Commissioning Officer - Placements

Are you passionate about making a difference in the lives of children and families?

If so, Birmingham Children’s Trust wants you!

Birmingham Children’s Trust is responsible for ensuring vulnerable young people in our care — and those leaving care — have access to safe, high‑quality accommodation and the support they need to thrive. To achieve this, The Placements Commissioning Team must commission services that deliver value for money, meet quality standards, and maintain accurate placement records so we can plan effectively for future demand.

As a Commissioning Officer, you will be part of a busy placements commissioning team. Alongside contributing to duty cover (up to one day per week) and wider commissioning tasks, you will take a lead role in ensuring we have the right accommodation options for specific cohorts of young people.

Key Responsibilities

• Working closely with providers to secure sufficient, appropriate placements that meet identified needs
• Collaborating with providers, young people and social workers to ensure placements offer good quality and value for money
• Onboarding new provision that can meet need and health and safety expectations
• Maintaining accurate placement information using Excel and other databases
• Ensuring financial records relating to placements are complete, accurate and compliant
• Undertaking placement visits and contributing to quality assurance activity

We have been rated as ‘Good’ by Ofsted, following a 2023 inspection. This is a fantastic achievement for Birmingham Children's Trust, with many positive highlights focusing on areas including the quality of staff leadership, partnership working, safeguarding and corporate parenting.

This is a hybrid role based in Birmingham so you must reside within a suitable commutable distance around Birmingham andhave the correct right-to-work documents to work in the UK. Sadly, we do not support those who require sponsorship.

About you

We are looking for candidates with:

• Strong communication skills and the ability to build effective relationships
• Flexibility and confidence in managing changing priorities
• An analytical approach with the ability to understand and work with data
• Curiosity, attention to detail and a willingness to learn as an individual and develop our service using creativity and innovation
• A proactive mindset and commitment to improving outcomes for young people
• Ability to travel to various locations to undertake placement visits (sometimes at short notice)

Additional Information

Interviews will take place on Monday 29 June 2026.

As part of the application process, please submit your CV and a supporting statement clearly demonstrating your skills and experience for this role.

Onboarding Process

Please note as part of our onboarding process, the successful candidate will be required undergo a series of background checks with Experian Including Experian DBS, Right to Work, and Digital ID verification. We will also require a full employment history to comply with schedule 2 of the Children’s Homes regulations These are essential pre-employment requirements.

Our Benefits

• A generous annual leave package of 30 days annual leave, plus bank holidays, rising to 33 days after 5 years of service and 35 days after 10 years of service.
• Free on-site parking at our offices on One Avenue Road (Aston) and Lifford House (Stirchley). We also provide onsite electric car charging ports which are free to use!
• Full access to our amazing internal employee benefits scheme including, Occupational Health services, Rewards Schemes, Benefitsdiscounts (including the Blue Light Card), Health & Fitness and Personal Wellbeing support and much more!
• Pension Scheme - You will receive a generous local government career average pension scheme in line with the local government pension scheme.

For further information, feel free to contact Louise Knowles (Placements Commissioning Manager) via louise.k.knowles@birminghamchildrenstrust.co.uk

Benefits

Help us to change children and young people’s lives!

At Birmingham Children’s Trust, we are committed to making a positive impact on the lives of over 10,000 children and young people in our city every day. Our mission is to support the most disadvantaged children and young people in Birmingham, ensuring they are safe, happy, and healthy.

Why Join Us?

• Impactful Work - be part of a team that makes a real difference in the lives of the city’s most vulnerable children.
• Supportive Environment - enjoy a supportive and collaborative work culture where your contributions are valued.
• Career Development - benefit from tailored development programs, supportive supervision, and a range of learning opportunities to enhance your skills and advance your career.
• Generous Benefits - take advantage of our competitive reward package including generous leave allowance, Local Government pension scheme, and additional benefits.

Our Values

We approach our work with care and compassion, actively listening to the needs of the children and young people we serve. We involve them in the decisions that affect their lives, ensuring their voices are heard and respected.

We are committed to using our resources wisely, ensuring that every penny is spent where it counts the most. We foster collaboration among schools, health professionals, and the police, working together to create a supportive network for our young people.

We believe that when we work as one cohesive team, the children and young people of Birmingham are more likely to thrive. Our unified approach ensures that we provide the best possible support and opportunities for their growth and development.

Join us and together, we can create a brighter future for all.

Safeguarding

At Birmingham Children’s Trust, we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people.

Depending on the role, you may be asked to undergo the appropriate level of Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check to assess your suitability for working with children and young people.

The level of check (Standard, Enhanced, or Enhanced with Barred List) is determined based on the specific responsibilities of the role and the level of contact with children and young people.

We are committed to the fair treatment of all applicants, including those with crimina records. Having a criminal record will not necessarily bar an individual from working with us. This will depend on the nature of the position and the circumstances and background of the offence.

Please note that we reserve the right to close the job early should we reach the required number of applications, therefore please ensure you submit your application and supporting statement early to avoid any disappointment.