The posting
Contract to start ASAP
Duration: 12 weeks with a possible extension.
Full job description
Placements Officer – Birmingham Children's Trust
Hours: Full-time (36.5 hours per week)
Contract: 12-week temporary contract from 30 November 2026 to 21 February 2027
Support Safe, Timely and Appropriate Placements for Children and Young People
We're recruiting an organised and proactive Placements Officer to join Birmingham Children's Trust, based at One Avenue Road, Aston, Birmingham, B6 4DU.
This is a key social care support role helping to identify, coordinate and secure suitable placements for children and young people. You'll work closely with social workers, foster carers, residential providers, commissioning teams and other professionals to ensure placement needs are understood and progressed efficiently.
The role requires strong organisation, communication and case-management skills, along with the ability to work sensitively and quickly in a fast-paced children's services environment.
About the Role
As a Placements Officer, you'll support the sourcing and coordination of placements for children and young people with a range of needs.
You'll gather and review referral information, liaise with placement providers, track availability, maintain accurate records and help ensure placements are safe, appropriate and arranged within required timescales.
What you'll be doing:
- Supporting the sourcing and coordination of placements for children and young people
- Reviewing referral information and placement requirements
- Liaising with foster carers, residential providers and other placement services
- Working closely with social workers and team managers
- Checking placement availability and suitability
- Maintaining accurate placement records and databases
- Tracking referrals, responses and placement outcomes
- Supporting urgent and same-day placement searches
- Preparing placement information and correspondence
- Ensuring key information is shared accurately with providers
- Supporting placement matching and decision-making processes
- Maintaining clear case notes and audit trails
- Monitoring placement vacancies and provider information
- Supporting communication with internal and external stakeholders
- Escalating placement risks or delays where appropriate
- Helping ensure placement processes comply with Trust procedures
- Supporting effective use of commissioned and external placements
- Managing competing priorities in a fast-paced environment
Requirements
We're looking for a well-organised and resilient individual with experience in social care administration, placements, commissioning or a related support role.
You'll ideally have:
- Previous experience in children's social care, placements, commissioning or business support
- Experience working with social workers, carers or care providers
- Strong organisational and case-management skills
- Good written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to work under pressure and manage urgent requests
- Strong attention to detail
- Experience maintaining accurate records and databases
- Good customer-service and stakeholder-management skills
- Ability to handle sensitive and confidential information appropriately
- Understanding of safeguarding and children's social care would be advantageous
- Experience working within a local authority or children's trust would be highly desirable
- Ability to work independently and as part of a team
- Eligibility to work in the UK
- Ability to provide relevant references/work history
- Ability to complete required pre-employment checks
Why Apply
- Opportunity to work with Birmingham Children's Trust
- Competitive Umbrella rate of £20.46 per hour
- Full-time 36.5-hour working week
- 12-week temporary assignment
- Meaningful role supporting placement stability for children and young people
- Opportunity to gain further experience in children's social care
- Varied role involving providers, social workers and commissioning teams
- Chance to develop further placement and case coordination experience
Benefits
- Weekly Pay
- Company Pension
- Ongoing Agency Support
Additional Information
Client: Birmingham Children's Trust
Job Title: Placements Officer – Grade 4 – Social Care Non-Qualified
Location: One Avenue Road, Aston, Birmingham, West Midlands, B6 4DU
Positions Available: 1
Hours: 36.5 hours per week
Start Date: 30 November 2026
End Date: 21 February 2027
Contract Duration: 12 weeks
Contract Type: Temporary
Pay Rate: Umbrella: £20.46 per hour
Job Types: Full-time, Temporary contract
Pay: £20.46 per hour
Benefits:
- Company pension
Application question(s):
- Do you have previous experience in children's social care, placements, commissioning or a related support role?
- Do you have experience liaising with social workers, foster carers, residential providers or care services?
- Are you confident managing urgent placement requests and multiple priorities?
- Do you have experience maintaining accurate case records and referral information?
- Are you able to reliably travel to One Avenue Road, Aston, Birmingham, B6 4DU?
- Are you available to start from 30 November 2026?
Experience:
- Children's Social Care / Placements Support: 1 year (preferred)
- Administration / Case Coordination: 1 year (required)
- Local Authority / Children's Trust: 1 year (preferred)
Work authorisation:
- United Kingdom (required)
Disclaimer: On applying for this vacancy, you agree that your personal details will be passed onto our client for their consideration of your suitability for the role. I acknowledge that it is my responsibility to notify iWork Recruitment Limited of any hirer who I do not want my details to be passed onto.
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