Placement and Commissioning Officer

Overview

Commission, monitor and quality assure placements for children and young people in the care of Cheshire West and Chester Council, which includes young people aged up to 19 and children with disabilities. Work closely with internal and external partners including social workers, providers of foster care, residential care organisations and colleagues across children's services, adult services, education and health. Take on a lead role in contract monitoring and quality assurance within the team and will lead on developing effective systems and processes to ensure that high quality placements are commissioned that offer value for money and improve outcomes for children and young people. The role deals with the crisis placements which need to be sorted immediately in pressurized situations as well as longer term planning of portfolio of care placements to ensure sufficiency to meet demands over the next 1-5 years.

Responsibilities

• Lead on contract monitoring and quality assurance within the team
• Develop and implement effective systems and processes to commission high quality placements
• Ensure placements offer value for money and improve outcomes for children and young people
• Manage crisis placements that need to be arranged immediately in pressurized situations
• Engage in longer-term planning of a portfolio of care placements to meet demand over the next 1-5 years
• Collaborate with internal and external partners including social workers, foster care providers, residential care organisations, and colleagues across children's services, adult services, education and health

Ideal candidate

The ideal candidate will have a real desire to provide the best possible service to our children and young people, who need to be cared for by Cheshire West and Chester, and an ability to keep children at the heart of every decision made.

How to apply

For an informal discussion please contact Sue Howe at . Closing Date: 23.09.2025.