Purpose of this role:
To lead and coordinate Juventas’ commissioning, referrals, placement conversion and business development activity, ensuring that we are effectively positioned within the external market and are able to secure appropriate placements for children and young people across our Registered Children's Homes.
This is a care-led commercial role. The post holder will combine a strong understanding of children's social care and the needs of looked-after children with the ability to confidently promote, market and sell Juventas Services to Local Authorities and other commissioning stakeholders.
A key purpose of the role is to make appropriate placements happen. This means taking ownership of referrals from the point they are received, understanding the child's needs and presenting the most appropriate Juventas service and care offer, through to negotiating with commissioners, overcoming barriers, securing agreement and ensuring the placement is successfully concluded and handed over to the operational team.
The post holder will develop strong and trusted relationships with Local Authorities, commissioning teams, and social care professionals, becoming a credible advocate for the organisation and its services. They will be expected to understand what commissioners need, identify opportunities, respond quickly and persuasively, and demonstrate why Juventas is the right provider for a particular child or young person.
The role will provide a strong commercial and strategic lens to commissioning, procurement, tendering and business development activity, with responsibility for contributing to occupancy, placement conversion and sustainable growth while ensuring that all decisions remain firmly rooted in safeguarding, quality of care and the best interests of children and young people.
This is a permanent, 40-hour-per-week role.
Duties
- · Lead and contribute to the organisation’s commissioning strategy, developing strong relationships with Local Authority commissioning teams and other key stakeholders to identify and secure appropriate placement opportunities across our Registered Children’s Homes.
- Achieve agreed occupancy targets across registered beds and available provision, ensuring growth is sustainable and aligned with the needs of children and young people.
- To process and track referrals within the referral database ensuring timely and accurate documentation
- Develop and maintain a targeted business development and commissioning plan, using market intelligence, referral data and performance information to identify new opportunities and re-establish productive relationships with previous commissioners and referring authorities.
- Lead and contribute to high-quality tender and procurement processes, ensuring submissions clearly articulate the organisation’s models of care, outcomes, quality, value for money and distinctive offer.
- Build strong and effective relationships with Local Authorities, commissioners, social care professionals and other external stakeholders, positioning the organisation as a credible and preferred provider.
- Drive continuous improvement and innovation within referral and commissioning processes to improve responsiveness, reduce delays and increase appropriate conversion of referrals into placements.
- Work closely with operational leaders to ensure that placement and commissioning decisions are appropriate, safe and consistent with the needs of children and young people, regulatory requirements and the organisation’s capacity and risk profile.
- Ensure that financial targets are agreed and achieved through effective budgetary management, commercial awareness and appropriate consideration of financial and market pressures.
- Ensure accurate management information and statistical data is maintained, with commissioning, referral, occupancy and market trends monitored and reported to the Senior Management Team to inform strategic decision-making and service development.
- Represent the organisation professionally and confidently at commissioning meetings, tender panels, provider forums and other external events.
Experience (to include but is not limited to, please see the full JD for more info)
- Prior experience in an office environment or administrative role is essential for success in this position.
- Demonstrated ability to manage multiple tasks efficiently while maintaining attention to detail.
- Strong communication skills—both written and verbal—to liaise effectively with diverse stakeholders.
- Knowledge of confidentiality protocols and safeguarding policies relevant to working with vulnerable populations is preferred.
- Proficiency in office software applications such as Microsoft Office Suite or equivalent tools is required.
- · Exceptional partnership-working skills, with a proven ability to develop relationships that deliver tangible and measurable results.
- Excellent networking and stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to build collaborative and productive relationships across Local Authorities, commissioning teams and other external organisations.
- Knowledge and experience of the Residential Childcare sector, with a strong understanding of the needs of looked-after children and young people.
- Flexible and adaptable approach, with the ability to communicate effectively and build relationships with a wide range of organisations and professional audiences.
- Confident decision-maker and solutions-focused thinker, able to make timely, evidence-based decisions and develop models that deliver value for the organisation while maintaining quality and safeguarding.
- Strong professional credibility, with excellent influencing, summarising, presentation and communication skills and the confidence to contribute effectively in senior-level meetings.
- Proven ability to communicate effectively with commissioners, clients and stakeholders regarding expectations, objectives, outcomes and deliverables.
- Ability to understand, identify and articulate the needs of looked-after children and young people and ensure that commissioning, placement and service development decisions remain focused on achieving positive outcomes.
- Strong commercial awareness, with the ability to balance business development, occupancy and financial sustainability with safeguarding, quality and the best interests of children and young people.
All posts are subject to Enhanced Disclosure Procedures.
Don't have experience in the duties listed, but are still interested in the role?
If you're considering this role but are worried about applying due to a lack of experience in the listed duties, please get in touch with us to have a conversation about your current skills. As long as you meet our essential criteria, we'd still love to see your application.
We're committed to progression and development and encourage applications from all backgrounds and levels of experience and can offer training opportunities for the right applicant.
About us
Based in Norfolk, Suffolk, East Midlands and West Midlands, Juventas provides supported accommodation for vulnerable young people aged from 10 to 18. We specialise in helping unaccompanied asylum seekers, Looked After children and children with social, emotional and complex needs.
We offer a unique comprehensive package of benefits to employees and their families. This includes:
- Professional development and progression opportunities
- Company benefits package including Medicash, Perkbox, extra annual leave, life insurance, critical illness cover etc.
- Being part of a supportive and forward thinking organisation with clear values
Safeguarding:
We are committed to safeguarding children and young people. The successful applicant will be required to undertake an enhanced DBS disclosure.
Everyone who works with children and young people has a responsibility for keeping them safe. Juventas is fully committed to safeguarding the welfare of everyone who uses our services. The company is clear that this expectation is the primary duty of all staff and volunteers.
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent
Pay: Up to £31,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Additional leave
- Casual dress
- Company events
- Company pension
- Discounted or free food
- Employee discount
- Free fitness classes
- Free flu jabs
- Free parking
- Health & wellbeing programme
- Life insurance
- On-site parking
- Referral programme
- Sick pay
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Norwich NR10 3JU
