Job Details

Job Description

Job Title

Senior Placement Broker (Unqualified)

Reports To

Team Manager

Purpose of the Role

To deliver a responsive, high-quality placements service that secures safe, suitable, and cost-effective placements for children and young people in care. The role is responsible for identifying and sourcing placements that meet children’s emotional, educational, cultural, health, and safeguarding needs while promoting placement stability and achieving the best value for the local authority.

Working collaboratively with social workers, fostering teams, independent providers, and partner agencies, the post holder manages the placement process from referral through to placement confirmation, ensuring compliance with statutory requirements, council policies, and agreed timescales.

Key Responsibilities

Placement Brokerage and Coordination

• Source, coordinate, and secure suitable foster care, residential, supported accommodation, and kinship placements for children and young people.
• Assess referrals and identify placement options that best meet the individual needs of each child.
• Work proactively to minimise placement delays and reduce placement breakdowns.
• Maintain oversight of children awaiting placements and escalate placement risks where appropriate.
• Promote the use of in-house fostering resources and Friends and Family placements wherever suitable, reducing reliance on external providers.

Stakeholder Management

• Build and maintain effective working relationships with social workers, team managers, fostering teams, independent fostering agencies, residential providers, carers, education professionals, health services, and other partner agencies.
• Ensure all stakeholders are kept informed throughout the placement process.
• Take children’s views and wishes into account when identifying appropriate placement options.
• Provide placement updates and briefings to managers and senior leadership when required.

Provider Management and Negotiation

• Liaise with internal and external providers to identify suitable vacancies.
• Negotiate placement fees and support packages to achieve quality placements while ensuring value for money.
• Complete placement agreements and associated documentation within required timescales.
• Monitor provider performance and contribute intelligence regarding the local placement market.

Financial and Contract Management

• Authorise placement payments within delegated authority.
• Apply fostering allowances and payment policies consistently and fairly.
• Monitor expenditure relating to externally commissioned placements and identify opportunities for cost efficiencies.
• Ensure providers and foster carers receive accurate and timely payments.
• Maintain accurate financial records relating to placements.

Case Management and Administration

• Maintain accurate placement records, case notes, financial information, and contracts using Mosaic.
• Ensure referral, placement, movement, and placement ending information is recorded accurately.
• Produce management information and reports to support service planning and performance monitoring.
• Maintain organised and compliant case records at all times.

Service Improvement

• Monitor referral patterns, placement demand, placement stability, and use of independent providers.
• Identify trends, risks, and gaps in placement sufficiency and escalate concerns appropriately.
• Contribute to the development and review of placement and sufficiency strategies.
• Keep up to date with relevant legislation, statutory guidance, Ofsted expectations, and best practice within children’s placements.

Professional Practice

• Work independently while recognising when advice and escalation are required.
• Support and share knowledge with colleagues, including less experienced staff.
• Contribute to supervision, service development, and continuous improvement activities.
• Promote relationship-based practice focused on achieving positive outcomes for children and young people.

Key Working Relationships

• Children’s Social Workers
• Team Managers
• Service Managers
• Foster Carers
• Independent Fostering Agencies
• Residential Care Providers
• Virtual School
• Clinical Teams
• Finance Teams
• Commissioning Teams
• Partner Agencies

Knowledge and Skills

• Strong organisational and prioritisation skills.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building abilities.
• Experience coordinating complex referrals or placement processes.
• Negotiation and influencing skills.
• Ability to analyse information and make informed recommendations.
• Financial awareness and budget monitoring experience.
• Good working knowledge of case management systems, preferably Mosaic.
• High level of accuracy and attention to detail.
• Ability to manage competing priorities within tight deadlines.
• Understanding of safeguarding principles and children’s social care practice.

Key Outcomes

• Suitable placements identified within required timescales.
• Improved placement stability for children and young people.
• Effective use of internal fostering resources.
• Cost-effective placement decisions.
• Accurate financial and placement records.
• Strong relationships with providers and partner agencies.
• Compliance with statutory guidance, council policies, and service standards.