Commissioner - Children's Services

We are taking forward ambitious programmes of change to improve outcomes for children and young people; this includes work to deliver the priorities of our Sufficiency Strategy including commissioning specialist provision and support the transformation agenda in our fostering service.
We are seeking to recruit a Children's Social Care Commissioner, who will play a central role in this transformation agenda. They will have the opportunity to use their expertise to take forward Newham's commissioning priorities for children and young people in care to:

• Commission and procure a range of high quality services.


• Develop new initiatives and best practice with commissioned fostering agencies and our in house service.



• Work with providers and services across the council.


• Work with operational staff and partner organisations to develop new services


ABOUT THE JOB

The children's social care commissioner's role is to take forward, with partners, specific commissioning priorities for the children in care and leavers particularly around their accommodation, care and support.

The role will involve ensuring that co-production, learning and evaluation are embedded into the commissioning of services for children and families in Newham.

It will involve leading on all aspects of commissioning and project management, including planning, implementation, co-production, governance, performance management and evaluation in respect of services for children and families in Newham.

The work builds on the priorities of Sufficiency Strategy for Looked After Children and Care Leavers to drive change and secure improved outcomes for children and young people. The post holder will develop plans and initiatives to achieve the ambitions of the strategy.

We are looking for a hardworking and driven individual with commissioning experience or high-level transferable skills which may be from research, contract management, project management, social work or similar.

You should have good writing skills and good numeracy skills including ability with Microsoft Excel. You should have a 'can do' attitude and an enquiring mind. We want you enjoy reading and researching new areas, be pro-active in your approach and ready for a new challenge which will be rewarding and provide a range of experiences for your career development.

If you do not have 'commissioning experience' but are working in project management, policy, contract management or a role that has given you an understanding of commissioning/commissioned services - and you are ready to work hard and develop new skills - then we welcome an application. We will have a mentor who has worked in this role to support the right candidate.

We are committed to creating an inclusive, anti-racist environment for all. When you apply for a job at Newham, your application is considered on its merits regardless of your age, disability, ethnicity, faith, gender identity or sexual orientation. If you share our vision and values, and you bring the experience and skills we need, that's all that matters to us.

The London Borough of Newham has important responsibilities for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. If you are appointed to a job that involves working with these groups, you may be subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

Please attach your supporting statement, explaining in no more than x2 A4 sides why and how you meet the criteria for this role., The London Borough of Newham is located only 5 miles east of London. It is well positioned with access to all major networks in London and the south east. It is well connected by public transport with, bus, tube and DLR. When the Crossrail service opens it will call at Custom House close to our council offices and also Stratford station and from there to central London. The London City Airport which serves major European cities is located at Royal Albert Dock. Newham has the youngest overall population in the country. It was one of the six host boroughs for the 2012 Summer Olympics and contains most of the Olympic Park including the London Stadium. It has a thriving arts quarter with the Theatre Royal Stratford East offering excellent entertainment for all the family. There is the University of East London which has two campuses in Newham, one in Stratford and another next to the regenerated Royal Albert Dock. It also has a large Westfield shopping Centre
in Stratford which has all the major retailers there.
Newham has a large housing regeneration programme that will build over 1,000 new council homes by 2022.

Permanent - Full time
Hybrid, flexible working: 1 office day per week at Newham Dockside + essential meetings