Contracts, Commissioning and Placements Officer

Placement Finding & Brokerage Officer ? Bury (Agile / Hybrid working)
? Full-time – 37 hours per week

We’re recruiting an experienced Placement Finding & Brokerage Officer to join a busy Children’s Commissioning team, playing a vital role in securing high-quality placements for vulnerable children and young people.

This is a key operational role, working at pace and under pressure, where your decisions will directly impact outcomes for children and young people across residential, fostering and supported accommodation settings (pre- and post-18).

About the Role You’ll be part of a team collectively overseeing up to £20m spend on placements and commissioned services, ensuring the right placement is secured at the right time — balancing quality, suitability, location and value for money.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Acting as the first point of contact when a child or young person requires a placement, including same-day and emergency placements
  
  
• Sourcing and securing residential, fostering and supported accommodation placements (pre and post-18)
  
  
• Working closely with social workers, personal advisers, fostering teams and providers
  
  
• Quality-assuring placement referrals to ensure they are accurate, balanced, strength-based and GDPR compliant
  
  
• Carrying out due diligence on providers, including Ofsted checks, references and compliance checks
  
  
• Coordinating placement logistics, including transport and notifications to partner agencies
  
  
• Managing placement contracts, purchase orders, invoices and financial monitoring
  
  
• Producing monthly budget reports, forecasts and reconciliation data
  
  
• Supporting SEN placements, including out-of-borough schools and colleges
  
  
• Maintaining accurate placement databases, provider lists and commissioning data
  
  
• Supporting commissioning, procurement and contract monitoring activity
  
  
• Working collaboratively with regional partners, including Placements North West
  
  

About You You’ll be well-suited to this role if you have:

• Experience working within a local authority or public sector, ideally within Children’s Services or social care
  
  
• Strong knowledge of placements, commissioning, contracting or brokerage
  
  
• Experience managing budgets, contracts, invoices and financial systems
  
  
• Confidence working with complex, high-risk and time-critical situations
  
  
• Excellent communication, negotiation and relationship-building skills
  
  
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to remain calm under pressure
  
  
• A commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people
  
  

Relevant qualifications in commissioning, procurement, management or a related discipline are desirable.

Why Apply?

• Make a real impact on the lives of children and young people
  
  
• Work in a fast-paced, influential role at the heart of Children’s Services
  
  
• Join a collaborative commissioning team with strong regional partnerships
  
  
• Hybrid / agile working model
  
  

How to Apply For more information or to apply, please contact:

? john.deane@servicecare.org.uk

Referral Bonus Know someone perfect for this role?
? Refer a successful candidate and receive £250.