Placement Officer
Fixed Term, Full Time
£28,220 to £33,200 per annum
Location: Chelmsford
Working Style:
Please note that this role is being offered as a fixed term contract or secondment opportunity for up to 12 months.
Interviews will be held w/c 9th February 2026.
Children and Families is recognised as a service in which social work can develop and prosper, with a culture of collaboration, integrity, and compassion; promoting development and wellbeing of children, young people, and their families; protecting them from neglect and abuse. Working together with partners delivering a range of early help, family support and effective social work interventions which build resilience, remove barriers, and enable children and young people to look forward to a brighter future.
The Role:
The Placement Officer is part of a team working to identify, match and commission suitable in house or external placements, care and support packages for children and young people in care and those in need of support or accommodation. The Placement Officer will have extensive contact with children’s social workers, foster carers and other placement providers to ensure placements are identified and well matched, as well as completing the administrative processes associated with placement making.
What you will do:
1. Liaise with social workers, foster carers, and placement providers to identify carefully matched placements, care and support packages in accordance with the child/young person’s care plan, that considers the child/young person’s health, education, cultural, ethnic, religious and therapeutic needs.
2. To be part of duty rota arrangements both office based and remotely.
3. Hold a caseload of placement finding activity, ensuring that identified placements offer the child/young person care and support in a safe and stable environment that complies with all required regulation. Ofsted.
4. In conjunction with the child/young person’s Social Worker complete written referrals for the placement search. This also involves using relevant documents, and liaising with other involved professionals (including foster carers/current placement).
5. Responsible for ensuring all relevant documentation. referral, risk assessment, care plan is received from the child/young person’s allocated social worker and as appropriate this is shared with the foster carer/care provider.
6. Complete agreed administrative processes, notifications and recordings on placements being made.
7. To be part of assigned link for field-based quadrant office that in the future would require travel to/from another local office.
8. Build strong working relationships across the Council, providers, members of other statutory and organisations and voluntary agencies.
Knowledge, Skills, and Experience:
9. Educated to RQF level 3 (GCSE) or equivalent by experience.
10. Evidence of development within role and knowledge in the relevant professional area.
11. Experience of working in a supportive relationship with children, young people, carers and families.
12. An awareness of problems and issues that can impact on children and families. trauma, neglect, poverty, bereavement, disability.
13. Ability to assess and match children and young people’s needs to appropriate placements, understanding and using risk assessments in placement finding activity, in consultation with senior staff within the Placement Service.
14. Experience of collaborating with other professionals and agencies for the benefit of children/young people.
15. Competence in the use of all forms of IT and the ability to communicate clearly, both written and verbal.
Why Essex? As one of the largest and most dynamic UK local authorities, Essex offers a stimulating public service environment. Covering over 1,420 square miles and serving 1.8 million residents, we’re committed to transformational change and delivering better quality at lower cost. Recognised in the top three of the latest IMPOWER index for productivity, we ensure everyone matters in. With flexible working options and a focus on innovation, whether you are looking to develop your career or contribute to the local community, Essex is the ideal place for you.
In February 2025, Greater Essex was accepted onto the Government’s devolution priority programme, which will see local authorities in Essex work towards establishing a Mayoral Combined County Authority by May 2026. You can read more about ) on our careers site
Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We’re committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our Recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments during the process. We’re also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying.
Once you’ve secured your role within Essex County Council you will receive many great employee benefits, including support for unpaid carers and flexible working arrangements to accommodate their needs.
At Essex County Council, we value integrity and ethical behaviour. We kindly ask that you embrace our code of conduct and the, including throughout the recruitment process. Your commitment to these standards helps us maintain a positive and respectful workplace for everyone.
Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.
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