POLARIS
REFERRALS OFFICER – FOSTERING
Basic Salary: Up to £22,283.31 per annum
Hours: 9am – 5pm Monday to Friday
Contract: Full-Time, Permanent
Location: Office Based - Sittingbourne, Kent
Benefits: 30 days’ Annual Leave + Bank Holidays, Company Pension, Life Assurance x2, Employee Discount Scheme, Medical Cash Plan & Free On-Site Parking
ABOUT US
We are Polaris, one of the UK’s largest leading Communities of Children’s Service providers.
Within the Community, we have independent Fostering and Adoption Agencies who have been passionately improving the lives of young people for over 30 years, as well as Residential Children Homes, Leaving Care services, Education and bespoke Children’s Services contracts. Our nurturing community works collectively to support the very best outcomes for each and every child in our care. We’re ambitious for our children and young people, families and staff, and believe in their futures.
WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR
As a Referrals Officer, you will manage Referrals received from Local Authorities and use key information and matching criteria to ensure that placements are carefully matched according to children’s needs. A “Referral” is a request from a Local Authority to find a suitable foster family for a child or young person who needs a safe and supportive home.
You will need to work independently, using your initiative to find innovative and practical and creative solutions to foster placement requests. The Referrals Officer role is the first point of contact between Local Authorities, Foster Families and Social Workers. You will be able build and develop positive relationships with colleagues and be confident communicating with professionals at all levels.
It would be beneficial to have experience of working within the Children's Services sector or similar related field. Full training will be provided. You should also be able to evidence:
- strong administration skills, with the ability to manage a high-volume shared mail Inbox, prioritise tasks, multi-task effectively and stay organised
- the ability to follow regulatory Policies and Processes
- the ability to work well within a fast-paced team environment, as well as autonomously using your own initiative
We are a family of independent fostering agencies, all with our own individual areas of expertise, but with one shared vision. We want to give children across the Country who have had a difficult start in life, the support they need to build themselves a stronger and happier future. For our Foster parents, we provide a close network of support that becomes like a second family.
Role responsibilities
- Take responsibility for all foster family vacancies, and the key lead, point of contact for named Fostering Agencies within the Polaris Community
- Monitor and record foster family vacancies accurately
- Engage daily (by phone call or Teams video call) with all foster families on the vacancy list and attend regular meetings with Agency Managers and Social Workers.
- Keep updated the recording system (CHARMS) accordingly- Full training will be provided.
- Use our Company Performance system to track data, support foster family vacancies and drive company growth – Full training will be provided
- Respond quickly (within 15 minutes) to match Referrals to available foster families and offer them to the Local Authority for consideration
- Establish and maintain relationships with Local Authorities and Commissioning Teams by adopting an outward facing culture.
- Maintain a solution focused attitude in overcoming barriers to matching Referrals to approved foster families with vacancies and approved foster families not working
- Report daily to your line Manager a snapshot of any developments in the Referrals pipeline, new Referrals and Carer Vacancies, together with any blockages to Referrals which may arise.
- Record successful matches and declines on the Agencies Excel Potential Links Spreadsheet.
Requirements
- To be methodical, organised, and able to prioritise workload effectively
- To confidently liaise with Local Authority Commissioning Managers/Officers Placement Teams and Access to Resources Team about matching and finances
- To be invested in Polaris Community – Referrals and the Agencies ISP, Orange Grove, Fosterplus and Clifford House Fostering and their ethos’ and cultures – to be committed and determined to make safe, good matches in a timely manner
- Be driven to maximise Referral conversions into successful placement matches with available foster families (Utilisation Rates)
- Always adhering to Company Policies and Procedures
- Carry out administrative tasks such as screening and logging of Referrals received from Local Authorities and updating Company Database Systems.
- Be willing to undertake mandatory ongoing Training relevant to the role
- The successful candidate will be required to complete an enhanced DBS Check, cost of which will be met by Polaris.
Our Commitment
Polaris is an equal opportunities employer and positively encourages applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates.
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff to share this commitment.
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent
Pay: Up to £22,283.00 per year
Benefits:
- Company pension
- Employee discount
Work Location: In person
