Placement Officer

Job Title: Placement Officer
Starting Salary: £34,434 progressing to £37,280 per annum (pro rata for part time) – pay award pending
Hours: 37.0

We will consider someone wanting to work part time hours. Minimum 22.2 hours per week.

Location: Hertfordshire

This is a hybrid role. There may be some travel requirements. Base location is Farnham house therefore the postholder will be required to attend meetings at Farnham house when required.

Contract Type: Fixed Term - This is a 12-month contract.
Directorate: Childrens Services

About the team

The Housing Brokerage Team within Specialist Services ensures care leavers and families receive high-quality, timely support and accommodation tailored to their needs. The team works under the guidance of service heads to assess, manage risk, and facilitate access to appropriate resources.

The team develops, delivers, and reviews services that safeguard care leavers, enhance their life chances, and secure high-quality placements with trained and supported carers. Additionally, they oversee the efficient operation of services, ensuring high performance, cost-effectiveness, and alignment with national legislation and guidance.

About the role

This role involves identifying, brokering, and monitoring placements for care leavers and young people based on assessed needs, ensuring services are tailored, cost-effective, and meet high-quality standards. It requires close collaboration with agencies and stakeholders to secure placements that maximize positive outcomes.

Additionally, the role contributes to service development by identifying gaps in provision and working with strategic commissioning to expand placement options for care leavers and homeless families.

Operating in a fast-paced, multi-agency environment—including health, voluntary organisations, local councils, and the independent sector—this position demands strong organisational skills, the ability to work under pressure, and a proactive approach to problem-solving.

Responsibilities include overseeing placements for care leavers managing the efficient procurement of external placements while monitoring costs and maintaining systems for assessing and ensuring placement quality through visits, complaint investigations, and provider evaluations. Administrative support, including duty tasks and inbox management, is also required to meet service needs effectively.

About you

Essential:

• Strong analytical skills to assess and utilize information effectively, ensuring tailored placements and care packages that enhance outcomes for young people.
• Excellent telephone communication skills, adept at managing high-pressure conversations, de-escalating anxiety, and fostering productive discussions with referrers and providers.
• Ability to remain calm and solution-focused when handling emergency referrals, ensuring swift and effective placement decisions.
• Proficient in producing clear, well-structured written information.
• Confident and articulate communicator, capable of constructively challenging social work practices and decision-making.
• Skilled in negotiation, able to engage effectively with external providers, senior managers, and social workers to secure the best possible outcomes for young people.
• Ability to build and maintain positive relationships with a diverse range of stakeholders, fostering effective collaboration.
• Strong problem-solving skills, demonstrating initiative and creativity in addressing placement challenges.
• Strong data literacy, leveraging information to support strategic placement decisions that drive positive outcomes for care leavers.
• Proficient in using ICT systems for recording, communication, and research to inform placement choices.

Desirable:

• Skilled in researching and identifying alternative provisions to meet individual needs.
• Experience of working in a complex multi-agency environment including work with health, voluntary and community sector, District and Borough Councils and the independent sector.
• Experience of working within a housing or supported accommodation environment with knowledge of housing and homelessness legislation.
• Driving Licence and access to a vehicle.

If you’re ready to take on a rewarding role that makes a tangible difference, join us and become a key part of a service committed to securing the best outcomes for care leavers and young people through effective placement and care solutions.

We welcome applications from candidates who currently reside in the UK with established proof of right to work documentation. We are not able to offer sponsorship at this time for this role.

This job role is within the Health and Social Care Services, level HSC9 job profile. Please locate this via:

Job profiles - Health and social care

To hear more about this opportunity please contact Thomas Snell (thomas.snell@hertfordshire.gov.uk)

Interview Date: 8th and 9th September

Benefits of working for us

How to apply

As part of your application, please upload your most recent CV. Ensure your CV is up to date with your employment history (including any employment gaps), and including any training/qualifications. We encourage you to include examples of where you have demonstrated the requirements/criteria in the advert / job profile to allow the panel to fully recognise your skills and abilities. You will have the opportunity to include a short covering paragraph within your application to give us a little more information about your skills, knowledge, and experiences.

Secondment
This position is open to secondments. If you work for HCC or any other Local Authority and would like to be considered as a Secondment contract, please ensure you complete the Secondment Form as part of your application. If you do not, your application will be considered as a Fixed Term Contract only.

Additional information

Disability Confident
We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer and guarantee an interview to anyone disclosing a disability whose application meets the minimum criteria for the post.

Safeguarding
This role has been identified as requiring a Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check.

English Fluency
The ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post (for those whose language is a signed language the provision of a sign language interpreter who speaks English to the necessary standard of fluency will be required). Further information about the legal requirement can be found here.