Care Placement Coordinator

Connect2Luton are excited to recruit a Care Placement Coordinator on behalf of Luton Borough Council.

Main purpose of position:

The post holder will develop and maintain information on providers and source care packages to meet assessed needs, including completing contracts and all associated financial and administrative tasks. The role will involve engagement with service users and their families/carers, social care and health professionals and a wide range of providers, and contribute to the management of relationships between care managers, commissioners and providers. The post has a key role in enabling people to have genuine choice and control and to find creative and innovative solutions to enable people to continue to participate as active citizens in the community and secure those solutions through placement finding.

Ways of working are described in further detail in the departments' standards operating policies and procedures, with specific roles, responsibilities and objectives in any given year described in annual commissioning intentions and business plan supported with agreed personal development plan which forms part of the PPA process.

As a Care Placement Coordinator, you will be responsible to:

Promote personalised care pathways ensuring choice and control for all eligible individuals within appropriate legal frameworks. Manage placement finding including short-term, respite and long-term residential/nursing care, supported living, and domiciliary/home care. Liaise with care managers, re-ablement team, providers and customers to achieve value for money and meet efficiency outcomes

Maintain good working relationships with other professionals whilst challenging the decisions of other statutory agencies and providers. Act as the interface between customers, care managers, commissioners and service provider's exercise of a high level of judgement and have responsibility for the safety of service users, working to very demanding time scales in care arranging.

Adjust care arrangements to meet service users and carers needs where appropriate resolving individual problems on a day-to-day basis, and maintaining/updating records. Provide advice and support to colleagues and partners with regard to the availability of resources to meet identified needs.

Working with the Care Placement Manager to maintain a resource to capture information about placement options and service providers. Provide information, support and assistance in relation to management of support plans to users, families and professionals, including costs of support services such as advocacy, independent brokerage, and community based preventative services and ensure that information is shared where necessary and in accordance with legal requirements. Produce accurate costing and information for commissioning and operational staff.

Contribute to safeguarding planning to respond to identified risks of abuse and support and contribute to adult safeguarding investigations where appropriate. Contribute to and co-operate with any multi agency audits and Serious Case Reviews required by the Safeguarding Board.

Provide information to managers and commissioners on placement activity and on changes in service preferences made by individuals purchasing services with their Personal Budget and gaps in current services, to inform future community planning and commissioning strategies. Report information on the sustainability of care providers drawn from placement activity.

Carry out other tasks as requested by your Manager and provide duty cover as required to ensure availability of staff to provide placements and services at all times.

Skills and Experience:

• Experience of negotiating where appropriate when sourcing care packages for commissioned services including developing, managing and maintaining systems relating to purchasing care, and maintaining records
• Experience of the customer interface environment and demonstrable commitment to customer satisfaction including knowledge of different adult social care client groups, including experience of collaborative, partnership and inter-agency working
• Able to manage placement of care packages (methodical use of procedures, liaising with social care and health professionals, managers, providers and customers) including ability to determine which short term changes can be made to packages and which require a review
• Effective interpersonal, presentation, facilitation skills and ability to influence and persuade others and to deliver results
• Able to maintain high quality records, write clear, concise reports being self-sufficient in the use of Word, Excel, Power Point, Database Creation and Internet research. This will involve using Council computer database and case recording systems
• Able to work under pressure and set and maintain the highest standards of personal, professional and ethical behaviour and gain the trust and respect of others
• Ability to build trust and confidence with providers and colleagues acting with sensitivity, persuasiveness, negotiation and assertiveness to communicate with diverse audiences in emotive circumstances
• A basic understanding of relevant legislation and regulation and how to interpret this in a context including: Personalisation, Eligibility criteria,Safeguarding & MCA DoLS, CQC Care Standards
• NVQ Level 3 Health & Social Care or equivalent qualification or equivalent experience
• Evidence of continuous professional development
• Able to attend site visits/meetings throughout the Borough and local region
• Able to occasionally work outside office hours as determined by the needs of the service

About Us

Luton Borough Council have partnered with Kent County Council to create Connect2Luton, a recruitment managed service for all contingent temporary agency, contract, and interim roles at the Council.

Our heritage and being local government owned which means we have a wealth of knowledge and expertise within the public sector, with many of our employees having previously worked for the Council or have supplied previously into the Council, for several years.

We are an equal opportunities employment agency and business that positively encourages applications from all suitably qualified and eligible candidates.

Connect2Luton is a trading style of Luton & Kent Commercial Services LLP - A joint venture between Luton Borough Council & Commercial Services Kent Ltd. Connect2Luton is an equal opportunities Employment Agency & Business. It positively encourages applications from all suitably qualified and eligible candidates.