Strategic Commissioner - Social Care

Brighter Futures for Children

£61,504 - £65,941 per annum

About us
Brighter Futures for Children is a not-for-profit company, owned by, but independent of, Reading Borough Council. Although we are independent, we are very much part of the Reading Family. Our people enjoy all of benefits as other Council employees including membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme and continuous service. 

We work closely with partners in the local community and key organisations including Reading Borough Council, policy, public health and voluntary groups. We are responsible for the delivery of children’s social care, early help & prevention, education services (including SEND). This also includes fostering and adoption, the Youth Offending Service and traded services with schools. 

Our main aim is to protect and enhance the lives of the children of Reading. We help families find long-term solutions to ensure children lead happy, healthy and successful lives.

About the role
We have an exciting opportunity for you to join our Commissioning, Contracts and Procurement. 

The Strategic Commissioner for social care will work with the Head of Commissioning, Contracts and Procurement to champion, promote and deliver transformational change. The Strategic Commissioner for social care is responsible for the development, implementation and delivery of commissioning programmes, plans and strategies across a wide-ranging portfolio which includes children on the edge of care (early help); Children in need; children in care; children with disabilities and care leavers. This role will ensure effective commissioning of services, promoting a joint approach working with the Strategic Commissioner for Education and SEND. 
The Strategic Commissioner for social care will ensure there is high quality, responsive and efficient services are in place within Children’s Services ensuring the highest standard of provision is available to children, young people and their families within allocated and reducing resources. Increase sufficiency of placements; undertake procurements which achieve savings and service quality objectives; lead service reviews and contract management of providers and markets. 

Through effective commissioning and contract management this postholder will play a vital part in enabling the company to achieve better outcomes for children and savings the company needs to achieve. 

This post will sit alongside the Strategic Commissioner for Education and SEND, and line manage the Placements and Commissioning Managers for social care function with the team. The post holder will be directly line managed by the Head of Commissioning, Contracts and Procurement.

You are required to:
•    To be the strategic lead for social care commissioning within the company, taking responsibility for this remit internally and with external partners. 
•    To lead the development and implementation of long-term strategic plans including sufficiency. 
•    To work with colleagues in health (where appropriate) to support development of jointly commissioned services and processes, through development of joint funding, targets and monitoring. 
•    To maintain effective working relationships with operational managers in social care providing advice and expertise on commissioning and contracts. 
•    To build positive relationships with relevant colleagues across Berkshire and other neighbouring authorities in order to identify opportunities to collaborate, share best practice and learn lessons. 
•    To collaborate on ensuring effective co-production with service user (and carer) takes place and the voice of children, young people and their families routinely informs the team’s work. 
•    To develop business cases; service reviews; option papers and regular reports for senior leaders and Board members as required 
•    To deputise for the Head of Commissioning, Contracts and Procurement when required. 
•    To contribute to company or external initiatives in relation to commissioning and contracts. 
•    To be up to date with the latest demographic data and statistics on the relevant client groups, with an informed view on the future implications of this. 
•    To be up to date with the latest developments in the care and support market in Reading and Berkshire, including benchmarking of costs, quality and performance. 
•    To lead on the social care commissioning team’s contribution to the JSNA and any similar local analyses and data collection in Reading or beyond. 
•    Responsible for researching models of best practice to shape innovative models of care, evolving specification and service design, analysis of demand and throughput, resource analysis in terms of staff and assets, to improve efficiency. 
•    Lead and undertake work to analyse needs, gaps in provision, market trends and make recommendations to implement strategic change to improve the availability, range, quality and value for money of services. 
•    Lead the development of service specifications, tender documents, contract performance management frameworks and other relevant documentation. 
•    To ensure the development of appropriate methods of participation, consultation and co-production with children, young people and their families and that this work underpins and informs commissioning of services. 
•    Analysis of complex information and data in relation to current service provision and mapping against future intentions. Liaising with internal and external stakeholders in the analysis, planning design and delivery phases. 
•    Working alongside the RBC Procurement Team who will manage tenders via a SLA with the company. 

For more information about the role, please read the job description and person specification. 

Our offer
We offer a supportive environment to grow and develop your career with the opportunity to put your ideas across. Innovation and ambition are strongly encouraged, and you’ll get a great feel for that working in our friendly and collaborative environment.

A competitive salary alongside a range of benefits including:
•    Local Government Pension Scheme with generous employer contribution
•    Incremental holidays starting with 26 days plus public holidays (rising to 33 after 10 years’ service)
•    Discounted Child Care (on site nursery)
•    Cycle to work scheme.
•    Season train ticket loans
•    Salary Sacrifice Car Lease Scheme
•    A range of local shopping discounts

Inclusion and Diversity
We want Brighter Futures for Children to be a great place to work and to ensure that our children, young people and families are represented in leadership roles and positions of power. A vital part of this is ensuring we are a truly inclusive organisation that encourages diversity in all respects, including diversity of thinking. 
We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and those of Other Ethnicities, LGBT+, disabled and neurodiverse communities to make a real difference to our children, young people and families so that equalities and justice remains at the heart of everything we do.

Asking for Adjustments
Brighter Futures for Children is committed to making our recruitment practices barrier-free and as accessible as possible for everyone. This includes making adjustments or changes for disabled people, neurodiverse people or people with long-term health conditions.
If you would like us to do anything differently during the application, interview or assessment process, including providing information in an alternative format, please let us know.

Closing date: 18 May 2025
Interview date: week beginning 27 May 2025

We look forward to hearing from you!