Placement Officer, Rochdale

PossAbilities values lie at the heart of the organisation and are the foundation for everything we do. We're keen to recruit someone who shares the same values and behaviours:

- **Integrity**:

- We communicate openly and honestly and build relationships based on trust, respect and caring.
- **Creativity**:

- We thrive on innovation and encourage positive risk taking.
- **Happy**:

- We believe fun is the key to success.
- **Person centred**:

- We believe that everyone has the right to exercise choice and control in directing their lives and support. We inspire people to achieve greater things.
- **Passionate**:

- We are dedicated and enthusiastic to providing exceptional services.

**Where is the role based?**
The role is based at our Head Office in Heywood, however this post is to cover our Trafford shared lives scheme, as such there is an expectation that you will travel to Trafford as part of your duties. A £1000 (per annum) travel payment is made.

**What are the general duties of a Placement Officer?**
Our Placement Officers have a wide range of duties and tasks.
The main aim of the role is to assist the Family Based Support Manager in ensuring the maintenance, co-ordination and development of the Shared Lives/Support Placement Schemes. To be particularly concerned with the recruitment, assessment, selection, training and ongoing monitoring and support of Carers/Providers.

You can see a brief overview of the duties below:

- To assist in the maintenance and further development of the Shared Lives/Supported Placement Schemes as a means of providing supported accommodation and assist individuals to become tenancy ready (if appropriate). Assisting people to be self-reliant and develop skills to reach their full potential as alternatives to residential care.
- To undertake the recruitment, training, assessment, approval, support and monitoring of carers/providers as required by the Schemes, and in accordance with Schemes procedures.
- To act as a Placement Officer for the designated Shared Lives/Support Placement Schemes carers/providers by carrying out visits, reviews and training, and providing advice, information and ongoing monitoring and support as appropriate.
- To provide information and advice to social workers, Care Managers and other professionals about the day to day availability of suitable resources for people requiring short or long-term supported accommodation.
- To be responsible for the placement of vulnerable young people and adults and consequently to:

- Identify people for whom Shared Lives/Supported Placement may be appropriate living options
- Undertake needs and risk assessments and help determine individual support plans/ELP’s
- Arrange placement introductions
- Monitor placements and carry out placement reviews in conjunction with the Support Officer
- To assist the Manager to liaise with social work/care management teams in order to ascertain the local needs for Shared Lives/Supported Placement Placements and to take appropriate action designed to meet those needs, as far as practicable, within available resources
- To take a lead role in problem solving where difficulties arise in placements and work closely with the person’s Care Manager, Social Worker or Support Worker
- To achieve high standards of practice and to support carers/providers to adhere with policies and procedures as detailed within the Carers Handbook
- To provide advice and information in connection with the Shared Lives/Supported Placement Schemes as required
- To keep the Family based Support Manager fully informed of issues affecting the Schemes

**Rewards**
We offer a competitive salary and benefits packages including a £1000 travel allowance (per annum) plus mileage expenses where required, our salary for a Placement Officer is £23,488 per annum (pro rata for part time). We will pay up to an additional 4% of your salary into a pension plan for you, which will grow every year until you retire.
We provide training and will help you gain your NVQ qualifications, as PossAbilities believe in promoting from within you will also have the chance to progress in your career with us.
You will also receive twenty days paid holiday plus eight statutory bank holidays.
- A certain amount of travel is involved within this role, the driver will be recompensed in line with casual car users allowance_

**Essential Criteria**
- You must have a driving licence and access to your own car
- We do require you to have a NVQ 3 in Health and Social Care or equivalent. - Or the ability to work towards this.

**Salary**: £23,488.00 per year