Commissioning Officer

Are you passionate about ensuring that children/young people and their families/carers receive high-quality support when needed and achieve their full potential?

Would you like to help make a difference to the lives of children and young people through commissioning – including procurement, brokerage of services, quality assurance and monitoring of contractual arrangements?

Do you have an awareness of the Commissioning Cycle and commissioning practices?

If so, then this is potentially the role for you

About the Role

• Quality Assurance—We will undertake quality assurance meetings and visits with providers of services for Independent Specialist Schools and any other providers we commission for our young people, as required.
• Contract Monitoring and Review - Completing annual contract management meetings with providers to ensure that the services they are delivering are in line with the terms of the contract and are delivering positive outcomes for children and young people and their families/carers, and completing evidence-based reviews on live packages of care. Support and challenge providers where appropriate.
• Brokerage and Negotiation—Brokering of services for young people using an existing framework. These services include Independent Specialist School Placements and other education services. You will be expected to undertake all tasks related to the brokerage of education-commissioned services for children and young people as required.
• Governance and Procurement - Supporting the commissioning of services across the Children and Family Service whilst being compliant with the Procurement Act 2023 and local Contract Procedure Rules, and the offering of internal commissioning services to the department, and coordinating commissioning requests focused on outcomes and value for money

About You

To apply for this post, you must:

• Previous professional experience or familiarity with settings as named above and knowledge and understanding of working with and meeting the needs of children and young people (and their families/carers) with complex needs, including Children in Care, children and young people with Special Education Needs and Disabilities and the ability to work with operational staff and providers and build relationships
• Have high levels of competency in the use of Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook in order to undertake detailed analysis/evaluation of data and preparation of written and financial reports and also the ability to prioritise, work to deadlines and deliver several written reports within agreed time frames.
• Proven ability to prioritise, work to deadlines and deliver a number of smaller projects simultaneously.
• Proven ability to develop credible and collaborative relationships with internal and external partners and across multi-disciplinary boundaries and stakeholders.
• Proven ability to problem-solve and to constructively challenge existing customs and practices.
• Understanding of commissioning practices and the commissioning cycle, with the ability to embed this into day-to-day practice.
• A full understanding of desired outcomes to ensure meaningful activities for Young People and respite for families/carers, care packages and educational placements.

You must also have an understanding of, and commitment to, equality, diversity and inclusion.

In addition, we also expect you to share our commitment to our values and will ask you to evidence them when you have demonstrated them as part of the selection process.

Reasonable adjustments will be considered for applicants with a disability.

For more information or an informal discussion, please contact:

Jess Fitzpatrick, Team Manager

Telephone: 01163056359

Email: [email protected]