Unqualified Senior Broker LBS-011

Job Category : Social & Health Care Non-Qualified

Location : Talfourd Place, Southwark Council

Hours Per Week : 36.00

Start Date : Immediate Start

Start Time : 09:00

End Time : 17:00
Salary: £25.90

Ensuring our children and young people have the best possible placements that are proportionate to their assessed needs and that help them to achieve their full potential is absolutely key. You will be a very experienced, highly motivated, well organised and determined colleague who understands why we must get placements and support right for our children.

We operate in a fast paced and dynamic market place and your work style and work ethic must reflect this.

CHILDREN’s SERVICES: To work as part of the Access To Resources Team – responding quickly to referrals from Social Work Teams seeking the right placement and support for our children and young people.

This is a hybrid role requiring colleagues to be in the office at least 2 days / week and 5 days for the week when they are on duty

work proactively within the Placements Team to ensure all children are placed in suitable

placements, monitoring referral patterns and use of Independent Fostering Agencies (IFAs), and

ensure that senior managers are alerted to any risks or threats in relation to sufficiency.

2. help develop and manage systems that track all referrals, placements, placement moves and

endings, and ensure that high quality management information is available to assist in the planning

and review of the service.

3. deliver a responsive and efficient service alongside the Fostering Service: ensure that all parties

involved in the referral and placement process are kept fully informed when placements are made,

and that children’s views are taken into account.

4. undertake the sourcing and negotiation of suitable placements, and to contribute information about the

market for health to maintain the quality of services. To keep accurate records and reporting on

placement and financial activities by updating individual case notes on Mosaic.

5. negotiate on placement costs/support packages to ensure cost effective placements. Also ensuring

placements are agreed and placements contracts (IPAs) are completed in a timely manner as well as

Mosaic finances.

6. help put systems in place to ensure foster carers and providers are paid promptly and that any

additional or special payments are processed in a fair and transparent way, in keeping with the

operating principles of the Fostering Payment Policy.

7. track and maintain an overview of all children waiting for placements and monitor progress on

identifying suitable carers. Alert senior managers to any corporate threat or risks relating to the

council’s sufficiency strategy.

8. ensure that information systems are fit for purpose and that high quality management information

can be produced for a range of indicators. Use management information to inform planning and

reviewing the sufficiency strategy.

9. ensure the best use is made of Southwark’s fostering resources, keeping use of external placements

to a minimum and promoting the use of Friends and Family Placements as far as possible.

10. keep abreast of local and national changes to best practice when securing placement’s options for

children and young people including legislative changes and Ofsted guidance.

11. provide placement briefings to the Team Manager and to senior management when requested.

12. provide professional guidance, support and developmental opportunities with less experienced or

knowledgeable social work colleagues, including taking the role of practice educator with social work

students.

13. maintain case records and management information on appropriate systems, ensuring that case files

are organised and up to date.

14. work with a degree of independence without the need for close supervision, whilst recognising when

and how to seek advice from a range of sources. Use supervision to identify strategies to build

professional resilience and balance the potential for bias in decision-making.

15. contribute experience and expertise to group and individual supervision processes, to support

evidence-informed judgements in complex cases.

Knowledge, including educational qualifications:

Must hold a recognised social work qualification or equivalent child care

equivalent qualification

Knowledge of the placement needs of looked after children

A strong interest in promoting permanence and placement stability

Knowledge of safeguarding procedures and key fostering and residential

legislation, guidance and National Minimum Standards E

Knowledge of roles and responsibilities of key children’s agencies

Experience:

Experience of developing and managing information systems and using

data to monitor and evaluate performance

Experience of working with foster carers and a commitment to achieving

placement stability through the development of placement support

services

Experience of interpreting performance data from a complex database to

ensure sound strategic management of the service.

Experience of working on own initiative, organise workloads, determine

priorities and meet deadlines.

Experience of financial and resource management within a social care

environment

Aptitudes, Skills & Competencies:

Ability to analyse, interpret & explain data with a focus and drive on

positive outcomes for children

Ability to motivate staff and deal effectively with any performance issues

Ability to apply work within national and local policies and procedures as

they relate to fostering, and to ensure financial accountability and

transparency

Able to be solution-focused and to work within a systemic framework

Ability to delegate and negotiate where necessary Ability to manage change effectively