Senior Commissioning Manager - SEND

About us

At Cheshire East Council we are resident, and partner focused with a vision to enable prosperity and wellbeing for all. People really are at the heart of everything we do and that starts with our incredible workforce. We promote a culture of high performance where people can aspire, thrive and flourish, where we strive to deliver best value in everything we do.

For us, success isn’t just about what we achieve, but how we achieve it together. We promote curiosity, excellence, innovation and continuous improvement.

We are values led and committed to wellbeing and inclusion for all, where our employees co-created our values of drive, integrity, respect and collaboration which inform all that we do.

We are proud to work for Cheshire East Council and believe you would be too!

Join us on a meaningful journey in Children’s Social Care at Cheshire East Council

We’re on a meaningful journey in Children’s Social Care and we’d love for you to be part of it. Joining us means becoming part of a supportive, forward-thinking team that’s passionate about making a real difference in the lives of children and young people. Everything we do is about putting them first, helping them grow, thrive and reach their full potential so they can build brighter futures.

If this sounds like the kind of impact you want to make, we’d be delighted to hear from you. Come and join us in shaping positive change for our young people.

At Cheshire East we’re making significant, tangible investments in our foundations.  This includes strengthening our commissioning function, expanding workforce development and creating clearer, more ambitious pathways.  To realise these ambitions, we’re seeking experienced, flexible individuals who want to help us shape the future. 

We have an exciting opportunity for a Senior Commissioning Manager - SEND, based at Delamere House, Crewe. 

About the Role

Provide strategic portfolio leadership for commissioning across SEND. Whilst the post has a specific area of focus, post holders will be expected to work flexibly across all portfolios to meet business need and priorities as required. This includes Children’s Social Care (CSC) and joint commissioning programmes of work.

The role will lead the full commissioning cycle for allocated portfolios, translating system priorities and strategies into deliverable plans that secure sufficiency, quality, value for money and improved outcomes for children, young people and families.

This is just a snapshot of some of the exciting things you’ll be doing in the role, to find out more about the other key responsibilities of the role please view the attached job description.

The successful candidate will:

• Act as the strategic portfolio lead for defined commissioning areas (e.g. SEND), with clear accountability for outcomes, quality, sufficiency and spend. Matrix work across CSC and joint commissioning programmes.
• Develop, deliver and periodically refresh portfolio commissioning and joint commissioning strategies and action plans aligned to statutory duties, system priorities and the Council’s commissioning framework.
• Lead needs assessment, demand and sufficiency analysis for the portfolio, using data and intelligence to shape commissioning intentions, market interventions and business cases.
• Shape and manage provider markets, including development of market position statements, frameworks and regional commissioning arrangements, and proactive engagement with independent and VCS providers.
• Lead complex procurement, contracting and negotiation activity within the portfolio, ensuring compliance with public procurement law and achievement of value for money and social value.
• Oversee contract management and performance assurance for commissioned services, working closely with QA colleagues to address underperformance, safeguarding concerns and provider failure.

The successful candidate will bring: 

• Degree of equivalent experience in commissioning, public service or related field. 
• Substantial experience of commissioning services for children and young people.
• Demonstrable experience of strategy development, market management, contracting and performance within a complex public-sector environment.
• Extensive understanding of the commissioning cycle.
• Demonstrable knowledge of SEND Code of Practice, Children Act duties, and procurement regulations.
• Strong understanding of safeguarding expectations and quality assurance principles.
• Application of needs assessment, outcomes-based commissioning benefits realisation and options appraisal techniques.

To find out more about the essential and desirable criteria for the role please view the attached job description specification document.

What we offer in return:

• A competitive salary- Between £54,994 per annum - £62,777 per annum(CEC NJC – Grade12) with guaranteed yearly pay increases!
• Enhanced annual leave- Start with an impressive 34 days of annual leave(including bank holidays) from day one, and watch it grow to 39 days after just five years of service
• Purchase of annual leave – Want more time off? You can purchase up to 10 extra daysof annual leave each year, giving you the flexibility to balance work and life just the way you want (Pro-rata for part-time staff)
• Flexible working pattern - Enjoy a 37-hour standard full-time work weekwith the added perks of flexitime and hybrid/remote working arrangements where possible. Your work-life balance just got a whole lot better!
• Salary sacrifice green car scheme- Drive green and save green! Lease a brand-new electric or hybrid car through our salary sacrifice scheme. There’re no credit checks, no deposits, just significant savings and exclusive offers on a three-year lease
• White goods salary sacrifice scheme - Upgrade your home with ease. Purchase home and electronic items through our salary sacrifice scheme, spreading the cost of big-ticket purchases like appliances, computers, and tech gadgets directly from your salary
• Enhanced public pension- Secure your future with our career average pension, where contributions are built at a rate of 1/49th of your yearly pensionable pay
• Cycle to work scheme - Save up to 25-39% on the retail price of bikes and safety equipment through Income Tax and National Insurance savings. Get fit and save money!
• Employee assistance programme- Access a completely free and confidential assistance service to help manage, reduce, and overcome life’s challenges, both at work and in your personal life
• Discounted gym membership -Stay active and healthy with corporate membership prices for Everybody Leisure, including:
• Gym, Swim and Group Fitness at all 16 facilities
• Off-Peak Racket Sports
• Athletics Tracks
• Sauna/Steam/Spa

Organisation

Cheshire East Council

Location

Crewe

Job Category

Children and Young People Services

Grade

CEC NJC - Grade 12

Salary Min

£54,994 per annum

Salary Max

£ per annum

Hours per week

37

Weeks per year

52.143

Employment Type

Permanent

Closing Date

23/08/2026

Ref No

E3755

Documents

• Senior Commissioning Manager - SEND Job Description and Specification.pdf
  (PDF, 1369.37kb)

How to apply

We’re delighted that you’re considering applying for this role!

As an equal opportunities’ employer, we warmly welcome applicants from all backgrounds. We believe that a diverse workforce helps us better reflect and serve our local communities, and together, we can build something truly special.

To join our team, simply click ‘Apply for this job’at the bottom of the page. If you’d prefer an informal chat first or have any questions about the role, feel free to reach out to (Natalie Kelly) at: (Show email), they will be happy to hear from you! Please remember to include the job reference so we know which role you are interested in.

Once you’ve applied for the position, please keep an eye on your email inbox (including your junk and spam folders), as we’ll send any correspondence there to stay in touch with updates about your application.

If you haven’t heard from us within four weeks of the closing date, it likely means we weren’t able to move forward with your application at this time but please don’t let this discourage you as your interest means a lot to us, and we’d truly love to hear from you again in the future!

For any technical enquiries please email Show email

Please quote job reference number in all correspondence.

Cheshire East Council is committed to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults across the Borough. As such, any cautions, convictions, reprimands or final warnings that are ‘not protected’ as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) order 1975 (as amended in 2013) relating to the non-disclosure of spent convictions do not apply to this job. You must therefore, disclose whether you have any previous convictions where prompted to do so within the application process.