Job Description

Position reference: 50060558 / 732202

Directorate: Children's Services | Service: Education, Early Start & Prevention

Salary

: 45,718 - 48,710

Working Arrangements

: Office and Home Working

Hours per week

: 37

Contract type:

Fixed Term for 12 months



We are happy to talk flexible working arrangements with you, please get in touch

.

Suitable for Secondment:

Employees wishing to be considered for secondment should agree with their head of service before submitting an application form.

See our range of Employee Rewards:

Employee rewards and benefits

Closing date

: 25/07/2025 at 23:59


The successful candidate will be required to speak English to an appropriate standard.

This post requires an Enhanced DBS Check

If you are currently living overseas or have lived overseas in the last five years please be aware, if you are the preferred candidate for the post, you will be required to apply for an overseas criminal records check from the country/countries you have resided in. If you experience difficulty in obtaining an overseas criminal record check please email

dbs@barnsley.gov.uk

When applying, please ensure you are prepared to start work with all the necessary legal documents, such as a valid visa, relevant to the type of work you will be undertaking. Please be aware that our organisation does not possess a Home Office license and, as a result, is unable to provide sponsorship for anyone seeking a visa as a skilled or temporary migrant worker.

Pensions Regulations have provisions to reduce pension payments in certain circumstances of those who return to work within local government service. If you are in receipt of a pension upon commencing employment with the authority, this may affect your pension entitlements and you should therefore seek advice from the relevant Pensions Authority.

At Barnsley Council you can start a career that makes a real difference to people's lives, helping our council and residents to be the best they can be.

We're an award-winning council and one of the biggest employers in the borough, supporting around 243,000 people. We put people at the heart of everything we do, and that includes our employees. As part of the team, we offer lots of benefits and rewards to support you to thrive and grow, like flexible working, employee discounts, support for your health and wellbeing, and opportunities for training and development to grow your career and develop your skills.

There's so much happening in our thriving borough, and now's the perfect time to join our excellent Education, Early Start & Prevention

team as we work to make Barnsley the place of possibilities.

We're an award-winning team and one of the biggest employers in the borough supporting around 243,000 people.

Working at Barnsley Council means being part of a team that makes a real difference to people's lives, where you can develop the skills you need to make change happen.

If you join the team you'll receive great pay alongside an excellent pension scheme. With flexible working we'll also support your work/life balance, helping you to adjust your hours and take time off when you need it.

We'll help you to develop your career and grow your skills with opportunities for training and development.

There's so much happening in our thriving borough and your talent and skills will help us make

Barnsley the place of possibilities

.

Key to our success is working with our residents, partners, businesses and organisations and building these partnerships to bring about change in Barnsley.

About the Post:

In Barnsley we have a strong vision to make Barnsley the place of possibilities for all children, young people and families. This means that our children can start their life well, have the opportunity to learn, develop new skills and achieve their personal potential.



We're excited to be recruiting for a Lead Commissioning Officer here in Barnsley, the place of possibilities.



Within the Children's Commissioning, team an opportunity has arisen for a talented individual to help drive the commissioning of quality services to improve outcomes for Barnsley families. With a strong focus on improving outcomes for children, young people & families, the post-holder will need to be comfortable working with vulnerable groups and should be able to operate effectively in a rapidly changing environment. Alongside a sound grasp of the commissioning cycle, experience in the planning and/or delivery of services to vulnerable groups is essential



To contribute to this vision, we are looking to recruit talented service commissioners who have the aptitude for understanding complex needs, the ability to take a whole system view and the creativity to improve services working with service users, and also the skills to encourage a strong provider market.



This post will be the lead commissioner for Children's placements and will support our placements team working with existing and developing new providers as part of our approach in managing placement sufficiency. You will be responsible for the commissioning, quality assurance and contract management of a range of services to improve outcomes for children, young people, and their families. This will include leading commissioning arrangements for children's residential care, independent fostering and semi-independent provision for our care leavers.



To be successful, you will need to have experience of working with complex groups, service users and families, as well as a sound grasp of the commissioning cycle and be able to demonstrate your ability to work in partnership with senior managers across the system and highlight methods for measuring impact and outcomes.



This includes specific experience and knowledge in relation to children who need Local Authority Care. You will be experienced in partnership working, stakeholder engagement, and understand national policy and local need.



In Barnsley we value honesty, teamwork, excellent service and taking pride in what we do. If you believe you have the relevant skills then we would like to hear from you!



For further details of what the role involves and a breakdown on the criteria for applicants can be found in the attached. If you would like to talk to discuss your application please do get in touch - Sean Hill, Senior Commissioning Manager : e-mail seanhill@barnsley.gov.uk or Tel: 07788278519

Please use the documents below to help support you with your application form.

Job Profile:

Job Profile.pdf

Vacancy Exposure Profile:

Expsoure Profile LOW.pdf

Help with your application form

Why work for us?

Please ensure you view the job profile for this role, as you will need to demonstrate in your

application form how you meet the required criteria.


We welcome the opportunity to have a chat about the role and are happy to address any questions you may have about flexible working arrangements, including as a result of caring responsibilities.


We're committed to creating a workplace where differences are valued and everyone truly feels able to be themselves. If you have any support needs during the recruitment process, please let us know.



CV's are not accepted for this role.



At Barnsley Council, we believe in second chances and value diversity. Our recruitment process is inclusive, and we welcome applicants with past convictions. We're committed to fairness and do not discriminate. Join us in building a future where everyone has the opportunity to thrive. #InclusiveHiring #SecondChances"

www.barnsley.gov.uk/jobs