Senior Broker Southwark
Job description
Senior Broker Southwark £27/hr Start Date : 24/07/2023 - 3 months This is a hybrid role requiring colleagues to be in the office at least 2 days / week and 5 days for the week when they are on duty PURPOSE OF THE JOB To develop and provide a flexible and high quality Placements Service with the purpose of: improving placement choice and stability for children in care; improving the experience of social workers, foster carers and children in identifying suitable placements; delivering the best possible value to the Council in terms of cost and quality of placements. To provide bespoke packages of practical support to foster carers, young people and families in the community to maximise placement viability and stability, prevent placement breakdown and retain foster carers. Also to identify matches between children and suitable foster carers who can meet their emotional, educational, cultural and health needs, and who can provide stability and a sense of belonging. To work collaboratively to provide a service which is both relationship-based and which responds in a timely manner within required time frames. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES 1. work proactively within the Placements Team to ensure all children are placed in suitable placements, monitoring referral patterns and use of Independent Fostering Agencies (IFAs), and ensure that senior managers are alerted to any risks or threats in relation to sufficiency. 2. help develop and manage systems that track all referrals, placements, placement moves and endings, and ensure that high quality management information is available to assist in the planning and review of the service. 3. deliver a responsive and efficient service alongside the Fostering Service: ensure that all parties involved in the referral and placement process are kept fully informed when placements are made, and that children's views are taken into account. 4. undertake the sourcing and negotiation of suitable placements, and to contribute information about the market for health to maintain the quality of services. To keep accurate records and reporting on placement and financial activities by updating individual case notes on Mosaic. 5. negotiate on placement costs/support packages to ensure cost effective placements. Also ensuring placements are agreed and placements s (IPAs) are completed in a timely manner as well as Mosaic finances. 6. help put systems in place to ensure foster carers and providers are paid promptly and that any additional or special payments are processed in a fair and transparent way, in keeping with the operating principles of the Fostering Payment Policy. 7. track and maintain an overview of all children waiting for placements and monitor progress on identifying suitable carers. Alert senior managers to any corporate threat or risks relating to the council's sufficiency strategy. Experience: Experience of developing and managing information systems and using data to monitor and evaluate performance Experience of working with foster carers and a commitment to achieving placement stability through the development of placement support services Experience of interpreting performance data from a complex database to ensure sound strategic management of the service. Experience of working on own initiative, organise workloads, determine priorities and meet deadlines. Experience of financial and resource management within a social care environment Knowledge, including educational qualifications: Must hold a recognised social work qualification or equivalent child care equivalent qualification Knowledge of the placement needs of looked after children A strong interest in promoting permanence and placement stability Knowledge of safeguarding procedures and key fostering and residential legislation, guidance and National Minimum Standards Knowledge of roles and responsibilities of key children's agencies Akton Recruitment
