The City of Doncaster Council is a confident, ambitious organisation which puts improving the life of its residents at the centre of everything we do. You have an opportunity to be part of this in the role of Children's Commissioning Lead (Placements).
There has never been a more exciting time to join the Children Young People and Families Directorate and help ensure that children and families in Doncaster have access to the very best services.
City of Doncaster Council ensures that all services are commissioned against evidenced local need in line with the priorities of the Children and Young People’s Plan. We continue to work proactively with all our partners and stakeholders to make the very best use of available resources and continuously review services to ensure they are high quality and value for money.
We are seeking an experienced and motivated Commissioning Lead to support the leadership of the Placements Team, who are responsible for identifying and securing safe, appropriate and high‑quality homes for children and young people in care. This is a pivotal role in ensuring that commissioning activity delivers the right placements at the right time, achieves value for money, and most importantly improves outcomes for children.
Working closely with colleagues across Children’s Social Care, Education, SEND, Health and partner agencies, the postholder will lead on the commissioning and contract management of a defined portfolio of services, with a strong focus on placement sufficiency, quality and market stability. The role will also require participation in an emergency placements rota, providing out‑of‑hours or urgent support to ensure children are placed safely when immediate needs arise.
Key responsibilities
* Supporting the day‑to‑day operational leadership of the Placements Team, ensuring timely identification of suitable homes for children and young people in care.
* Leading on the design, development, procurement and ongoing management of a defined portfolio of commissioned placement services, ensuring outcomes, quality and value for money are achieved.
* Embedding quality and safeguarding expectations throughout the commissioning and contract management cycle, working closely with quality assurance colleagues to provide assurance that placements safeguard children’s welfare.
* Supporting the development and operation of effective contract monitoring processes, including the supervision of support staff where required.
* Working proactively with providers to strengthen the local and regional placement market, improve quality, and support innovation and best practice.
* Ensuring the views and lived experiences of children, young people and families inform commissioning decisions and service improvement.
* Contributing to inspection readiness and responding effectively to regulatory and inspection frameworks, including Ofsted.
Qualifications
* Significant experience working within children’s services, including Children in Care, safeguarding, SEND, health or related areas.
* Experience of commissioning, contract management and/or joint commissioning within a public sector or partnership context.
* Experience of leading or supporting a team to deliver outcomes in a complex, high‑pressure environment.
* Strong knowledge of children’s policy, practice and statutory responsibilities, particularly in relation to placements and sufficiency.
* Excellent analytical and problem‑solving skills, with the ability to use data, intelligence and market insight to inform commissioning decisions.
* Strong communication and influencing skills, with the ability to work effectively with providers, partners and internal stakeholders.
* A clear commitment to keeping the voice of children and young people central to decision‑making.
This is a great opportunity to expand your knowledge and utilise your skills in a dynamic, creative and nurturing environment, whilst truly making a difference to the communities we serve.
In return for your contribution, we offer:
* Competitive leave entitlement
* Generous local government pension scheme
* Wellbeing support and staff networks
* Development and training opportunities
* Staff discounts and benefits schemes
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