Location
Ealing, based at Perceval House (Ealing Broadway) with some remote working. On-site attendance is expected a minimum of 2 days per week, with additional days as required. Travel within the borough may be necessary.

Hours
Full Time

Salary
£77,664 per annum

About the Role
Ealing Council is a diverse and ambitious organisation serving one of the largest and most multicultural boroughs in London. We are committed to creating good jobs and delivering excellent services to improve the lives of our residents by building strong and connected communities. Our vision is to create an environment where every child can thrive and achieve their potential.

We have an exciting opportunity for a Strategic Commissioning Manager – Social Care and Family Help to lead the delivery of the Council’s Children’s Services Sufficiency Strategy. This high-profile, strategic leadership role requires a highly experienced children’s social care professional with strong knowledge of commissioning, procurement, and the children looked after system.

The successful candidate will engage effectively with a wide range of stakeholders including politicians, senior leaders, partners such as the Integrated Care Board (ICB), children, and their families. This role demands excellent communication, leadership, and management skills to ensure efficient, effective, best value, user-focused, high-quality, evidence-based commissioning of homes for children.

We seek a proficient and knowledgeable children’s social care manager with commissioning and procurement experience, detailed understanding of the Children Looked After system, sufficiency, and securing good homes for children. The role requires embedding the voice of children, families, and communities in commissioning decisions and adopting a strategic, asset-based commissioning approach.

Ealing is known as one of the best places to live in London, offering excellent parks, historical sites, great schools, vibrant cafes and restaurants, and excellent transport links. The borough is one of the largest and most diverse in London, making it a great place to live and work. Ealing Council is a great employer committed to excellence in Children’s Services.

If you want to work in a great borough for a great employer in a Children’s Services department striving to be outstanding, this role could be the right fit for you.

Experience
- Extensive experience in children’s social care management.
- Proven knowledge of commissioning, procurement, and the children looked after system.
- Experience engaging with a wide range of stakeholders including politicians, senior leaders, partners, children, and families.
- Demonstrable track record in delivering sufficiency strategies and securing good homes for children.

About you
- Skilled communicator with excellent leadership and management abilities.
- Passionate about embedding the voice of children, families, and communities in commissioning decisions.
- Strategic thinker with an asset-based commissioning approach.
- Committed to delivering high-quality, user-focused, evidence-based services.
- Able to work collaboratively across multiple teams and partners.
- Willingness to travel within the borough as required.

Qualifications
- Relevant professional qualifications in children’s social care or related fields are desirable.
- Evidence of continuous professional development in commissioning and social care management.
- Right to work in the UK is essential.
- This post is subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check and Ealing Council’s enhanced vetting process.