Placement Officer

Hertfordshire CC; Stevenage; On-site; GBP 36,000 - 39,000; Full time

Job summary

Hertfordshire County Council in Stevenage is seeking a Placement Officer to identify, broker and monitor placements for looked-after children and young people. The role requires close collaboration with health, social care and independent sectors to secure high-quality, cost-effective placements.

You will manage procurement, monitor costs, visit providers, investigate complaints, and maintain systems to ensure placement quality while supporting service development under the children living away

Qualifications

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication, verbal and written.
• Ability to work under pressure and remain solution-focused.
• Negotiation and stakeholder management abilities.
• Proficiency in data and ICT systems to support decisions.
• Experience researching alternative provisions.
• Experience in a complex multi-agency environment.

Responsibilities

• Oversee placements for looked-after children and young people.
• Procure external placements cost-effectively and monitor costs.
• Visit providers and conduct complaint investigations.
• Evaluate providers and ensure placement quality.
• Maintain systems to monitor and improve service delivery.
• Provide admin support including duty tasks and inbox management.

Skills

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Working under pressure

Negotiation & stakeholder mgmt

ICT data analysis

Researching alternatives

Multi-agency experience

Tools

ICT systems

Job description

The following content displays a map of the jobs location - Stevenage

Job Title: Placement Officer
Salary: £35,570 progressing to £38,510 pa
Hours: 37 hours per week
Location: Farnham House, Stevenage
Contract Type: Permanent
Directorate: Children's Services

About the team

Do you enjoy working in a fast-paced environment? Do you like working creatively to find solutions?

The Brokerage Team within Specialist Services ensures children, young people, carers, and families receive high-quality, timely support tailored to their needs. The team works under the guidance of service heads to assess, manage risk, and facilitate access to appropriate resources.

The team develops, delivers, and reviews services that safeguard vulnerable children, enhance their life chances, and secure high-quality placements with trained and supported carers. Additionally, they oversee the efficient operation of services, ensuring high performance, cost-effectiveness, and alignment with national legislation and guidance.

About the role

This role involves identifying, brokering, and monitoring placements for children and young people based on assessed needs, ensuring services are tailored, cost-effective, and meet high-quality standards. It requires close collaboration with agencies and stakeholders to secure placements that maximize positive outcomes. Additionally, the role contributes to service development by identifying gaps in provision and working with strategic commissioning to expand placement options under the children living away from home commissioning strategy.

Operating in a fast-paced, multi-agency environment—including health, voluntary organizations, local councils, and the independent sector—this position demands strong organizational skills, the ability to work under pressure, and a proactive approach to problem-solving. Responsibilities include overseeing placements for looked-after children, managing the efficient procurement of external placements while monitoring costs, and maintaining systems for assessing and ensuring placement quality through visits, complaint investigations, and provider evaluations. Administrative support, including duty tasks and inbox management, is also required to meet service needs effectively.

About you

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to assess information, identify solutions, and make informed placement decisions that improve outcomes for children and young people.
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, including managing challenging conversations, de-escalating situations, and producing clear, accurate information.
• Ability to work effectively under pressure, remaining calm, resilient, and solution-focused when responding to urgent or emergency placement requests.
• Strong negotiation, influencing, and stakeholder management skills, with the confidence to challenge constructively and work collaboratively with providers, social workers, managers, and partner agencies.
• Proficiency in using data and ICT systems to research, record, analyse, and communicate information that supports effective decision-making.
• Skilled in researching and identifying alternative provisions to meet individual needs.
• Experience of working in a complex multi-agency environment including work with health, voluntary and community sector, District and Borough Councils and the independent sector.

We welcome applications from candidates who currently reside in the UK with established proof of right to work documentation. We are not able to offer sponsorship at this time for this role.

This job role is Level 9. Please locate the job profile here:

Additional information

We are changing
Hertfordshire County Council is undergoing Local Government Reorganisation (LGR). If you are employed by Hertfordshire County on 1 April 2028, it is expected that most roles will transfer to the newly-created unitary councils on existing terms and conditions under TUPE (Transfer of Undertakings – Protection of Employment) principles.

LGR is one of the biggest changes we will face in a generation. It will reshape how we work and how services are organised and gives us a real opportunity to build something better. To find out more, visithttps://www.hertfordshire-lgr.co.uk/

Disability Confident

We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer and guarantee an interview to anyone disclosing a disability whose application meets the minimum criteria for the post.

Safeguarding

This role has been identified as requiring a Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check.

English Fluency

The ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post (for those whose language is a signed language the provision of a sign language interpreter who speaks English to the necessary standard of fluency will be required). Further information about the legal requirement can be found here.