National referrals and transitions lead

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced and driven National Referral and Transitions Lead to coordinate and manage referrals, assessments, transitions, and tenancy processes across Sense services. This is a pivotal role responsible for maintaining a strong referral pipeline, ensuring services operate at full capacity, and supporting the successful placement of disabled people with complex needs into high-quality, person-centred services. Working closely with colleagues across operations, business development, housing, and finance, you will lead assessments, develop costed support packages, manage transitions, and contribute to new service development and growth opportunities.

This is a hybrid role, working between home and our Birmingham office, but will also require regular travel across the UK, including Wales and Northern Ireland. The role may involve responding to urgent or emergency referrals and requires flexibility in working arrangements.

• Act as the primary point of contact for referrals, enquiries, and brokerage activity.
• Monitor and manage referral activity, maintaining accurate tracking systems and producing regular performance reports.
• Analyse referral trends, occupancy levels, and market intelligence to identify growth opportunities and service gaps.
• Lead and coordinate person-centred assessments, including risk, environmental suitability, and transition planning.
• Complete detailed assessment reports, including support modelling and costings.
• Facilitate internal referral and decision-making meetings with senior operational leaders.
• Ensure all contractual documentation and agreements are in place for new placements.
• Maintain strong knowledge of CQC requirements, including supported living frameworks and the real tenancy test.

• Lead the development and delivery of personalised transition plans to ensure safe and positive move‑ins.
• Coordinate tenancy sign‑ups and liaise with housing partners, and ensure placements are stable and successful.
• Address transition‑stage issues proactively, escalating concerns where required.
• Support internal transfers between services, ensuring continuity of care.

• Build and maintain strong relationships with commissioners, brokerage teams, local authorities, ICBs, and housing providers.
• Project manage new service developments and mobilisation, reporting progress to senior leaders.
• Attend provider forums, networking events, and transition fairs to promote Sense services.
• Work with communications colleagues to support marketing activity and promote services to key audiences.

• Work collaboratively with finance, housing, business development, and operational teams on cost modelling, tenders, and bids.
• Support managers to achieve occupancy and fee growth targets.
• Contribute to service improvement activity, including safeguarding, complaints, and incident reviews.
• Provide training and guidance to managers on referral, assessment, and transition processes.

You will be a confident, resilient, and solution-focused professional with strong operational experience in health or social care.

• Strong understanding of the learning disability and autism sector and relevant CQC regulations.
• Experience coordinating referrals, assessments, and placements in supported living or social care settings.
• Ability to write high-quality assessments, cost models, and senior-level reports.
• Experience working with commissioners, brokerage teams, and purchasing portals.
• Operational management experience within health or social care.
• Strong interpersonal, communication, and influencing skills.
• Ability to negotiate placement costs and understand funding streams.
• Commitment to person-centred practice and supporting people with complex needs.

• Knowledge of local authority and ICB commissioning structures.
• Experience with PBS, trauma-informed approaches, or complex/forensic needs.
• Experience supporting service mobilisation or business development activity.

We believe that every disabled…