Residential Commissioning Lead

Closing Date: 17 May 2026

Salary: £49,771 to £54,142, which includes a time limited recruitment allowance of £8,000 per annum and will expire on 30/04/2029.  

Role Summary

You’ll join Children’s Commissioning and Performance, working closely with social care, education and health colleagues. The team focuses on securing the right homes for children in care while improving quality, sustainability and outcomes across the residential market.

You'll have the opportunity to design services and improve the lives of children in care and those leaving care.  You will lead the development and oversight of Somerset’s residential children’s homes market to ensure children and young people in care receive safe, high‑quality and appropriate homes. This role focuses on value for money, performance, and improving outcomes for children, while building effective relationships with external providers and supporting robust decision making in a complex and pressured market.

What You'll do - Key Responsibilities

• Implementing and leading on strategies to ensure we have sufficient homes for children in care.
• Working closely with both our in-house social care teams and external providers who we commission to provide homes for children and young people.
• Collaborating with internal teams, external providers, and multi-agency partners to support home stability and quality care.
• Driving change which leads to home stability, positive outcomes and achieves good value for money.
• Managing and monitoring contracts and contributing to strategic planning.
• Use data and market intelligence to shape commissioning decisions and service improvements
• Manage urgent and high‑risk placement issues, working across services to reduce disruption
• Lead and support a small commissioning team and contribute to wider strategic forums

What We’re Looking For – Essential Skills/Experience

Essential

• Strong understanding of children’s social care processes relating to children in care and care leavers, including assessment, placement decision‑making, placement stability and multi‑agency working across education, health and social care
• In‑depth knowledge of legislation, regulatory frameworks and statutory guidance governing children’s residential care, including the Ofsted inspection regime, Children’s Homes Regulations 2015 and National Minimum Standards
• Clear understanding of performance, financial and data analysis, including analysing costs, measuring outcomes, identifying inefficiencies and informing strategic planning
• Good understanding of commissioning processes within children’s services and how commissioning improves outcomes for children and young people
• Knowledge of service user involvement in commissioning and how to design and implement effective involvement processes
• Significant experience working as a commissioning practitioner (or closely related role) commissioning support or care services
• Demonstrable experience of delivering commissioning projects and applying best practice in commissioning
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret complex data
• Well‑developed verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to tailor messages for different audiences and situations
• Effective negotiating and influencing skills, with the ability to adapt approach to different contexts
• Strong self‑management skills, including experience of supervising others
• Confident and effective budget management skills

Desirable

• Considerable managerial experience
• Experience of improving sufficiency of placements for children in care
• Experience of working with elected Members, Board Members or Trustees
• Experience of representing an organisation at external forums

Additional Information

• Permanent position, 37 hours a week.
• The role includes involvement in high‑cost decision‑making panels and may require occasional travel to residential providers across the country.
• Flexible and Hybrid working
• 30 days annual leave (additional to bank holidays)
• Regretfully, we are unable to offer sponsorship for this role. We are only able to proceed with candidates who already have the right to work in the UK without the need for visa sponsorship

We encourage all interested candidates to have an informal chat about the role, please contact Julie Breeze - Head of Service – Commissioning – Children in care on 07919 540517 or by email at Julie.breeze@somerset.gov.uk

A full job description will be provided to shortlisted candidates or on request.