Senior Commissioning Officer

About the role:

Birmingham Childrens Trust Placement and Commissioning Service are expanding to make sure we can be the best we can at commissioning high quality best value homes for the children in our care. Are you ready to join us?!

As corporate parents we are committed to working with all stakeholders, ensuring we secure quality homes for our looked after children at the best value.

In this role you will become part of an established small busy friendly team where every day is different. In general, the team supports placement finders through their work in pre and post placement activity, market engagement and quality assurance.

In this role, you will need to have a keen eye for data and analysis as we are shaping this role to be the lead on the quality and performance aspects of children’s commissioning.

So, if you are keen to make a difference for children in care, have a good understanding of regulations for supported accommodation, children’s homes and foster care AND your superpower is a good application of the Microsoft suite of applications and Power BI then this might be the job for you.

As an example on any given day you might be liaising with a range of stakeholders, providers, colleagues and producing, extracting or analysing complex data sets to respond to service, executive, MP or other information requests – to do this, your tasks could include:

• Placement portal – this is the portal where we source all of our children’s placements – we extract this data and will require analysis per provider, per service type and per child
• Dashboard extraction (from existing data source) and support in information supply to aid negotiation by our Placements Team
• Setting up new local systems using data extracted from our main recording system Eclipse / tracking – e.g statutory documents
• Providing effective IT solutions as and when they arise in relation to data
• Financial monitoring to inform placements commissioning activity including 18+
• Be responsible for maintaining the Placements Commissioning website
• Be responsible for Freedom of Information Requests
• Mapping of provision across the City
• Supporting colleagues with their quality assurance activity and visits
• Attending local and regional events and related groups

This is a 36.5 hour full time role with a hybrid model of working. The role may also involve some occasional travel to provisions that we commission locally, regionally and nationally.

Interviews will take place on Friday 17th October.

If you wish to discuss this exciting role or have any questions, please contact louise.knowles@birminghamchildrenstrust.co.uk.

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 and have the correct right-to-work documents to work in the UK. Sadly, we do not support those who require sponsorship.

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.