Head of Placements & Commissioning - Children's Residential Services

Head of Placements & Commissioning - Children's Residential Services Southeast London + occasional travel £50,000 - £55,000 per annum + performance bonus Full Time, Permanent Full UK Driving Licence Required Enhanced DBS Required About the Role A growing children's residential care provider is seeking an experienced and commercially focused Head of Placements & Commissioning to oversee occupancy and referrals across multiple children's homes located in Southeast London. This is a senior provider side role focused on building strong commissioner relationships, managing referrals, increasing occupancy, and ensuring high quality placement matching for children and young people. This is not a reactive placements role. We are looking for someone who can independently manage referrals, confidently engage with Local Authority commissioners, and drive occupancy strategy across multiple homes from day one. Key Responsibilities Referrals & Placement Management * Manage the full referrals pipeline across multiply children's homes * Assess referrals against risk, compatibility, occupancy and safeguarding criteria * Work closely with Registered Managers to confirm placement suitability * Coordinate placement transitions and admissions * Maintain accurate occupancy trackers and referral data * Ensure compliance with Children's Homes Regulations 2015 and safeguarding frameworks * Liaise with social workers, IROs, families and external professionals Commissioner Relationships & Business Development * Develop and maintain strong relationships with Local Authority commissioners * Drive occupancy growth across the residential portfolio * Attend commissioning forums and sector networking events * Support framework applications and tender opportunities * Provide market intelligence and occupancy insight to senior leadership Placement Oversight * Support stable placements and positive outcomes for young people * Monitor placement stability and identify emerging risks early * Contribute to placement reviews and professionals’ meetings * Ensure Placement Plans remain accurate and up to date Essential Requirements * Significant experience within children's residential care, referrals, placements or commissioning * Experience working at Deputy Manager level or above within children's residential services * Strong knowledge of: * Children's Homes (England) Regulations 2015 * SCCIF * Ofsted Quality Standards * Safeguarding legislation * Existing relationships with Local Authority commissioners across London and the Southeast * Experience managing referrals and occupancy across multiple homes * Ability to make confident placement decisions independently * Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills * Highly organised with strong commercial awareness * Enhanced DBS (or willingness to obtain) * Full UK Driving Licence Desirable Level 5 Diploma in Leadership & Management for Residential Childcare Tender writing or framework experience Knowledge of therapeutic or trauma-informed care models Existing commissioner relationships on the South Coast Multi-site residential care experience What's on Offer £50,000 - £55,000 basic salary Performance related bonus scheme Genuine senior leadership influence Growing provider with ambitious expansion plans Ongoing professional development and CPD Opportunity to shape occupancy strategy across multiple homes Supportive and autonomous working environment Apply Now For a confidential discussion or to apply, please apply or WhatsApp me on (phone number removed). This organisation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. All appointments are subject to Enhanced DBS clearance, satisfactory references, and right to work checks. YourRecruit Ltd is acting as an Employment Agency for this vacancy. *For your information* *Interested? Please send your CV in as a Word format only **Please only apply if you are already eligible to work in the UK (indefinitely & without sponsorship) **Not for you but you know someone suitable? Take advantage of the YourRecruit paid referral fee Due to the large numbers of responses we receive, despite our best efforts it is not possible to respond to every application. Therefore only short-listed candidates will be contacted for this particular role and if you haven't heard from us within 7 days please assume you have been unsuccessful on this occasion. Please feel free however to apply for further roles and we will certainly keep your details on file and contact you with suitable vacancies. YourRecruit Ltd does not discriminate on the grounds of age, race, gender or disability and complies with all relevant UK legislation. To stay safe in your job search we recommend that you visit JobsAware, a non-profit, joint industry and law enforcement organisation working to combat job scams. Visit the JobsAware website for information on common scams and to get free, expert advice for a safer job search