Position reference:50146007
Directorate: Children's Services | Service: Commissioning Teams
Salary: £61,350 - £66,512
Working Arrangements: Hybrid 3 days in the 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:
Transform how we support children in care. Lead the system. Shape the market. Deliver better outcomes. Because every child deserves the right home, the right support, and the chance to thrive.
This is not just a leadership role — it’s an opportunity to change children’s lives.
We’re looking for a passionate and values-driven leader to join us at the heart of Children’s Services, working across commissioning and social care to ensure children in our care experience stability, quality and belonging.
You will play a crucial role in shaping how we support some of our most vulnerable children — making sure their voices are heard, their needs are met, and their futures are better.
About the Role
You will play a leading role in:
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Overseeing children in care placements – ensuring robust systems are in place to secure high-quality, stable homes that meet children’s needs
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Driving effective commissioning and contracting – leading strategic procurement and contract management to secure value, quality and positive outcomes
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Lead and improve how we find homes for children – working across teams to create more responsive, effective and compassionate home-finding processes
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Shaping and influencing the provider market – ensuring a diverse, sustainable and high-quality local market that can meet current and future demand
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Monitoring provider effectiveness – using data, intelligence and relationships to continuously improve provider performance and outcomes for children
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Leading on budget oversight and value for money – influencing significant spend and ensuring resources are used effectively to deliver the best outcomes
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Driving system-wide improvement – developing and embedding better processes, governance and partnership working across services
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Bring people together – working across commissioning and social care to break down silos and create a more joined-up system that works for children
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lead strategic procurement activity and partnership arrangements, ensuring strong governance and delivering best value across the system
This is a role where relationships matter, where your leadership will influence not just systems and processes, but the lived experiences of children every day.
Who We’re Looking For
We’re looking for someone who:
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Is deeply committed to improving the lives of children in care
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Brings experience from commissioning, procurement, or children’s social care, with a strong understanding of placements
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Leads with empathy, integrity and purpose
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Can bring people together, building strong partnerships across services and with providers
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Is confident in driving improvement and managing complexity, with the resilience to lead change
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Understands the importance of quality, value and sustainability in delivering better outcomes
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Is motivated by doing things differently and doing them better
Why Join Us?
You’ll be part of an organisation that is:
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Committed to putting children and young people first
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Ambitious about improving outcomes and transforming services
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Supportive, collaborative, and driven by shared values
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Focused on innovation, learning and continuous improvement
Most importantly, you’ll be in a role where you can:
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Make a real and lasting difference to children’s lives
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Help shape a system that is more responsive, compassionate and effective
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Lead work that truly matters — every single day
Ready to make a difference?
If you believe every child deserves the very best start in life — and you want to play a key role in making that happen — we would love to hear from you. Apply now and help us build a better, stronger and more responsive care system.
Please use the documents below to help support you with your application form.
Job Profile: Strat Lead Procurement and Parternships 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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