Placement Officer
Initial 3-month contract
37 hours per week
£28 per hour (Umbrella) (£21 PAYE an hour)
Sutton Council is seeking an experienced Placement Officer to join its Fostering Service on an initial 3-month contract, supporting the effective placement of children and young people into foster care.
This is a fast-paced role requiring excellent coordination skills, sound judgement, and a strong understanding of fostering and placement processes within a local authority setting.
Key Responsibilities
Identify, coordinate, and secure appropriate foster placements for children and young people in line with care plans and statutory requirements
Work closely with social workers, fostering teams, providers, and partner agencies to ensure timely and suitable placements
Maintain accurate placement records and ensure compliance with internal procedures and regulatory standards
Contribute to placement matching, stability planning, and placement reviews
Respond to placement requests, including urgent and unplanned placements
Support effective communication between internal teams and external fostering providersEssential Requirements
Previous experience working as a Placement Officer or in a similar placements role within Children’s Services / Fostering
Strong knowledge of fostering placements, safeguarding, and local authority processes
Ability to work under pressure and manage competing priorities
Excellent communication and organisational skills
Experience using local authority case management systems (e.g. Liquidlogic, Mosaic – desirable)