Position reference: 50146009
Directorate: Children's Services | Service: Commissioning Teams
Salary: £51,356- £54,495
Working Arrangements: Hybrid - 3 days per week in office
Hours per week: 37
Contract type: Permanent
We are happy to talk flexible working arrangements with you, please get in touch.
See our range of Employee Rewards: Employee rewards and benefits
Closing date: 26/06/2026 at 23:59
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 Commissioning 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:
Lead transformation. Shape services. Improve lives.
Are you a strategic leader with a passion for driving high-quality services for children and young people? Do you want to play a pivotal role in shaping provision, influencing system-wide change, and ensuring every child has access to the support they need to thrive?
We are seeking an exceptional Quality and Sufficiency Manager to lead innovation, improvement and impact across Children’s Commissioning. This is a senior and influential role with real scope to shape the future of services and deliver meaningful outcomes at scale.
About the Role
This is a unique opportunity to take ownership of quality, sufficiency and service improvement across a services for children and young people.
You will:
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Lead quality and improvement at scale – driving a culture of continuous self-evaluation, learning and excellence across services. Lead a team of officers to drive and deliver quality improvement
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Shape and influence the local market – work with local providers to ensure children and young people have access to the right services, at the right time
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Use insight to drive decision-making – overseeing performance, intelligence and data analysis to inform quality improvement, development and decision making.
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Lead and inspire a high-performing team – Lead a team of officers to drive and deliver quality improvement
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Drive system-wide improvement – developing policies, procedures and frameworks that embed best practice and deliver measurable change
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Champion safeguarding and quality – ensuring robust practice and systems are in place to protect and support children and young people
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Work collaboratively across the system – building strong partnerships locally, regionally and nationally to strengthen services and share best practice
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Influence key decisions – representing the service at panels and boards to ensure resources are directed where they will have the greatest impact
This role sits at the centre of transformation — combining strategy, leadership, and delivery to ensure services are effective, sustainable, and focused on outcomes.
What We’re Looking For
We’re looking for a confident, values-driven leader who is:
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Passionate about improving outcomes for children and young people
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An experienced leader of teams and change, with the ability to drive improvement across complex systems
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Highly analytical and strategic, able to interpret complex data and turn insight into action
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Skilled in building partnerships and influencing stakeholders across organisational boundaries
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Experienced in quality assurance, service development, and inspection frameworks
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A strong communicator, able to engage, inspire and challenge to achieve better outcomes
You will bring a strong understanding of children’s services, including quality standards, safeguarding, policy, and the wider local government landscape.
Why Join Us?
This is a rare opportunity to take on a brand new role where you can:
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Shape the future of services for children and young people
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Lead meaningful, system-wide quality improvement
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Work in a progressive, ambitious organisation committed to innovation and improvement
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Influence decision-making at a strategic level
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Be part of a culture that values collaboration, courage and creativity
Ready to lead change?
If you’re ready to step into a role where you can truly make a difference — shaping services, influencing systems, and improving lives — we want to hear from you.
Apply now and help us deliver better outcomes for children and young people.
Please use the documents below to help support you with your application form.
Job Profile: Children and Young People’s Quality and Sufficiency Manager Profile.docx
Vacancy Exposure Profile: Exposure Profile.pdf
Help with your application form
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"
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