Temporary Placement Officer / Care Broker

Reference no: Bromley RQ843195

Pay rate: £15.77 per hour PAYE

Role Length:  This opening assignment is for 7-8 months

Standard DBS required for this role

Hybrid role – weekdays based at the hospital, weekends can be worked from home

A Placement Officer/ Care Broker is required to support the discharge process from Princess Royal University Hospital. This will be taking referrals from Health and Social Care colleagues and sourcing packages of care for people to be able to return home - keeping the IT systems updated and working in a vibrant and multidisciplinary environment. To help create packages of support to prevent unnecessary reception of people into care and to assist people to remain in their own home where possible and/or to move to suitable and appropriate residential care.

The role does involve weekend working 10:30 – 14:30 and this could be worked from home. Weekdays will be based at the hospital. There is a fixed rota - weekdays are 08.45 – 17:00.  22 hr week average over the 2 weeks:

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday – week one  /  Tuesday, Wednesday & Saturday and Sunday – week two

Key responsibilities:

• Receive referrals and assessments from Care Managers and Social Workers for Service Users requiring services in a timely, professional, efficient and positive manner. To assess the needs and desired outcomes and to match these against an appropriate provision in order identify the best value placement for the Service User.
• Make recommendations to the Social Worker on the most appropriate and best value options that will meet the service user’s needs. To take responsibility for ensuring that the provider/organisation is both fit for purpose and able to meet the needs of the service user, including undertaking reference, registration and evaluation checks on the providers if required.
• Ensure, where required, that notifications of service changes are made to the Finance department to ensure that, where required, financial assessments are undertaken of the Service User for calculation of contribution to the cost of the care package.
• Negotiate the cost of placements and Support Packages to ensure that the Authority receives the best value service and the most appropriate care and support for Service Users, taking into account all cost implications for recommended placements. Where Packages or services are contracted/ tendered – to abide by the principles within the tendered contract.
• Undertake visits to providers for both individual Service Users and for general database records. To feedback findings, including recommendations as to the suitability of the provider to meet needs of potential placements.
• Liaise with Social Workers and other professionals and agencies regarding assessments of care needs and potential service providers to assist the development of appropriate and coherent care planning. This may include the negotiation with other agency representatives around contributions to service funding.
• Participate in a duty rota system dealing with all emergency placements received whilst the duty officer, including following through overnight & weekend placements by updating the social care recording system and liaising with social workers on the longer term plans.

“Role Requirements” – to give yourself the maximum chance of success please try and ensure your CV addresses the following essential criteria:

Qualifications:

• Educated to high level A levels as a minimum.

Experience:

• Experience of using computer packages and undertaking administrative tasks.
• Experience of negotiating agreements or contracts.
• Previous experience of a customer focussed environment.
• Evidence of continued professional and personal development.
• Minimum of 12 months recent experience in a similar role, or context and ideally within a public sector organisation.

Knowledge:

• An understanding of the importance of confidentiality in the context of a social and healthcare environment.
• A sound understanding of the Care Standards and relevant legislation and the CQC registration and approval process.
• A sound knowledge of the nature of social and healthcare service delivery in the community.
• A knowledge of local services and community resources.
• A basic understanding of contract rules and obligations.
• An awareness and commitment to the Council’s Equal Opportunities Policy and its application to service delivery and the role.
• An understanding of the need for timely and accurate record keeping in order to provide management information and performance indicators.

Skills:

• Ability to work within a framework of legislation, guidance, divisional policies and procedures and to be accountable to senior officers.
• Ability to understand and interpret to everyday activities the Council’s Financial Regulations.
• Skilled in communicating orally and in writing in clear and correct English, including an ability to maintain concise and legible case records and the ability to produce reports as required.
• Ability to carry out visits and evaluations of providers, ensuring they are compliant with relevant legislation and care standards. Ability to evaluate and ensure that they have procedures and policies in place to safeguard Service Users.
• Ability to manage working time effectively to meet both professional priorities and administrative requirements.
• Good numeracy and literacy skills.
• A high level of computer and IT skills and experience, record keeping and telephone communications, including the use of office software packages, e.g. databases, email and internet for research.
• Demonstrate appropriate understanding, knowledge and skills in valuing diversity.
• Strong IT skills using Microsoft packages or equivalent (e.g. G Suite).

NB: Please feel free to apply to us direct via [email protected] by quoting the job reference and job title exactly. SEE DETAILS AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS AD.

If you have previously applied to one of our vacancies and have already sent the required supporting documentation to us, please make this clear when you re-apply as this will help speed up your application.

To help speed up the process of uploading your CV to the client we would suggest that you send us your CV in Word format (or equivalent) if possible, rather than as a PDF.

If you are successful in securing this role, please note that for the entire duration of this contract, regardless of extension you will be working this role at the PAYE rate that has been advertised. For absolute clarity, we only work on a PAYE basis, rather than entertaining umbrella pay terms, we do not offer Ltd/umbrella or outside IR35 rates. If you wish to understand PAYE vs Umbrella more, please let us know and we can send you some additional information for clarity.