Commissioning Officer

Working Pattern: 2 x full time (36.25 hours per week) posts, 1 permanent, 1 fixed term. 1 x part time (29.00 hours per week) permanent

Working Arrangement: Hybrid

Fixed Term End Date: 31 March 2029

Interview Date/Type: In person / Face to face

SMART Working: We aim to offer flexibility wherever possible. Many of our colleagues work from home one or more days a week and/or adjust their hours. We call this SMART working - giving you the freedom to shape your working pattern around your life, whilst still delivering great outcomes. Speak with the hiring manager about the range of flexible working options available for this role.

About the Role

Are you passionate about improving outcomes for children and families? Do you thrive on creating connections, fostering collaboration, and turning shared ideas into meaningful change? If so, we’d love to hear from you!

With significant national reforms underway across SEND, Best Start Family Hubs and Families First, there has never been a more exciting time to be working in this area. These changes present a unique opportunity to help shape services for children, young people and families, driving innovation and delivering meaningful, lasting improvements across the borough.

Trafford’s children’s commissioning team is reshaping and expanding. We have brought together our Family Help, Mental Health and SEND workstreams, which were previously managed within separate teams, to create a more integrated and closely aligned programme of work. This approach promotes collaboration, encourages creative thinking and the sharing of ideas, and creates opportunities for more efficient and effective ways of working.

3 Commissioning Officer roles are currently available within the Family Help, Mental Health and SEND team, and it is anticipated that each will take a lead in specific areas but there will be cross over and a need to undertake work across the broader portfolio as business requirements dictate.

About You

Role 1: 1x full time 36.25hrs (permanent) This position will build on the impressive transformational work that has been delivered to date in Trafford in particular the regional transformation programmes such as the ND new model of care, wider work to increase ND support for children in schools and The Balanced System. Local authorities are seeing high demand for services linked to ND and SLCN at a time when resources are not increasing at the same pace so candidates for this role will relish the challenge of changing and improving services against this backdrop. It will be essential to develop a strong understanding of the wider Trafford health, education and care systems and the current issues they face. Candidates will need to be experienced in bringing people together under a collective vision to enable change and foster a working environment that is ‘can-do’ and seeks solutions.

A local programme of work will also be planned to review and update service specifications for community health provision. This will provide an opportunity to fully assess delivery models and work with partners to identify improvements. This role will work closely with a range of partners from health, social care, education, the voluntary sector and parent/carers.

Role 2: 1x full time 36.25hrs (fixed term) This is a new position which will appeal to candidates who enjoy molding and shaping a role to deliver agreed outcomes. The SEND reforms are significant and wide-ranging, requiring additional expertise that commissioners can bring. This role will focus on activity linked to Inclusion in Schools which will include support to deliver the Expert at Hands model, working in partnership with SALT and EP services to improve capacity. In addition, there will be work to support the development of a dedicated SEND offer in Best Start Family Hubs.

It is acknowledged that there will be some overlap with role 1 and close working together to ensure maximisation of resources is required. The postholder will work with a range of partners from health, social care, education and the voluntary sector. Candidates for this role will ideally enjoy working across a range of partners, being able to identify opportunities for improved service delivery and working skillfully with our parent/carer forum to build strong relationships that have outcomes for children and young people at the centre.

Role 3: 1 x 0.8FTE 29hrs (permanent) This role will work closely on the Best Start Family Hub and Families First Programme agendas. These reforms provide us with an ideal opportunity to think differently about how we align our family help commissioned services to the new models of delivery and in doing so, deliver some great services for families which really make a difference.

In addition, there is responsibility for the ongoing improvement of our short break provision and the development of youth voice activity within commissioning and more widely across the directorate linking with our Young Voices steering group. Both workstreams will involve gathering feedback from children and families about their experiences and using this insight to shape and improve service delivery. This aspect of the role provides a valuable opportunity to engage directly with children and families, making a tangible difference to the services they receive, and can be one of the most rewarding and enjoyable elements of the position.

Additional Information

This advert may close early if we receive a high number of applications, so please apply as soon as possible.

• An enhanced DBS check with children barred list will be required
• Occasional evening and weekend work may be required for monitoring of services and gathering children & parent voices
• This role incorporates exciting regional work across Greater Manchester and therefore sometimes requires attendance at meetings/workshops/conferences beyond the Trafford boundary.

Further information...

