Placement Officer

**What's involved with this role**:
**Interim Placement Officer - Childrens Services**
**Reference no: Bath RQ827828**
**Pay rate £20.09 per hour PAYE**
**This opening assignment is for 3 months**
**Enhanced DBS disclosure required** The Placements and Purchasing Officer will be responsible for managing and monitoring both referrals and contracts in relation to placements provided for Looked After Children and children with multiple and complex needs within Children & Family Services. The post holder will ensure that purchasing is undertaken on the basis that placements meet needs, deliver appropriate outcomes, achieve value for money and provide a quality service to children and young people Key responsibilities:

- 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.
- To 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.
- To ensure that provisions where placements are made meet quality expectations, through visits, reporting where deficiencies are evident
- To 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

**“Role Requirements” - to give yourself the maximum chance of success please try and ensure your CV addresses the following essential criteria**:

- Educated to degree level or vocational equivalent
- Specialist knowledge of procuring services for vulnerable people
- Knowledge of children looked after legislation
- Experience of commissioning children's placements
- Significant experience of working within a social care setting at a management level
- Analytical skills
- Ability to work independently using their own initiative, as well as function within a wider team

**by quoting the job reference and job title exactly. SEE DETAILS AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS AD.**
**To help speed up the process of uploading your CV to the client we would suggest that you send us your CV in Word format (or equivalent) if possible, rather than as a PDF**
**_._**
**If you are successful in securing this role, please note that for the entire duration of this contract, regardless of extension you will be working this role at the PAYE rate that has been advertised. For absolute clarity, we only work on a PAYE basis, rather than entertaining umbrella pay terms, we do not offer Ltd/umbrella or outside IR35 rates. If you wish to understand PAYE vs Umbrella more, please let us know and we can send you some additional information for clarity.**

**Other “Essential Requirements” - Please check to ensure that your CV addresses the following items**:

- **Our clients are generally seeking applicants who are reasonably local, so on that basis we would ideally like you to supply us with your address (or at least your post code) and a telephone number so that we can reach you during working hours.**
- Your recent UK working experience going back at least 5 years, or full employment history if you have been working for fewer years than this.
- Your availability to work either immediately, or at short notice.
- Unless the DBS requirement stated above is for a Basic Disclosure, your DBS must be either through us or be accompanied by a subscription to the DBS updating service.
- Please refer to the Role Requirements section above - your CV must address the requirements listed.

**Other preferable/desirable details to include on your CV, if applicable**:

- Any local authority/public sector experience
- Any relevant qualifications held or being studied for.

**Job Ref: Bath RQ827828**

**Anticipated Length of Assignment**: Unless otherwise stated (we do carry the occasional permanent vacancy) all of our roles are technically temporary, though opening assignments can be and often are, extended by clients on a longer term basis and can sometimes become permanent.