Job Description

About The Role

Advert closing date - 12/12/25

Shortlisting & Telephone Screening: W/C 15/12/25



Are you a proactive, organised and resilient professional looking to make a real difference in the lives of children and young people? We are looking for a dedicated Family Finding / Placements Officer to join our national Family Finding Service, coordinating safe and appropriate homes and education placements for children across England and Wales.

About the Role

You will play a vital role in screening referrals from Local Authorities and coordinating placements within our Children's Homes and Education Provisions. You will be responsible for securing tailored packages of care, managing contractual arrangements, and ensuring each child or young person is matched with the right service to meet their needs.



Working in a fast-paced environment, you will manage multiple placement searches at once--sometimes in emergency situations--while maintaining accuracy, professionalism, and excellent customer service.



Though based in your nearest office, you'll work as part of our wider national team, supporting colleagues across regions and helping maintain a high-quality, responsive placements service.



The role will be based at your nearest local office.

Key Responsibilities

Day-to-day, you will:

Screen and analyse child referrals, identifying key details quickly and efficiently Liaise with Local Authorities, social workers, home managers, and school leaders to progress placement searches Maintain strong knowledge of our homes, schools, and their capacity/suitability Work with internal teams to identify suitable matches and make placement offers Consider cross-regional placements to ensure the best outcome for each child Promote service vacancies to Local Authorities through proactive communication Confirm funding requirements with managers and heads of schools Maintain accurate data on referrals and placements within internal systems Conduct system audits and follow up on missing documentation Produce daily, weekly and monthly data reports Provide regular workload and risk updates to your Line Manager Attend internal and external meetings as required Support shared inboxes and provide cover for national team colleagues Engage in ongoing training and professional development

Safeguarding Responsibilities

Attend and comply with all safeguarding training Adhere strictly to safeguarding policies to ensure the safety and welfare of children and young people

Business & Organisational Expectations

Represent Compass Community positively and professionally Work in line with Data Protection legislation and maintain confidentiality Uphold our values and principles at all times Use electronic systems confidently and accurately Promote equality, diversity and inclusion Demonstrate flexibility in response to the changing needs of the service

Who We're Looking For

This role is ideal for someone with experience in administration, customer service, or sales, who thrives in a busy environment and enjoys problem-solving. You will need to be:


Highly organised with excellent attention to detail Confident managing competing priorities A strong communicator who can build effective relationships Resilient, adaptable and calm under pressure Comfortable working with data and using digital systems

Why Join Us?

A rewarding role making a direct impact on children's lives Supportive national team with ongoing training and development Opportunity to build strong professional networks across the care and education sector Dynamic environment where no two days are the same

If you're passionate about helping children and young people access the right support, we'd love to hear from you.



The successful applicants will be offered a role subject to satisfactory references and an enhanced DBS check.


Compass is an equal-opportunity employer that is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. As we continue to grow, we know that we must have the most talented employees with diverse backgrounds, cultures, perspectives, and experiences to support our children and young people.



IND03