Commissioning Manager

South Gloucestershire Council; Yate; Hybrid; GBP 42,000 - 55,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Work-life balance

Training & development

Generous annual leave

Wellbeing support

Staff discounts

Job summary

South Gloucestershire Council is seeking a Commissioning Manager to shape care provision for children and young people. You will work at a strategic level, collaborating across social care, housing, public health and commissioned services to deliver placement sufficiency and positive outcomes for children in care.

You will lead on commissioning of children's placements, manage a small team, and drive partnership working to develop a sustainable care market.

Qualifications

• Essential degree or professional qualification in social care, healthcare, public health, housing, business studies or equivalent knowledge gained through practice.
• Experience at a senior level within commissioning, across social care, housing, health or public health services.
• Proven track record developing commissioning strategies, service improvement plans and business cases.
• Strong understanding of partnership working, personalisation and outcomes-focused delivery.

Responsibilities

• Provide advice and guidance to a range of customers, ensuring value for money and meeting children’s needs.
• Contribute to statutory priorities and build effective partnerships to ensure placement sufficiency.
• Lead and coordinate a varied programme of work and respond to emerging priorities.
• Manage a small team of Commissioning Officers and oversee commissioning of children’s placements and services.

Skills

Commissioning experience

Contract management

Market analysis

Performance monitoring

Partnership working

Personalisation

Outcome-focused service delivery

Strategic leadership

Education

Degree in social care/health/public health/housing/business

Job description

How you'll make a difference

As a Commissioning Manager within the Placements team, you will play a key role in shaping and developing care provision for children and young people across South Gloucestershire. Working at a strategic level, you will collaborate with colleagues across social care, housing, public health and commissioned services to deliver high-quality placement sufficiency, support positive outcomes for children in care, and contribute to the council's wider commissioning priorities.

Through strong partnerships, you will help develop a sustainable, diverse and efficient care market that is responsive to local needs. Leading on the strategic relationship between the council and commissioned organisations, you will oversee the delivery of children's care homes, independent fostering placements and other commissioned children's services.

What you will be doing

• Using your expertise, you will provide advice and guidance to a range of customers, ensuring services are delivered efficiently, represent value for money and meet the needs of children and young people.
• Supporting the Service Manager, you will contribute to the delivery of the council's strategic priorities, helping to ensure sufficient placement availability, develop effective partnerships and responding proactively to changes in legislation, policy, guidance and best practice.
• It will be your responsibility to lead and coordinate a varied programme of work, supporting the team to manage competing demands, respond to emerging priorities and take forward new strategic commissioning initiatives as required.
• As part of your role, you will manage a small team of Commissioning Officers and Assistant Commissioning Officers, providing leadership, support and development while overseeing the commissioning of children's placements and associated services.

What we need from you

• It is essential that you hold a degree or professional qualification in social care, healthcare, public health, housing, business studies, or a related discipline, or be able to demonstrate equivalent knowledge and experience gained through professional practice.
• You will have experience of working at a senior level within a commissioning environment, ideally across social care, housing, health or public health services. It will be key for you to have a sound understanding of the relevant legislation and regulatory framework, including the Children Act 1989, market-shaping responsibilities and procurement requirements.
• With a proven track record of developing and implementing commissioning strategies, service improvement plans and business cases, you will be able to deliver positive outcomes while ensuring services provide value for money. You must have experience of undertaking needs assessments, market analysis, contract management and performance monitoring within a commissioning context.
• We are looking for someone with a strong understanding of the children's social care landscape and its links with health, housing and wider support services. You will be familiar with the principles of partnership working, personalisation and outcome-focused service delivery, alongside the legislative frameworks, standards and best practice that underpin these services.

What you need to know

• This role is hybrid, with a mixture of working at our office in Badminton Road and working from home.

Interviews are likely to held week commencing 23rd November.

How a career at South Gloucestershire Council is different

• We know our team work best when they have balance in their lives and we offer genuine flexibility to help them achieve that work/life balance - whatever that means for them.
• We value our staff as individuals, investing in their careers and we are recognised for the quality, breadth and depth of our training and development offer, which helps make the greatest long-term difference in work.
• As part of our benefits package, you will receive generous annual leave (pro rata), employee wellbeing support and you will have access to a range of staff discounts, including eye tests, travel, shopping and leisure activities.
• We recognise that our diverse team of skilled and dedicated people make us a great place to work. We welcome applications from everyone and ensure that individuals are selected, promoted and developed on the basis of their merits and abilities.

Our teams at South Gloucestershire Council are making a real difference to the lives of people who live, work and learn here.

• We're building and shaping communities which people are proud of.
• We're working with the most vulnerable in our community to help them achieve what they want in life.
• We're investing in our schools to ensure every child and young person in South Gloucestershire achieves their full potential.

We've achieved a great deal, but we need talented and dedicated people to ensure we continue to make a difference.
We’re making a difference, be part of it!