether it's internships, volunteer roles, or previous jobs, highlight those experiences in your CV to show us you've got the practical skills necessary for the job!
Tailor Your Application to Connect2Dudley:Before hitting send, make sure to tailor your application specifically to Connect2Dudley! Research our mission and values, and refer to them in your cover letter. This shows us that you understand our work and are genuinely interested in being a part of our team!
How to prepare for a job interview at Connect2Dudley
✨Understanding the Role of Empathy
In social work, understanding and demonstrating empathy is key. Be prepared to share personal experiences or scenarios where you effectively showed compassion and support. This helps show that you genuinely care about the well-being of others, which is crucial in social work.
✨Demonstrating Knowledge of Frameworks
Familiarise yourself with the frameworks and models used in social work, such as the Strengths-Based Approach or the Ecological Perspective. Be ready to discuss how these frameworks apply to your work, especially if you can tie them into real-world examples or case studies you've encountered.
✨Showcasing Your Multi-Disciplinary Skills
In a full-time social work role, you'll often collaborate with healthcare professionals, educators, and law enforcement. Be prepared to describe your teamwork experiences and how you've effectively communicated with other disciplines to achieve the best outcomes for clients.
✨Preparing for Scenario-Based Questions
Expect questions that put you in hypothetical social work situations, such as dealing with a crisis or managing a complex case. Think through your thought process for these scenarios beforehand, considering how you'd assess the situation and what steps you'd take, as this demonstrates your critical thinking and problem-solving abilities.
