Brokerage Officer (Children's Services)
Newham
£26/hr
Start date: ASAP
AKTON Recruitment is working closely with the local authorities and we are looking for a Brokerage Officer - Children's Services in the Newham area. 3 - 6 months contract.
Overall Purpose of Job
1. To assess children and young people's placement and service needs and match these to available services.
2. To deliver a customer focused duty service along with team colleagues, including the provision of advice and guidance on matching needs to services.
3. Quality assure the provision of information to enable suitable matches to be made between the identified needs of a child and potential providers.
4. To deliver value for money (cost, quality and outcomes) in meeting the needs of the children, young people and their families
5. To review and monitor contracted services for the children allocated in compliance with relevant regulation, policies and practice guidance.
6. To offer effective social work challenge to front line workers to ensure that care planning practice informs the purchasing of placements.
7. To offer commissioning advice at care / placement focused meetings.
8. To review and make recommendations for existing placements which have fallen below the regulatory standards set by Ofsted and/or where the local authority have received a notification of a significant event.
Key Tasks and Accountabilities:
1. To undertake tasks and maintain accurate up to date knowledge in accordance with national legislation including government regulation, local policy and best practice and research related to the scope of the role. in line
2. To promote and take responsibility the safeguarding and welfare of children and young people.
3. To purchase placements and social care services for children in need, children with child protection plans, looked after children, carer leavers and children and young people with disabilities ensuring that contracts are in place for all services brokered.
4. To work in partnership with in-house providers to maximise in house and/or consortium occupancy and service levels
5. To ensure effective and accurate recording of activities undertaken and any specific data inputting requirements including applying appropriate scrutiny and monitoring of placement searches and services to avoid drift and to support the effective safeguarding of children
KNOWLEDGE:
- Knowledge and understanding of the commissioning process
- Knowledge of all relevant legislation and guidance in relation to safeguarding and children's social care notably children looked after and children with disabilities
- Good understanding of safeguarding principles and issues including risk assessment.
EXPERIENCE:
- Experience of statutory frontline children's social work, including looked after children and/or care leavers and/or disabled children and their families and/or experience of commissioning, purchasing and contracting
- Experience of assessing risk and managing plans to safeguard children. Experience of assessing risk and managing plans to safeguard children
