Placements & Referrals Coordinator - Education & Residential

Diamond Search Recruitment Ltd; Leeds; Hybrid; GBP 27,000 - 33,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Bonus up to 10%

Permanent role

Job summary

Diamond Search Recruitment Ltd is seeking a Placements & Referrals Coordinator for Education & Residential in Leeds, offering hybrid work and a permanent role.

You will review referrals, liaise with Local Authorities, manage placement offers, and maintain records, collaborating with managers and teachers to ensure timely, suitable placements for children and young people.

Qualifications

• Experience in placements, referrals, commissioning or similar coordination in social care or education.
• Excellent verbal and written communication; builds rapport quickly and professionally.
• Strong organisational skills with high attention to detail.
• Ability to manage multiple referrals, priorities and deadlines in a fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities

• Review and assess incoming referrals from Local Authorities and record information accurately.
• Liaise with Registered Managers and Head Teachers to identify placement opportunities.
• Prepare and send detailed placement offers to Local Authorities within timescales.
• Maintain accurate placement records, referral logs and databases.
• Build and maintain relationships with Local Authority commissioners, social workers and stakeholders.
• Monitor placement capacity and anticipate future availability.
• Collaborate with teams to support onboarding for new placements.
• Contribute to weekly placement meetings and provide reports and placement data.
• Support the wider Business Development function with placement and referral activity.

Skills

Communication

Organisation

Stakeholder management

Microsoft Office / CRM

Tools

CRM systems

Databases

Microsoft Office

Job description

Placements & Referrals Coordinator - Education & Residential

Location: Leeds (Hybrid - 2 days per week in the office)

Salary: £30,000 per annum

Bonus: Performance-related bonus opportunity of up to 10%

Contract: Permanent, 37.5 hours per week

Working Hours: Rota basis between 8:00am and 6:00pm

Department: Business Development

Reports to: Head of Business Development

This is an excellent opportunity for an organised, proactive and relationship-focused professional to join a growing organisation working across education and residential services for children and young people.

The Role

• Reviewing and assessing incoming referrals from Local Authorities, ensuring all relevant information is obtained and accurately recorded.
• Liaising closely with Registered Managers and Head Teachers to identify appropriate placement opportunities.
• Preparing and sending detailed placement offers to Local Authorities within agreed timescales.
• Maintaining accurate and up-to-date placement records, referral logs and associated databases.
• Building and maintaining strong professional relationships with Local Authority commissioners, social workers and other key stakeholders.
• Monitoring placement capacity and anticipating future availability.
• Working collaboratively with operational and internal teams to support a smooth transition and onboarding process for new placements.
• Contributing to weekly placement meetings and providing reports and placement data when required.
• Supporting the wider Business Development function with placement and referral activity.

About You

We are looking for someone who is highly organised, commercially aware and confident working with multiple stakeholders and competing priorities.

• Previous experience in a placements, referrals, commissioning or similar coordination role, ideally within social care, education or a related sector.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to build rapport quickly and professionally.
• Strong organisational skills and exceptional attention to detail.
• The ability to manage multiple referrals, priorities and deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Confidence using Microsoft Office and experience working with databases, CRM systems or similar platforms.
• A professional and proactive approach, with the ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with wider teams.
• Knowledge or experience of children's residential care, fostering or SEND education provision would be desirable.

Why Join?

This role offers the opportunity to join a supportive and collaborative team where your work will have a direct impact on helping children and young people access appropriate education and residential placements.

The successful candidate will benefit from:

• £30,000 annual salary
• Performance-related bonus opportunity of up to 10%
• Hybrid working - 2 days per week in the Leeds office
• Ongoing training and professional development
• A supportive and collaborative team environment
• The opportunity to make a meaningful difference to the lives of children and young people