Placement Officer

About the role

This permanent full-time Placement Officer position sits within Children and Families, supporting the identification, matching, and commissioning of suitable internal or external placements, care packages, and support arrangements for children and young people in care, as well as those needing support or accommodation. The post is based in Chelmsford and operates as a fixed-base role.

The service works to improve outcomes for children, young people, and families through collaboration, integrity, and compassion, while helping to build resilience, remove barriers, and reduce the risk of neglect and abuse.

The salary for this role is £29,208 to £34,362 per year.

What you'll be doing

• Working closely with social workers, foster carers, and placement providers to find appropriately matched placements and support packages that reflect the child or young person’s care plan and individual needs, including health, education, cultural, ethnic, religious, and therapeutic requirements.
• Taking part in a duty rota that includes both office-based and remote working.
• Managing a caseload of placement-finding activity and ensuring placements provide a safe, stable environment that meets regulatory standards, including Ofsted requirements.
• Making sure all required documents, such as referrals, risk assessments, and care plans, are received from the allocated social worker and shared with the foster carer or care provider where appropriate.
• Carrying out agreed administrative tasks, notifications, and recording duties related to placements.
• Serving as an assigned link for a field-based quadrant office, including travel to and from another local office.
• Developing effective working relationships across the Council, with providers, statutory partners, and voluntary sector organisations.

Experience and knowledge needed

• Education to RQF Level 3 (GCSE) or equivalent gained through experience.
• Demonstrable development in-role and knowledge of the relevant professional area.
• Background in supportive work with children, young people, carers, and families.
• Understanding of issues that can affect children and families, such as trauma, neglect, poverty, bereavement, and disability.
• Ability to assess needs and match children and young people to suitable placements, using and understanding risk assessments in consultation with senior staff.
• Experience working with other professionals and agencies to support positive outcomes for children and young people.
• Strong IT skills and the ability to communicate clearly in writing and verbally.

Additional information

This role is part of Children & Families, a service focused on promoting the wellbeing and development of children and young people while protecting them from harm. Essex County Council describes itself as one of the UK’s largest and most dynamic local authorities, offering a public service environment that supports innovation, flexibility, and career development.

The council has noted that Greater Essex councils are scheduled for reorganisation into five unitary authorities from April 2028, alongside progress toward a Mayoral Combined County Authority under the devolution priority programme. Further detail is available through the organisation’s careers information.

Essex County Council is a Disability Confident Leader and will interview disabled applicants under its Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements. It also commits to interviewing eligible veterans and care leavers. Reasonable adjustments can be requested during recruitment. The organisation also offers employee support, including help for unpaid carers and flexible working arrangements.

Employees are expected to follow the council’s code of conduct and the Nolan principles throughout the recruitment process and employment. If the role requires a DBS check, registration with the DBS update service is required and the annual subscription cost must be maintained by the employee.

The council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

For queries about the role, candidates may contact the resourcing team by email. The original posting also referenced the organisation’s talent community, careers page, and social channels, along with downloadable materials such as Pay and Reward, Our Ways of Working, About Us, and Organisation Behaviours.

Working style

Fixed-base worker.

Location

Chelmsford, England, United Kingdom.