We are St Helens Borough Council

Located in the heart of the Northwest close to Liverpool, Manchester and Lancashire, St Helens is a modernising Council which is passionate and ambitious for the Adults and families we support, our communities and our workforce. As part of our transformation journey, we continue to build on our progress and put people firmly at the centre of our care. We can only do this because of our highly valued, skilled, and supported workforce.

We have two exciting full-time permanent opportunities to join our Contracts and Monitoring Team (Children's) as a Placements Co-ordinator.

The primary purpose of the role is to identify, source and secure high-quality homes and support services for children and young people who require care and support. You will work closely with a range of professionals to ensure children are matched with services that best meet their needs, deliver positive outcomes and ensure value for money.

This is a varied and rewarding role in a fast-paced environment where no two days are the same. You will play a key part in helping children access the right care and support at the right time.

We are a well established, hardworking and friendly team who work flexibly to meet the needs of the service. We are looking for people with the same qualities and values to join us. This role makes a difference to children's lives.

Making a Difference

Whatever stage of your career, working in the public sector puts you at the heart of communities. Our workforce provides services to our resident's day in and day out, making a positive impact on people’s lives. We could not do this without the dedication, professionalism and strength of our workforce. There are so many reasons to choose to work at St Helens Council including the fantastic range of employee benefits and rewards on offer. St Helens Borough Council | Jobs | Search here for your perfect career - Home Page

As a St Helens Council employee, you'll be enrolled in the Merseyside Pension Fund Pension Scheme. Use the calculator to see what your annual pension could be worth based on your salary and length of service. [Try the calculator]

Roles That Matter

The work we do is not traditional office work. No two days are the same.

Key Responsibilities

You will:

Source and secure homes and support services for children and young people.

Work with professionals to understand children's needs and ensure referrals are strengths-based and outcome-focused.

Manage a complex caseload and maintain accurate records of placement activity, referrals, provider information and outcomes.

Participate in placement matching decisions to achieve the best possible outcomes for children.

Build and maintain effective relationships with internal and external partners, including commissioners, providers, social care, education and health professionals.

Apply relevant regulations, guidance and safeguarding requirements within all aspects of the role.

Handle sensitive and confidential information appropriately and professionally.

Support the commissioning and monitoring of high-quality services that achieve positive outcomes and value for money.

Working Arrangements

The role is currently based at Atlas House and operates on a hybrid basis. .Employees can regularly work away from Council workspaces (including home or other locations), alongside required office-based working. The balance between remote and office-based working is determined at service level based on operational need, however, there has been a minimum specification that staff will work at least 2 days from an office-based location. This may increase during the initial training period.

As St Helens Council will be part of the Cheshire and Mersey Regional Care Co-operative, working arrangements may evolve in the future.

Our standard working week is 37 hours. Depending on service requirements, you may occasionally be required to participate in a rota arrangement.

About You

We are looking for individuals who can demonstrate:

Experience of working directly with children and young people.

Strong communication, influencing and negotiation skills.

Excellent partnership-working and relationship-building abilities.

Knowledge and understanding of safeguarding responsibilities.

The ability to manage competing priorities and work effectively under pressure.

A proactive, organised and flexible approach to work.

A friendly and 'can do' attitude.

A full driving licence and access to a vehicle is essential as occasional visits to providers across the North West may be required. If prevented by disability we welcome applicants to explain how they can meet the travel requirements with reasonable adjustments.

Full Job Description & Person Specification Documents are included with this advert.

We reserve the right to close the advert early, with sufficient applications. Apply early to avoid disappointment.

St Helens Council is officially recognised as one of the region’s leading fair employers, achieving accredited status under the Liverpool City Combined Authority Fair Employment Charter. The Charter recognises the ongoing commitment to fair pay, secure work, training & progression & staff well-being whilst celebrating employers who go above and beyond for their workforce providing an inclusive and supportive environment.

Equality & Diversity

We encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds, who share our values, our commitment to inclusion, and who will help us on our journey to transform our organisation. The Council guarantees an interview to disabled applicants who demonstrate that they meet the essential criteria for the job, as detailed on the Person Specification, and will, for qualifying disabled candidates, make reasonable adjustments within selection.

All Council employees are required to abide by the ethical standards embodied by the 7 Nolan Principles.

Be scam aware: St Helens Council will never ask applicants to share payment information or charge recruitment fees when applying for vacancies. If in doubt, contact recruitment@sthelens.gov.uk

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