Head of Commissioning, Children’s Services

Head of Commissioning, Children’s Services

Ref: 190025

Salary: £81,998 p.a. plus benefits

Please note: 3.3% national pay award increase to be applied in October

37 hours per week

Swindon Borough Council are on an exciting journey to transform service delivery. We want our town to be the best it can be. Our ambitious vision in the new Swindon Plan is supported by realistic transformation programmes, with the people of Swindon at their heart. Because that’s who we’re doing it for – the communities and businesses that make our town great. As part of the Council, you’ll support a friendly local authority making decisions with real impact. It’s all for better public services. Better processes. And a better quality of life, for everyone. Join us, and Swindon will be better with you.

Your next role

Purpose of role

The Head of Commissioning for Children's provides strategic leadership for the commissioning of children's social care and education services and the delivery of the ocouncil’s statutory sufficiency duties. The postholder is accountable for delivering measurable impact and lasting improvements, ensuring that children, young people and families have access to high-quality, safe and effective support that delivers positive outcomes and value for money. The postholder leads the development of commissioning capability across Children’s social care and education, embedding best practice and strengthening the service’s ability to understand need, shape markets, design services and improve outcomes.

The postholder is responsible for developing a sustainable and diverse provider market, reducing reliance on high-cost and out-of-area provision, and ensuring sufficient local capacity across areas such as children's residential care, family-based care, supported accommodation and other commissioned services. The postholder uses intelligence about demand, cost, market performance, quality and outcomes to inform commissioning priorities and workloads, influence service design and identify opportunities for innovation, prevention and early intervention.

As a senior leader within the People Commissioning service, the Head of Commissioning for Children's works collaboratively across children's social care, housing, health and adult social care to develop integrated solutions that improve outcomes for children, young people and families, including care leavers and those transitioning to adulthood. This postholder is required to make significant contributions to the overall financial sustainability of the council.

Context

We are looking for a candidate who has a track-record of building a high-performing service. There has not been a Head of Service for Children's Commissioning for an extended period and the Director of Commissioning – People post was introduced in December 2025.

The Director of Commissioning – People is undertaking a workforce re-design across the whole of children’s and adults commissioning, with all colleagues already aware that a consultation is aimed to commence on the 24 November 2026. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to review the proposed new service design as part of the consultation process and provide their views to the Director, alongside all colleagues in the service who will also have the same opportunity. The successful candidate once onboarded will then lead on the implementation of the new structure and operating model for the children's element of the service.

Additional details

You must be fluent in the English language (as a requirement of Part 7 of the Immigration Act “for the effective performance of a customer-facing role”).

The team operates a hybrid working model with a requirement for leadership to be visible on-site, this will be led by business need and averages 2-3 days per week.

You will be subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service Check.

Your next package

Please see our Rewards and Benefits offer for more details.

As an employee, you will receive a diverse and exciting environment in which to work, encouraging creativity and innovation whilst recognising the need to support ongoing personal development and a flexible work life balance.

For Swindon to thrive in the future, we need to lay the foundations now. It’s why our regeneration and transformation programmes are already underway.

Please see our Vision and Values page for more details and our new Swindon Plan.

Your next steps

Please read the role profile, which is available in the documents section to the righthand side of the page. To submit an application for this role, select Quick Apply.

For further information about the role please contact Grace Lynch, Director of Commissioning – People, glynch@swindon.gov.uk

As an inclusive employer, we welcome applications from a diverse range of communities, and in particular disabled people and people from ethnic minorities. Read our statement of commitment to equality & inclusion.

If you are experiencing technical issues submitting your application, please email resourcing@swindon.gov.uk

Closing date: 25 October 2026

Interview date: 2 November 2026

• SBC_12757 - Head of Commissioning Children's.pdf