Referrals Officer - Fostering

Join Our Team as a Referrals Officer - Fostering!

Location: Sittingbourne

Contract: Full Time, Permanent - 35 hours per week

Salary: Up to £23,195.81 per annum

Why Work With Us?

At Polaris, we are proud to be one of the UK's largest communities of children's service providers. For over 30 years, we have been dedicated to improving the lives of young people through our independent fostering and adoption agencies, education, residential services, and bespoke children's contracts. Our nurturing community is committed to achieving the best outcomes for every child in our care. We believe in the potential of our children, families, and staff, and we are ambitious for their futures.

What We Are Looking For

Are you a proactive, relationship-driven individual? We are seeking a Referrals Officer to join our established Referrals Team. In this vital role, you will be the first point of contact between local authorities, foster families, and social workers, ensuring that every referral is matched to the right foster family based on the child's unique needs.

Your Role Responsibilities

• Take ownership of all foster family vacancies and serve as the key contact for specific fostering agencies within the Polaris Community.
• Accurately monitor and record foster family vacancies.
• Engage daily with foster families via phone or Teams video calls.
• Attend regular meetings with agency managers and social workers.
• Keep the recording system (CHARMS) updated.
• Utilize internal performance tools to track data and support foster family vacancies and agency growth.
• Respond to new referrals within 15 minutes, ensuring quick and careful matching of children to suitable foster families.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with local authorities and commissioning teams.
• Adopt a solution-focused approach to overcome barriers and secure successful matches.
• Provide daily updates to your line manager on referral activity, carer availability, and any challenges.
• Log successful matches and declines accurately on agency spreadsheets.

Requirements

• Strong administration skills, including screening referrals and updating internal systems.
• A methodical and organized approach to managing and prioritizing your workload effectively.
• The ability to thrive in a fast-paced team environment while also working autonomously.
• Confidence in communicating with both internal and external teams.
• A drive to maximize referral conversions into successful placement matches with available foster families.
• A genuine commitment to the ethos and values of the Polaris Community and its agencies (ISP, Orange Grove, Fosterplus, Clifford House).
• Experience in the children's services sector or a related field is advantageous, but full training will be provided.

Working Conditions & Benefits

• 30 days' annual leave, increasing to 35 days with length of service, plus bank holidays.
• Company Pension.
• Life Assurance.
• Employee Discount Scheme.
• Medical Cash Plan.
• Free on-site parking.

We are an equal opportunities employer and are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults. All staff are expected to share this commitment.

Join us in making a difference in the lives of children and young people. We look forward to welcoming you to our team!