About Children’s Services

Here in Trafford Children’s Services our vision is that our teams are offering the right help at the right time, and that at all levels our interventions make life better for children and families. We are ambitious for our children and for our practitioners - and our core value is ‘would this be good enough for my child?’

You will be working alongside practitioners and managers who are confident and curious in their practice, with a strong commitment to Trafford’s relational approach. Together, we work in partnership with children and families, placing relationships at the centre of everything we do.

At Place

These roles, but 1 & 2 in particular, will play a key role in helping to shape and deliver integrated, placebased responses for children, young people and families. You will support effective partnership working across local authority, health, and voluntary sector partners, ensuring alignment between children’s priorities and wider NHS commissioning, transformation and delivery agendas.

The postholder will help translate shared ambitions at ICB and Place into practical, joinedup improvements, supporting a wholesystem approach to prevention, early help and timely access to the right support. This includes contributing to collaborative commissioning, service development and assurance arrangements that improve outcomes and experiences for Trafford’s children and families.

• An enhanced DBS check with children barred list will be required
• Occasional evening and weekend work may be required for monitoring of services and gathering children & parent voices
• This role incorporates exciting regional work across Greater Manchester and therefore sometimes requires attendance at meetings/workshops/conferences beyond the Trafford boundary.

Find Out More.

For the full details of this opportunity, please refer to the role profile linked below.

If you have any questions or would like an informal chat you can get in contact with the hiring manager, Laura Barton or Valerie Gray at laura.barton@trafford.gov.uk; valerie.gray@trafford.gov.uk. Please email to arrange a call

About us...

Trafford is a vibrant, inclusive borough at the heart of Greater Manchester. Home to 235,000 residents, four thriving town centres, over 11,000 businesses, and 60+ parks and green spaces. We’re a place where community and opportunity meet. With excellent transport links, a proud heritage as the birthplace of the NHS, world-class sporting venues and outstanding schools, Trafford is a fantastic place to live, work, and thrive.

Why Trafford?

We’re more than just a local authority; we’re a team of passionate people committed to making a real difference. We deliver essential services that matter, from education and social care to business support, licensing, libraries and leisure and much more. No matter what your role is with us, you will help us to create a borough where all our “residents, businesses and communities thrive.”

Our Culture...

Our values are at the heart of everything we do. They’re not just words on a wall, they shape how we work together, make decisions, and support each other every day.

They help us create a workplace where everyone feels valued, heard, and inspired to do their best. If you share these values and want your work to have real purpose and impact, Trafford is the perfect place to grow your career.

What you'll love about working with us...

Alongside a competitive salary, we offer a wide range of benefits designed to support your wellbeing, development and work-life balance:

• Generous Leave: Start with 26 days of annual leave (plus bank holidays), with options to carry over or buy extra days.
• Flexible Perks: Discounts on car leasing, cycle to work, home tech, plus family friendly policies and hybrid working
• Invest in your future: Join our generous Local Government Pension Scheme for peace of mind.
• Grow with us: We'll support your development at every stage! Through leadership programmes like our EPIC Manager, LEAP into leadership and senior leadership. Plus, you'll have access to specialist qualifications and personal coaching to unlock your full potential.
• Wellbeing First: Guided wellbeing walks and “Tea and Talk” sessions, and events like World Mental Health and National Fitness Day.
• Connect with us: Connect with colleagues through our staff forums or join our Let’s Talk events to network, share ideas, and hear about the exciting work happening across our council.
• Be Celebrated: For all your hard work, ideas and contributions through at our annual Time to Shine event, our cheers for peers’ scheme or through our EPIC Star Awards.

Key Information...

• Pre-Employment Checks: If offered a role, as a minimum we’ll need to verify your right to work in the UK, receive two satisfactory references, and medical check. Trafford Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All post holders are subject to pre-employment safeguarding checks, including an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Check.
• Please note: We are not a licensed sponsor and will not be able to support with your work visa.
• Privacy Notice: We respect your privacy. For details on how we collect, process, and protect your data, please click here: Recruitment and employment privacy notice | Trafford Council privacy notice | Trafford Council

Make an Impact. Apply Today.

If you are passionate about making a difference and want to be part of a team shaping a better Trafford for our residents, businesses and communities then we'd love to receive an application from you.

We want everyone to feel confident and supported throughout our recruitment process. If you need any help, adjustments or support at any stage, please get in touch with us at recruitment@trafford.gov.uk

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