Job Description: Business Development Officer
Hours of Work: 173 hours per month, usually Monday to Friday 9.00am - 5.00pm
Reports to: Business Director
Location: Head Office, Belper, Derbyshire
Salary: £26,000-30,000 per annum, dependent on experience
About The Esland Group
With 35+ years of residential childcare experience between the two legacy organisations, Esland has 20 residential children’s homes. Our portfolio is spread across the Midlands, Hertfordshire, Northamptonshire, Wiltshire, Kent & London regions of England.
At Esland, we have a clear mission of providing high quality residential care, education and other wrap around services which offers a bespoke specialist service to Local Authorities ensuring that they get the best outcomes for their young people.
We are proud of the quality services that we offer Local Authorities, children and our staff. We are a provider of choice, offering long-term placement stability and through our Road to Resilience. We also achieved our Investors In People accreditation in 2016, certifying that we are also now recognised as an Employer of Choice for our staff.
Esland’s Culture
We appreciate each of our team member’s experience and skills. We also know these make you unique and this is what will help shape and enrich the lives of the young people we look after. We also believe it is important that our team members share the same values as the Company. Eslander’s have a shared vision to be emotionally resilient, supportive leaders who provide accountable yet nurturing direction to each other and the young people we care for:
· Emotional Resilience: You are able to manage your personal emotions to deal with complex and challenging situations in a safe, objective and solution-focused manner. If something goes wrong, how have you learnt from it to make sure it won’t happen again?
· Support: You will be a naturally supportive person, looking after the young people and the team members you work with. You are a great listener, who understands the importance of supporting others to come to solutions themselves and supporting the independence of the young people.
· Leading: You must ensure that you are a role model to the young people and to the rest of the team. This means you will lead by example at all times, demonstrating the Esland values.
· Accountable: You will take responsibility for your actions. You will be open and honest in all communications. You will be a champion of self-reflection in order to continuously grow and develop in your knowledge and practice.
· Nurturing: You will strive to create a warm and encouraging environment for the young people we look after. You believe in lifting others up. You understand that praise is a great way to reinforce positive behaviour.
· Direction: You know the importance of training and will ensure that you attend any training that is booked for you. You are aware of the importance of your role in the team and where the next steps are for your development. You take ownership for your own development and direction.
Purpose of the post
Working within the business development team, the main responsibility of this role is to be the primary point of contact for Local Authority Placement and Commissioning teams, and our Registered Home Managers, in regards to current placements and new, incoming referrals.
Maintaining a balance between driving occupancy levels across the business whilst ensuring all placements are safe, well-matched and in the best interests of the young people is key to this role, and to be successful you will need to be forward thinking and creative.
The role will also include developing future partnership opportunities with Local Authorities and raising Esland’s profile at community and partnership events, being an advocate for Esland values, and role modelling these at all times.
You should have exceptional communication skills and be competent in using Microsoft word, Excel and PowerPoint programmes to complete reports, develop marketing tools and work on Local Authority tenders along with Senior Management.
Salary will be dependent on experience.
Duties and responsibilities:
Referrals
· Assess all incoming referrals (via email, phone and online portals)
· Build positive relationships with our Registered Home Managers, communicate regularly and ensure matching criteria is up to date.
· Collect the Manager’s feedback regularly, with reference to potential matching and offering possible placements.
· Send offers, or feedback on negative responses, to the relevant Local Authority.
· Open communication links between the Managers, Social Workers and Placements teams for all offers made.
· Maintain links with Local Authorities, Commissioning Officers, Social Workers and Placement teams to create a positive working relationship.
· Respond to all queries about current and upcoming placement vacancies.
· Track all referrals and offers. Provide regular updates on both to the Senior Management Team.
· Keep up to date with placement stability across the homes – plan referrals for any upcoming vacancies.
Placements
· Ensure the occupancy sheet is kept up to date and is accurate.
· Agree and maintain Individual placing agreements.
· The completion and sending of authority notifications.
· Ensure effective, regular communication with the finance team regarding fee changes.
· Submit requests, chase, and follow up on agreements for extra funding.
· Ensure weekly placement data is updated for occupancy levels, homes petty cash and budgeted hours.
Business Development
· Work with the Business Development team to identify new contracts and tenders, complete tender submissions and attend market engagement events.
· Assist in the identifying of properties for new provision and in the setting up of these homes, including business plans, planning applications and marketing placements to local authorities
Role Requirements
· You will have GSCE A-C or an equivalent qualification or level of experience in Literacy, Numeracy and IT.
· You are an excellent communicator.
· You have a good level of IT skill, specifically Microsoft packages.
Person Specification
· You are a team player with a positive approach to all tasks and communication.
· You can be tenacious and are confidentially able to challenge.
· You are confident in managing challenging conversations.
· You can successfully manage conflict, demonstrating the ability to turn challenges into successes.
· You are professional and approachable to all levels of staff and management.
· You have the ability to hit deadlines and manage different levels of workload.
· You are emotionally resilient, and able to deal with some sensitive information confidentially.
· You will role model the Esland values, and work well with the Office team.
Experience in the role would be advantageous but not essential, as full training will be provided.