Childrens Placement and Quality Officer

Grade 6  Salary £ 30,711 - £ 33,948 pa - 6 x month Fixed Term Contract/Secondment Opportunity.

About us:

Havering Council is determined to deliver integrated health and social care services to our community across Adults and Children’s social care and Public Health services, of the highest possible quality. As such we are always looking for innovative solutions backed by efficient implementation of change.

The Joint Commissioning Unit is responsible for developing a strategic approach to commissioning, working jointly with operational teams, neighbouring authorities, the Clinical Commissioning Group and Public Health. The team is responsible for the day to day placement of looked after children in a range of settings, ensuring that provision is of the highest quality and provides value for money.

About you:

The post holder will need to be an organised, energetic and enthusiastic individual who has experience in communicating to a wide audience. The post holder will need to work well in a pressurised environment and be able to prioritise her/his own workload.

The post holder should demonstrate the following:

• Brokerage experience in children’s social services or similar setting

• Experience of working in a team
• Experience of developing a provider market
• Good organisational & communication skills, written verbal and listening

• Excellent negotiation skills
• Ability to match placements with assessed need
• Ability to advise senior managers and social workers on suitability of placements or packages of care
• Ability to utilise supervision and attend training
• Ability to contribute to the service development and maintain high professional standards
• Ability to use computer technology
• Knowledge of child protection and ‘looked after’ children procedures & legal framework, and a good understanding of the Children Act and associated guidance

• Knowledge, understanding and commitment to quality standards
• Knowledge of ‘what works’ in residential and fostering placements for looked after children

 About the job:

 The post is a full time, permanent post and will report to the Children’s Placement and Quality Manager.

 As a Children’s Placement and Quality Officer, the post holder will be required to:

 Assist in the day to day provision of a commissioning service for looked after children and children in need maintaining high professional standards at all times.

• Locate and co-ordinate placement making and packages of care identifying and assessing, both for service quality and value for money, a range of placement provision and maintain relevant resource data base.

• Ensure that provisions where placements are made meet quality expectations, through visits, reporting where deficiencies are evident

• Input to the design of a market that is capable of responding to demand for children’s placements

• Ensure that the communication with the operational service is of high quality and that all necessary protocols and procedures are followed in placing children

• Ensure all management information in regard to placements and their cost is recorded and input to systems as necessary

• Visit providers and ensure that the quality of provision meets required standards

• Report proportionately and effectively on quality of provision, raise issues immediately they are observed in relation to safeguarding

• Ensure links to safeguarding are strong and effective

• Work in partnership with Ofsted in maintaining quality services for children

• Contribute to the development of a strategic response to the need for a vibrant and responsive market for children’s placements

• Remain up to date with legislation, guidance and information in  regard to children’s care

• Ensure contractual arrangements are robust and accessible

• Compile and provide information for mechanisms designed to ensure that placements are appropriate and effective

• Have a good working relationship with providers through positive approaches that deliver strong outcomes

  Have a strong and developed knowledge of the market – using resources effectively to get the best.

   For an informal discussion about the post, please contact Mark Mitchell on 01708 434540.

   The closing date for the receipt of applications is 23.11.2020 however interest in this job may be high and we therefore reserve the right to close the vacancy early.

   You will be notified if your application has been successful.  Interviews are to be confirmed.

   Should you require any help or advice with your online application, please contact the Recruitment Helpdesk on 01708 432770

  Additional Information

The London Borough of Havering is a Disability Confident employer. Candidates who declare that they have a disability in accordance with the Equality Act 2010 and meet the essential criteria as specified in the Job Profile will be guaranteed an interview.

Priority consideration on all advertised roles will be given to London Borough of Havering Redeployees.

The London Borough of Havering is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable groups and expects staff and volunteers to share this commitment. 

Please be aware that a Disclosure and Barring Scheme (DBS) check will be required for any position with access to these groups under the provision of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.

In addition, the Authority reserves the right  to request employees undertake a basic disclosure check (Disclosure Scotland) where required for the role this includes  anyone who has access to (or information obtained directly from) a government database, or has a GCSX account. These posts will be required to have a Basic Disclosure Scotland check as per the requirements of BPSS (Baseline Personnel Security Standards).

Please attach your supporting statement, explaining in no more than x2 A4 sides why and how you meet the criteria for this role.