Location: 2 Bristol Avenue, Colindale, London, NW9 4EW
Pay Rate: PAYE £20.92 per hour
Contract: Temporary – 12 Weeks
Start Date: 18 August 2026
Hours: 36 hours per week
Working Pattern: Hybrid (to be discussed at interview)

Join Barnet Council through Supportive Bridge Staffing Agency

Supportive Bridge Staffing Agency is recruiting on behalf of Barnet Council for an experienced Placements & Retention Officer to join the Family Services team.

This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in supporting foster carers and helping to improve outcomes for children and young people in care. If you have experience in placements, fostering services, social care, or stakeholder engagement, we'd love to hear from you.

About the Role

As a Placements & Retention Officer, you will support the recruitment, engagement, and retention of Barnet Council's in-house foster carers while helping to ensure suitable placement matching for children and young people.

Working closely with supervising social workers and service managers, you will coordinate engagement initiatives, strengthen foster carer support networks, and contribute to strategies that improve placement stability and foster carer retention.

Key Responsibilities

Act as the main point of contact for in-house foster carers, building positive and supportive relationships.
Coordinate foster carer engagement activities, appreciation events, and recognition initiatives.
Organise and support foster carer support groups alongside supervising social workers.
Design, distribute, and analyse surveys and feedback to improve services and strengthen retention.
Maintain systems to monitor foster carer availability, capacity, and support needs.
Support the development of peer support and buddy networks for new and existing foster carers.
Work proactively with social workers and managers to identify carers who may require additional support.
Assist with effective placement matching to promote stability, safety, and positive outcomes for children and young people.
Contribute to initiatives that improve foster carer satisfaction and long-term retention.

About You

We're looking for someone who has:

Experience working within children's social care, fostering services, placements, or a related support environment.
Excellent organisational and coordination skills.
Strong communication and relationship-building abilities.
Experience engaging with stakeholders and delivering support initiatives.
The ability to manage multiple priorities and maintain accurate records.
A proactive and solution-focused approach to improving services.
Good IT skills and experience using databases or case management systems.

Experience working with foster carers, placement services, or family services within a local authority or social care setting would be highly desirable.

Why Apply?

Competitive hourly pay.
Hybrid working arrangements.
Opportunity to work with a leading London local authority.
Make a meaningful impact on the lives of foster carers and children in care.
Ongoing support from the dedicated team at Supportive Bridge Staffing Agency.

If you're passionate about supporting fostering services and improving outcomes for children and young people, we'd love to hear from you.

you are interested this position send the CV