Brokerage Officer - Brixton

Brokerage Officer – Brixton (Temp Vacancy)

Umbrella Pay Rate: £22.00ph

Full-Time (37 hours)

Job Purpose:

The CBSP Placement Brokerage Officer role is key to interpreting the procurement requirements of CSC social work teams.  These requirements will be described in terms of need and the brokerage requirement will be to translate these requirements into brokered service options.

Critical to this role will be knowledge and practical understanding of in-house, framework and spot provision on a local and national level

To identify, coordinate, monitor and placements for children and young people in the care of Lambeth Council, which includes young people aged up to 19 and children with disabilities. This role involves working closely with social workers, providers of foster care, residential care and colleagues across children’s services, adult services, education and health.

This post will take work in partnership with commissioning colleagues to assist in contract monitoring and quality assurance within the team and will lead on developing effective systems and processes to ensure that high quality placements are utilised that offer value for money and improve outcomes for children and young people.

Accountabilities:  

• Ensure that requests to procure services are supported by authorisation from CSC team manager, service manager or assistant director (as required)
• To ensure, manage and be responsible for placement search activity allocated, ensuring that the necessary documents are completed, that it meets the criteria of GDPR legislations, it is recorded, processed and maintained, checking for accurate information and rejecting as appropriate before sending over to providers liaising with social workers and managers as and when required
• To tender service requests via in-house, framework or spot provision mechanisms
• To develop an auditable chronology of search activity in order that our activity can be quantified and remains accountable
• To identify, establish and coordinate high quality, carefully selected placements based on a child/young person’s needs. This involves respond to placement requests, both planned and emergency, by searching for placements using London Care Placements Frameworks and in-house databases of preferred providers and those who are tried and trusted. Liaison with social workers, team managers, health and education colleagues, providers of care, placement officers, other local authorities and foster carers is fundamental to ensure that the placement is appropriately matched with the child/young person. To follow up potential leads and known contacts in order to facilitate potential offers of provision
• Escalate all searches that have not developed to service offer within 20 working days, promoting placement stability through the development of effective working relationships, attending, convening and/or facilitating placement review meetings
• Provide service options to CSC social work teams as soon as offers are received, ensuring that all placements demonstrate best value for the local authority. This includes negotiating with providers regarding costs of placements and structuring contracts and individual agreements based on cost reductions. Keeping robust records of agreements over costs and discounts and uploading these onto team systems is also fundamental
• To ensure that selected option has an associated request for resources that can be progressed to purchase order and is therefore available to be paid once invoice is received

• To contribute to relevant performance (placement or non-placement) dashboard to ensure colleagues are kept abreast of changes, news and information within the social care field, especially with regard to placements

We offer:

• 24 hour one on one specialist consultant based within your geographical area
• 4Recruitment Services Employee Benefits Programme
• Our own dedicated payroll support ensuring you get the full benefits of your payment

Recruitment is done in line with safe recruitment practices. 4Recruitment Services is an equal opportunities employer.

To discuss this vacancy or other vacancies in your area please contact  parbejm@4recruitmentservices.com