Commissioning Manager - Care Placements

The Witherslack Group; Lancaster; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading provider in specialist education and care is seeking a Commissioning Manager to enhance occupancy in children's homes. The role requires significant operational experience, relationship management with local authorities, and a passion for working with children and young people with complex needs. Competitive salary based on experience with a performance-related bonus and extensive benefits package.

Benefits

Performance-related bonus

Ongoing professional development

7 weeks' holiday

Flexible benefits package

Wellbeing tools and advice

Medical cover

Beautiful working environments

Refer a friend scheme (£2,000 bonus)

Qualifications

• Significant operational and/or commissioning experience within 52-week care placements.
• A passion for the care and education of children and young people with SEND and complex needs.
• Excellent relationship-building and networking skills.

Responsibilities

• Monitor occupancy and ensure high-quality experiences for commissioning partners.
• Build strong relationships with local authorities and stakeholders.
• Develop and deliver strategic approaches to 52-week care placements.

Skills

Operational and commissioning experience in care placements

Empathy and caring nature

Relationship building

Detail-oriented approach

Effective communication

Job description

We are the highest Ofsted-rated provider in the country for specialist education and care. Our teams are fulfilled by the idea of making even the smallest positive changes in our young people, so we celebrate the little things. We are looking for someone who can passionately represent Witherslack Group's visions, aims and objectives and build strong, long-lasting relationships with internal and external stakeholders throughout our sector leading children's homes. The Commissioning Manager must have significant operational and/or commissioning experience within 52‑week care placements and will hold direct responsibility for achieving optimum occupancy throughout our homes. We will support you with administrative and technical teams within our commercial/partnerships team and across the wider organisation. The role involves supporting the development and delivery of our strategic approach to 52‑week care placements, including responsibility for occupancy throughout our children's homes. This includes contributing to the planning and coordination of placement activity and ensuring placement outcomes are shared with placing authorities. The Commissioning Manager will also monitor placement performance, outcomes and key indicators, ensuring a high‑quality experience for commissioning partners, while maintaining strong relationships with local authorities and other stakeholders across the sector. With previous experience in a similar field, you will use your skills to actively seek out development opportunities to gain a deep understanding of local authority needs and the local market. This role requires close partnership working across the homes, schools and local authority by support, liaison and negotiation so experience of relationship management is a must.

Here at Witherslack Group, we celebrate everyone's differences as that’s what makes us the best at what we do. Our young people come from all walks of life, diverse backgrounds and with different needs - and our workforce reflects that diversity, so that our teams can engage, encourage and inspire our young people to be themselves. We'll give you the chance to build an exciting career in a fast‑growing organisation, where you're free to achieve your potential. Here’s what we need from you;

Qualificationsh3>

• Significant operational and/or commissioning experience within 52‑week care placements
• A passion for the care and education of children and young people with SEND and complex needs
• A people person – empathetic, caring, and able to translate Witherslack Group’s vision into real impact
• An understanding of local authority care commissioning
• Insightful and detail‑orientated approach – monitoring industry trends and market developments to feed into partnership activity
• Knowledge of the local authority environment and how to navigate it to achieve objectives
• Excellent relationship‑building and networking skills
• Tenacity and drive to seek new opportunities and exceed targets
• The ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences

Benefits

• Salary: Based on experience, plus performance‑related bonus
• Training: Ongoing professional development
• Holiday: 7 weeks' holiday
• Flexible benefits package – meaning you can increase/decrease your holiday allowance, pension and life insurance – check out our benefits here
• Wellbeing: a host of wellbeing tools and advice including employee assistance
• Medical cover so you can claim back the cost of things like optician or dentist appointments and a host of high‑street discounts
• Beautiful working environments with the very best facilities
• Refer a friend scheme that offers a £2,000 bonus every time