Placements Officer

Job Title: Placements Officer
Location: Enfield
Service Area: Access to Resources Team – Integrated Children’s Commissioning Service
Working Hours: 9:00am – 5:00pm, Monday to Friday (with flexibility for emergency placements)
Contract Type: Initially 3 months
Salary: £24.50 per hour UMBRELLA (£19 PAYE)

About the Role

The Access to Resources Team is Enfield Council’s External Placements Commissioning Team, responsible for securing placements for children and young people up to 18 years of age.
We are seeking an experienced Placements Officer to join our dedicated team. You will play a vital role in identifying and arranging placements that meet the needs of children and young people in care. The successful candidate will be expected to begin making placements immediately and must be confident working in a fast-paced, sensitive, and confidential environment.
Working under the supervision of the Senior Placements Officer and Team Manager, you will arrange a wide range of placements, including:

• Independent Fostering Agencies (IFAs)
• Residential Placements
• Special Educational Needs placements
• Welfare Secure Placements

In this role, flexibility is key — while standard hours are 9am–5pm, team members are expected to remain available in emergency situations to ensure suitable placements are identified.

Key Responsibilities

• Play an active role as a member of the Integrated Children’s Commissioning Service, contributing to team objectives and priorities.
• Develop and maintain work programmes to ensure all tasks are completed within agreed timescales and standards.
• Assist in designing and implementing effective systems and information flows, both electronic and manual.
• Represent the Access to Resources Team in relevant corporate groups and meetings.
• Ensure compliance with Council financial policies and procedures.
• Safeguard the external placements budget by guiding operational social work staff on the most cost-effective placement options.
• Contribute to the development, monitoring, and review of the team plan.
• Maintain and update approved provider lists, contracts, and associated records for children’s agency placements.
• Attend meetings to determine the best outcomes for Looked After Children in external provisions, particularly for complex cases.
• Undertake any other duties as reasonably required by management.
• Carry out all duties in full compliance with the Council’s policies, procedures, and safeguarding standards.

About You To be successful in this role, you will have:

• Proven experience working within a Placements Team or similar environment within Children’s Services.
• Strong organisational and communication skills.
• A proactive approach, with the ability to manage sensitive information confidentially.
• Experience of commissioning and placement processes for children’s services.
• The ability to build positive relationships with providers, social workers, and other stakeholders.

If you are interested in this role and would like to apply, please caontact Nicola at Nicola.mansfield@servicecare.org.uk or on 01772 208964