Head of Children's Services Commissioning - 37 hours

Application Deadline: 25 March 2026

Department: Finance

Employment Type: Permanent

Location: Torbay Council

Reporting To: Head of Service

Compensation: GBP 60,854 - GBP 64,865 / year

Description

INTERNAL CANDIDATES ONLYJob Description & Person Specification >

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a fixed-term secondment to the role of Head of Children's Services Commissioning. This pivotal post leads a committed and passionate commissioning team to support commissioning across Torbay Children's Services, the delivery of the SEND Priority Improvement Plan and the ongoing transformation within Children's Social Care.

Children's Commissioning sits within Commercial Services (Finance Directorate), benefitting from integrated working with the Procurement and Contract Management teams.

The role works in close partnership with colleagues across Children's Services, including the Director, Divisional Directors and Heads of Service. It also collaborates with the Adults and Public Health Commissioning Teams and commissioners from the Devon Integrated Care Board and neighbouring local authorities.

We welcome applications from individuals currently working in commissioning or those with transferable skills from social care, education, or SEND. What matters most is your passion, energy, and commitment to improving outcomes for Torbay's children, young people, and families. In this role, you will lead and manage a team delivering a diverse portfolio of commissioning projects and programmes across Children's Services, working collaboratively with internal and external partners and stakeholders.

If are passionate about making a difference to children, young people and families and you share our values of being respectful and collaborative, adaptable and forward thinking , people orientated and relational and acting with honesty and integrity we would love to hear from you.

If you are viewing this advert on a job board, you can access the full job description by placing the below URL into your browser:
https://www.torbay.gov.uk/jobs/job-descriptions/head-of-children-s-services-commissioning-1/

For an informal chat please contact Tracey Field on 01803208391 or tracey.field@torbay.gov.uk.

Interviews are expected to be conducted during the week commencing 30th March 2026.

This role is not eligible for visa sponsorship.

Our adverts do sometimes close early - even where there's a published deadline - so if you're keen, please apply as soon as possible.

Skills

Essential:

• Proven ability to work autonomously and without direction to meet the requirements of the role and Council priorities.
• Proven ability to work on and prioritise multiple projects across a diverse range of subject matters encompassing all Children's Services activity and able to deal with conflicting and ever changing priorities, in relation to own workload and that of direct reports.
• Ability to demonstrate the motivational, negotiation, challenge and influencing skills required to secure buy-in and best outcomes through collaborative and partnership working and improved outcomes and best value within service delivery.
• Ability to demonstrate the leadership and management skills necessary to ensure direct reports are effectively lead, managed and supported to deliver the outcomes required of their roles and the service as a whole.

Knowledge

Essential:

• Extensive knowledge of Children's Services commissioning in a local authority context sufficient to ensure understanding of the impact and consequences of the decisions made on Council policy, strategy, the wider system, services and individual service users.
• Specialist knowledge and understanding of the full commissioning cycle, including needs assessment, co-production and market appraisal.
• Extensive knowledge of key social care, education, health and other relevant legislation, regulatory frameworks and policy guidance. This should include the Children's Act, Education Act, Ofsted Inspection Framework, commissioning best practice and guidance, public contracts regulations, contract law, social value, best value, modern slavery, data protection, transparency and transformation agenda.
• Extensive knowledge and understanding, at a local and national level, of current and future trends and issues affecting the Commissioning and delivery of children's statutory and non-statutory social care services.

Experience & Qualifications

Essential:

• Educated to Degree level or equivalent or demonstrable academic ability / experience in relevant field.
• Relevant commissioning qualification such as Institute of Public Care (IPC) or equivalent, or willingness to work towards a relevant qualification.
• Demonstrable experience of the successful commissioning of services for children, young people and their families.
• Demonstrable experience of partnership and collaborative working across a diverse range of stakeholders.
• Demonstrable experience of co-production/ and consultation with service users, carers and other key stakeholders in the design and delivery of outcomes-focused services that meet children, young people and their family's needs and aspirations.