Role Purpose
The Care Coordinator makes sure each young person's care is planned, delivered, recorded and reviewed in line with their care plan, placement agreement and regulatory requirements.
You will be the main point of coordination between the placement team, the Placement Manager and external professionals. You will keep placements organised, compliant and focused on the young person's needs, so that the Placement and Clinical Service Managers have an accurate, current picture of every placement.
Key Responsibilities
Placement Co-Ordination
· Coordinate the day-to-day running of allocated placements, including routines, appointments and transport, and work with the Internal Recruiter / Operations Coordinator on staffing and rotas.
· Support the managers with new placements from referral through to admission, including gathering referral information and pre-placement planning. Agree the staffing requirement with the Internal Recruiter / Operations Coordinator so the team is recruited, checked and inducted before the young person arrives.
· Make sure staff have access to care plans, risk assessments, behaviour support plans and placement plans are in place, current and followed by staff.
· Monitor staffing levels against the agreed ratios for each placement and report gaps to the Internal Recruiter / Operations Coordinator, who arranges cover through CAMHS Professionals or, where needed, Lime Staffing Agency.
· Confirm with the Internal Recruiter / Operations Coordinator that all staff, including agency staff, have completed safer recruitment checks and placement induction before working on shift.
· Give the Internal Recruiter / Operations Coordinator feedback on staff performance, suitability and fit with individual young people to inform recruitment and matching decisions.
· Identify early signs of placement instability and escalate to the Placement Manager.
Working with professionals and families
· Act as a Secondary point contact for social workers, Independent Reviewing Officers (IROs), commissioners, ICBs and clinical teams.
· Prepare for and attend LAC reviews, professionals' meetings, strategy meetings and multi-agency meetings, and follow up on agreed actions.
· Provide accurate and timely updates, reports and incident notifications to placing authorities.
· Support contact arrangements with families in line with the care plan and any court orders.
Staff support
· Give day-to-day guidance and direction to support staff and team leaders on placement.
· Share information about each young person's needs, risks and plans so staff can give consistent care.
· Contribute to staff supervision, team meetings and debriefs after incidents.
· Identify training needs and raise them with both the Clinical and Placement Manager.
Communication & Telephone Management
· Act as a first point of contact via the main phone line, responding professionally and promptly
· Monitor call handling expectations (where tracking is enabled), aiming to meet agreed response standards
· Create, manage and moderate staff WhatsApp groups to ensure clear and consistent internal communication
Governance, Compliance & Quality Support
· Support compliance processes as required, including document collation, tracking and auditing
· Maintain accurate records in line with CQC, GDPR and organisational policy
· Take minutes during clinical review or governance meetings and circulate them to the Group Head of Governance, Quality and Safeguarding
· Collate and track actions arising from meetings, ensuring follow-up and evidence storage
· In charge of CQC Action Plan, ensuring all actions are taken from all meetings and chasing updates.
· Ensuring Governance data and Lesson Learned newsletters are distributed accurately as per the CQC regulations
· Maintain the Board to floor policy
Procurement & Financial Administration
· Manage purchase orders in line with organisational processes
· Support cost control and accountability through accurate record-keeping
Person Specification
Essential
· Experience in health & social care administration or care coordination
· Understanding of CQC-regulated services
· Strong organisational and administrative skills
· High level of attention to detail and accuracy
· Confident communicator (written and verbal)
· Competent with IT systems, Microsoft 365 and digital care platforms
Desirable
· Experience in mental health or children and young people’s services
· Familiarity with rota management and referral tracking
· Experience supporting governance, auditing or compliance processes
· Level 3 qualification in Health & Social Care or Business Administration
Values & Behaviours
· Commitment to safe, high-quality, person-centred care
· Professional, reliable and accountable
· Proactive problem-solver
· Aligns with organisational values and promotes continuous improvement
