Senior Commissioning Officer

• Rewarding opportunity to design services and improve the lives of children in care and those leaving care.
• Outcome focussed, wanting the best for Somerset children.
• Be part of a supportive, innovative and award winning team.
• 30 days' annual leave. The contract offered is permanent and full-time (37 hours per week).

We are seeking a dynamic and experienced Senior Commissioner to lead the commissioning arrangements of residential homes for children and young people in care.

This is an exciting opportunity to join a forward-thinking local authority committed to transforming outcomes for children in care. You’ll be part of a passionate and collaborative commissioning team, focusing on improving outcomes for some of the most vulnerable children in Somerset.

You will oversee the development and delivery of high-quality residential care services, ensuring they are safe, effective, and responsive to the diverse needs of children—including those with complex and specialist requirements. If you are passionate and have a background in commissioning for people services then we would love to meet you.

We’re working to improve the lives of children in care in Somerset – and you’ll be a key part of that. Your day-to-day work will involve:

• Implementing and leading on strategies to ensure we have sufficient residential homes for children in care and care leavers
• Learning all aspects of commissioning and project management
• Working closely with both our in-house services and external providers who we commission to deliver homes for children and young people.
• Collaborate with internal teams, external providers, and multi-agency partners to shape a sustainable and high-performing market that supports placement stability and quality care.
• Monitor service quality, compliance, and performance against regulatory standards.
• Drive innovation and transformation in home stability, outcomes, and cost-effectiveness.
• Manage contracts, budgets, and contribute to policy development and strategic planning.

We offer ongoing support, training, and guidance to help you be the best you can be. But it will really help if you:

• Have proven experience in commissioning, project management or managing Children’s Social Care commissioned services.
• Have good understanding of residential care regulations, safeguarding, and statutory responsibilities.
• Have excellent stakeholder engagement and negotiation skills.
• Are a strategic thinker with a passion for improving outcomes for children and young people.
• Have the ability to be adaptable to respond to changing needs, legislation, and market conditions.
• Have resilience, Empathy and Compassion, understanding the lived experiences of children and young people in care.

We’re proud to be here for the people of Somerset. And that means everyone in Somerset. An important part of this is ensuring that we are as diverse and inclusive as the people and communities we serve.

We welcome applications from a diverse range of backgrounds and experiences to enrich our team. You can always contact the hiring manager for a chat if there’s anything you want to talk about before you apply.

We are proud to offer an environment that is supportive and rewarding, working as part of a team who are passionate about the work they do to improve the lives of people in Somerset.

We offer great training and development opportunities, with supportive management. As well as this, we have some fantastic employee benefits available:

• We promote a healthy work-life balance and offer flexible working arrangements wherever possible, including working from home.
• Generous annual leave allowance, with the opportunity to purchase additional leave.
• Staff discounts in gyms.
• Employee Assistance for the times you may need some support and a variety of employee wellbeing services.
• Auto enrolment onto our generous Pension Scheme and optional pension enhancement through our Additional Voluntary Contribution scheme.
• A Flexible Benefits Scheme via salary sacrifice to obtain a cycle for work and health screenings.
• My Staff Shop offering discounts in shops, online shopping, restaurants, cinema tickets, insurance benefits and more.

The salary for the role is grade 9, ranging from £41,771 - £46,142 per annum.

You will be based in Taunton with a requirement to travel countywide.

We would encourage all interested applicants to have an informal discussion about this post with Julie Breeze, Strategic Commissioner, on 07919 540517 or Julie.breeze@somerset.gov.uk.

Interviews are scheduled for Friday 19th September 2025.

When completing your application/CV please provide your full employment history and ensure that any gaps in employment are explained. Please start with your current or most recent employment.

If you have all the information you need, just hit the apply button. We can’t wait to hear from you!

We are a hugely ambitious council, committed to improving lives for the residents, communities, and businesses of Somerset.

And that’s why we’re working so hard to build a sustainable organisation with a culture that rewards, values and recognises our staff, and gives everyone here the opportunity to grow and develop, personally and professionally.

If you’re looking for a place where your work truly matters – where YOU truly matter – we might be just right for you.

This role requires a Basic Criminal background check via the Disclosure Procedure.