About the Role
and our Ideal Candidate
We have an exciting opportunity to join us as a Placement Officer within the Placement Team in the Children’s Social Care service at Sutton. Our objective is to ensure children and young people are placed safely and appropriately, promoting stability and positive outcomes through effective collaboration and care planning. We strive to deliver high-quality, responsive placement services that support safeguarding and well-being.. Reporting to the Placement Team Manager, your responsibilities will include:
1. Managing a busy caseload, ensuring all placements are appropriate, safe, and meet regulatory standards.
2. Assessing and matching children with appropriate placements swiftly and effectively, considering their safety, needs, and preferences.
3. Keeping accurate and detailed records of placements, decisions, and communications to ensure transparency and accountability.
4. Responding promptly to emergencies or urgent placements, demonstrating the ability to work efficiently under pressure.
5. Developing and maintaining strong working relationships with social workers and other professionals involved in children’s care.
6. Contributing to safeguarding processes by ensuring all placements are suitable and children’s welfare is prioritized at all times.
As a Placement Coordinator, you will play a key role in overseeing the coordination of placements and care planning, ensuring that procedures are followed and quality assurance standards are met. You will lead and support your team in their work and collaborate effectively with multi-agency professionals to secure safe and appropriate placements for children and young people. This role presents dynamic challenges within a diverse environment, offering opportunities to expand your knowledge and skills within children’s social care. Our teams are known for their ability to develop tailored placement plans that prioritise the needs and voices of children, working closely with professionals, families, carers, and external agencies to achieve positive outcomes and safeguard the welfare of those in our care.
Our Ideal Candidate
This role is a great opportunity for individuals with strong organisational skills, resilience, and a proactive approach, who value safeguarding, collaboration, and making a positive impact on children’s lives. It is ideal for experienced professionals such as social care coordinators, case managers, or those with a background in child welfare, who are looking to step into a role with greater responsibility and autonomy within a Local Authority setting.
Whether you are an experienced Placement Coordinator or seeking to advance your career in children’s social care, you will be supported through coaching, mentoring, and leadership development to ensure you understand and embody the Sutton way of safeguarding and placement planning. We aim to equip you with the skills and confidence needed to succeed and make a meaningful difference.
We would expect candidates to fulfill the competencies including (but not limited to):
7. Experience of coordinating placements within a children’s social care setting, including working closely with social workers, care providers, and external agencies to secure suitable placements.
8. Strong understanding of placement planning, safeguarding policies, and the ability to match children’s needs with appropriate care options such as foster care, residential homes, or semi-independent settings.
9. Proven ability to manage multiple priorities, work effectively under pressure, and respond swiftly to urgent placement needs.
10. Excellent communication and negotiation skills to collaborate with multi-agency teams and ensure positive outcomes for children.
11. Demonstrated success in building relationships, influencing decision-making, and maintaining high standards of quality and compliance in placement processes.
About Us The Placements Team is a dedicated and vital part of Sutton’s Children’s Social Care service. We are responsible for identifying and coordinating suitable external residential and family placements for children and young people aged 0-18, including foster care, supported accommodation for young people aged 16 and over, and providing ongoing support to young people leaving care to secure safe and stable step-down accommodation. Our team works tirelessly to ensure that every child and young person in our care is placed in environments that promote their safety, well-being, and development. We collaborate closely with a range of external providers, multi-agency partners, and internal teams to deliver tailored, high-quality placement solutions that meet individual needs. Committed to safeguarding and achieving positive outcomes, we strive to create a supportive and nurturing environment where children and young people feel secure, valued, and empowered to reach their full potential. Our Offer To You
As an organisation that values and nurtures talent, we’re committed to helping you fulfil your potential and will offer you a supportive, friendly and collaborative environment to grow and develop your career and skills. We’re constantly striving to improve our ways of working so putting your ideas across however big or small; will be fully encouraged and supported by your colleagues and our dynamic and experienced management team.
Employees have access to a wide range of benefits to enable staff to achieve a work life balance, some of which include:
12. A generous annual leave entitlement of 26-31 days plus bank holidays (pro-rata if part-time working hours apply) depending on service and grade
13. Enhanced Maternity, paternity, shared parental, adoption and dependents leave
14. Two volunteering days per year
15. Flexible Working - Smarter Working Scheme (dependent on the role)
16. Adjustable and agile working arrangements using Google Chromebooks
17. Learning and development portal offering a range of courses
18. Discounts on a range of local shops, restaurants, gyms and leisure centres
19. Interest free season ticket loans
20. Local Government Pension Scheme
21. Bicycle loan facilities and cycle to work scheme
22. Zip car scheme
23. Confidential health & wellbeing and counselling support