Fostering Placements Officer in Birmingham

Placements Officer – Fostering Service

We have an exciting opportunity for a Placements Officer to join our fostering service.

As a Placements Officer, you will play a key role in identifying and securing high‑quality placements for children in care, ensuring their individual needs and wellbeing remain at the heart of every decision.

You will balance achieving the best possible outcomes for children and young people with delivering services that represent best value.

Working as part of a dedicated Placements Team, you will collaborate closely with social workers, foster carers, providers, and partner agencies to coordinate suitably matched placements and services.

You will provide professional advice and information, helping to ensure children and young people are placed in environments that best support their safety, stability, and long‑term development.

You will be responsible for identifying, matching, negotiating, and arranging appropriate placements and support services, ensuring they meet the assessed needs of children, young people and their families.

Through effective partnership working and a commitment to continuous improvement, you will help secure positive outcomes while ensuring the efficient use of resources within a best‑value framework.

This is a rewarding opportunity for an organized and proactive professional who is passionate about making a difference in the lives of children and young people.

Birmingham Children’s Trust has been rated “Good” by Ofsted following a 2023 inspection, a fantastic achievement that reflects the quality of staff leadership, partnership working, safeguarding and corporate parenting.

Note: This role requires participation in a duty system and is hybrid working.

You must be office based when required in Birmingham, UK and possess the correct right‑to‑work documents to work in the UK.

We do not support sponsors or visas.

About You

• Have responsibility for managing and organising a caseload of children who require planned and emergency placements into our fostering service.
• Find foster homes for our children by building relationships with foster carers and supporting them to be matched with children.
• Work closely with the Placements team and other Trust partners.
• Support maximising utilisation of our foster homes to ensure children can be placed locally, near their schools and communities.
• Have knowledge of legislation and guidance governing placements of children in care, preferably as a social worker, residential worker or previous safeguarding role.
• Be proficient in IT, able to interrogate multiple applications, multi‑task and work under pressure.
• Maintain effective and concise case recording and update various information systems relating to placements.
• Have experience with the Trust’s operating systems – Eclipse and Charms would be beneficial.
• Have experience of working within or a connection with fostering would be desirable.

Interview date: To be confirmed.

Onboarding

Process: The successful candidate will be required to undergo a series of background checks with Experian, including Experian DBS, Experian Right‑to‑Work, and Digital ID verification.

• Our Benefits
• A generous annual leave package of 30 days annual leave, plus bank holidays, rising to 33 days after 5 years of service and 35 days after 10 years of service.
• Free on‑site parking at our offices on One Avenue Road (Aston) and Lifford House (Stirchley) and free on‑site electric car charging ports.
• Full access to our internal employee benefits scheme, including Occupational Health services, Rewards Schemes, Benefits discounts, Blue Light Card, Health & Fitness and Personal Wellbeing support.
• Flexible and hybrid working policy – a combination of time spent in the office and at home with a variety of working patterns.
• Pension Scheme – you will receive a generous local government career average pension scheme in line with the local government pension scheme.

Why Join Us?

• Impactful Work – be part of a team that makes a real difference in vulnerable children’s lives.
• Supportive Environment – enjoy a supportive and collaborative work culture where your contributions are valued.
• Career Development – benefit from tailored development programmes, supportive supervision and learning opportunities to enhance your skills.
• Generous Benefits – take advantage of our competitive reward package including generous leave allowance and local government pension scheme.

Our Values

We approach our work with care and compassion, actively listening to the needs of the children and young people we serve.

We involve them in the decisions that affect their lives, ensuring their voices are heard and respected.

We are committed to using our resources wisely, ensuring that every penny is spent where it counts the most.

We foster collaboration among schools, health professionals, and the police to create a supportive network for our young people.

We believe that when we work as one cohesive team, the children and young people of Birmingham are more likely to thrive.

Together, we can create a brighter future for all.

Safeguarding

Depending on the role, you may be asked to undergo the appropriate level of Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

The level (Standard, Enhanced or Enhanced with Barred List) is determined by specific responsibilities and the level of contact with children.

We are committed to the fair treatment of all applicants, including those with criminal records.

Having a criminal record will not necessarily bar an individual from working with us; it depends on the nature of the position and the circumstances.

Please note that we reserve the right to close the job early if we reach the required number of applications, so submit your application and supporting statement early.

Please contact Laura Jarrett for further information about this role: Laura. Jarrett@birminghamchildrenstrust. co. uk

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