Senior Commissioning Officer - Ref: CH01626

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Job Description

2 x Senior Commissioning Officer (Children's Services) - Ref: CH01626

G10 | £47,181 - £50,269 | Full-Time (37 hours)

Join our Children's Commissioning Team in Walsall

This is a pivotal moment to join Walsall's Children's Commissioning Team following significant investment and a recent restructure.

We are looking for two experienced commissioning professionals to design and improve services for children and young people, working across the Council and with partners in to deliver high-quality, inclusive services that improve outcomes for children and young people and their families.

The Roles

Senior Commissioning Officer - Lifelong Learning and Inclusion

This role leads commissioning activity across education-related provision and inclusive pathways, including:

• Alternative Provision (AP).
• Independent day and residential school placements.
• Transitions and Preparing for Adulthood.
• Sufficiency, market development and cost control across education and learning provision.

You will play a critical role in securing high-quality, inclusive local provision and reducing reliance on out-of-area and high-cost placements.

Senior Commissioning Officer - Early Intervention and Communities

This role focuses on commissioning across prevention and community-based pathways, including:

• Family Hubs and early intervention systems.
• Holiday Activities and Food (HAF), including Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND) inclusion and discretionary access.
• Development of Voluntary, Community and Faith Sector (VCFS) provision.
• Wider prevention, youth, early years and parenting support.

You will be central to strengthening prevention, reducing escalation into statutory services, and maximising the impact of quality community-based provision.

Key Responsibilities

You will:

• Lead service reviews and commissioning activity across the commissioning cycle, ensuring services are outcome-focused, and deliver value for money.
• Shape and develop provider markets to improve quality and local sufficiency.
• Co-create joint commissioning strategies with education, health and social care partners.
• Champion co-production so lived experience informs service design.
• Use data and insight to inform decision-making.
• Monitor provider performance, quality and risk across our commissioned services.
• Prepare reports, business cases and recommendations for senior leaders and elected Members.
• Represent the Council at local, regional and national forums.
• Deputise for Commissioning Managers where required.

About You

You are a confident system leader with experience of commissioning in complex environments, shaping markets, working across organisational boundaries, and turning strategy into delivery. You are comfortable influencing senior stakeholders, using data to inform and drive decisions, and confident holding providers to account while building strong relationships. Most importantly, if you are motivated by improving outcomes for children, young people and families, then this is the role for you.

Why Work for Walsall?

Join a supportive and ambitious team with a clear focus on improving outcomes for children and young people. In this role, you'll have the opportunity to influence system-wide change, lead high-profile programmes of work, and further develop your career within a forward-thinking local authority.

For an informal discussion, please contact:
Sam Edwards, Head of Children's and Communities Commissioning samantha.edwards@walsall.gov.uk
or
Sally Gamston, Commissioning Manager (Early Intervention, Lifelong Learning and Inclusive Communities) sally.gamston@walsall.gov.uk

View Job Description and Employee Specification

Closing Date: 19 June 2026

Interview Date: 3 July 2026

This post is covered by the Government's Code of Practice on the English Language Fluency Duty for public sector workers. The post holder will be required to communicate verbally with customers and provide advice and/or information in accurate spoken English.

Walsall Council takes seriously the responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare of all the children, young people and vulnerable adults entrusted to our care and it is our expectation that all staff will share this commitment. We will ensure continuous development and improvement of robust recruitment processes and procedures that promote a culture of safeguarding amongst our workforce. Completion of an enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check is a requirement for working with children, young people and vulnerable adults.

Note: Applicants appointed to posts that require an enhanced DBS clearance must declare any periods of time that they have lived, studied or worked abroad and be prepared to provide an Overseas Criminal Records Certificate (OCRC) or a Statement of Good Conduct (SOGC) relating to anytime they were overseas.

For this role the successful candidates must undergo a Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) check. BPSS is the minimum standard to ensure the identity and integrity of an employee who has access to official information using secure networks linking central government and local authorities. A BPSS check involves four main elements; Identity Check, National and Immigration Status, Employment History (last 3 years) and Verification of Criminal Record (unspent convictions only).

Important note: When completing your online application form, you will be asked to enter supporting information. You must enter a detailed supporting information statement describing how your skills, abilities and experience meet the specific criteria included in the employee specification. If you do not include a supporting information statement, you will not be shortlisted. Please also ensure that you complete the work history and qualifications sections of your application form. Please do not add a CV as we do not accept them. Please see our Information for Applicants leaflet for further information.

We kindly request that recruitment agencies do not contact us regarding this job vacancy. We are not accepting agency applications or referrals at this time.

At Walsall Council, we appreciate that AI can be a useful tool for ideas or guidance. However, we encourage you to make sure your application reflects your own voice and experiences. Over-reliance on AI can make responses feel less personal, and we really want to understand what makes you unique. Your experiences, skills, and perspective are what set you apart, so please ensure your application as a whole - particularly your 'Supporting Information' - reflects your own voice.

Walsall Council's Children's Services are the only Ofsted 'Outstanding' local authority in the Black Country. During a visit in May 2025, Inspectors described Walsall Council as a place where children were at the heart of. The council's journey of continuous improvement started in 2017 and has since transformed into a service with a clear vision, clear priorities and a clear plan, all informed by the views of our staff and children. Staff are at the core of delivering great outcomes for children and young people in Walsall, which is underpinned by our Walsall Right 4 Children vision. The latest Ofsted inspection demonstrated that staff in children's services are proud to work for Walsall Council and feel supported to do great work.

About Us

Here at Walsall, we want to attract the best talent. That's why - as well as a satisfying and rewarding job - we offer a range of attractive benefits. Working arrangements in most jobs are flexible (you may work flexitime, full or part time and job sharing is usually available) and you can expect generous holiday entitlements, a first class pension scheme and plenty of opportunities for training and personal development.

We advertise vacancies because we want the best talent available. If that's you, we're waiting for your application.

Living in Walsall

Part of the Black Country, famous for its enterprising and industrial past, Walsall is reinventing itself to become a progressive modern community. The borough is centred around the major town of Walsall, but also includes five smaller and distinctive district centres (Bloxwich, Aldridge, Willenhall, Darlaston and Brownhills), together with numerous villages.

Walsall Council is committed to Safer Recruitment.

To achieve our commitment, we will ensure continuous development and improvement of robust recruitment processes and procedures that promote a culture of safeguarding amongst our workforce.

Social Work Matters - Children's Social Worker Recruitment

Some of our children require a special kind of support: yours. Visit our microsite to find out more about joining Walsall Council as a Children's Social Worker.