Placements Commissioning Officer

Birmingham Children's Trust Placements Commissioning Service are expanding. As Corporate Parents we are committed to working with all stakeholders, ensuring we secure the best quality care placements for our children at best value.

Placements Commissioning are an established small busy team where every day is different.We work very closely with the Placements Team and Strategic Commissioning Team, to ensure we meet our statutory functions and increase sufficiency whilst demonstrating good financial control.

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.

About you:

• You will need to have a good understanding of regulations for children's homes, supported accommodation and foster care, understand what good looks like in these settings and experience of working with contracts.
• You will preferably have a good track record in children's placements and be inquisitive and creative in your thinking as we seek innovative ways to ensure our looked after children can achieve the best possible outcomes.
• You will maintain oversight of placements and ensure that they are of the highest quality and meet the needs of our young people both now and in the future.
• You will be responsible for undertaking quality assurance work with providers across the country and complete quality assurance visits to care placements in the West Midlands area on a planned and emergency basis where required - this will also mean holding and monitoring improvement action plans with providers
• You will have excellent organisational skills, and be able to manage a range of competing priorities within a fast-paced environment.
• You will need to be flexible and responsive to quickly changing demands and evidence that you are able to work well under pressure.
• You will be able to evidence how you can enable us to be the 'first choice' for providers through building new, positive relationships and ensure all aspects of our service are of the highest quality.
• You will need to be able to work solo as well as part of a team, to deliver the placements commissioning priorities, through managing and influencing key partnership arrangements and relationships.
• You will have a proven track record of achievement in a similarly large and complex organisation, preferably within a social care background, and will be confident in analysing and reporting on complex data alongside managing specific projects/areas of work.

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

Please do not submit an application without a personal supporting statement and CV. We will not be able to consider fully how you meet the person specification and your application will not be shortlisted.

If you are shortlisted, interviews will take place in person at One Avenue Road B4 7DJ on Monday 15th December 2025. Please make yourself available, and we look forward to meeting you!

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 criminal 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.