Commissioning Officer in Leeds

Adoption England is a collaboration of Regional Adoption Agencies (RAAs) working together, supported by a central national team hosted by Leeds City Council. Our mission is to strengthen adoption practice and develop support and services that better meet the needs of children, adopted people and families. We are recruiting to the post of Commissioning Officer to join our Commissioning Team.

Adoption England commissions a significant number of contracts and grants from a range of organisations, often where changes and new arrangements are needed at short notice in response to evolving priorities and learning. Adoption England also delivers a national commissioning programme to explore pan-regional and national commissioning of adoption support; working closely with leaders, commissioners and providers across the country to improve practice and value for money. We need significant, experienced commissioning resource to manage these arrangements to achieve demonstrable outcomes within tight timeframes.

As a Commissioning Officer, you’ll thrive on working in partnership with a range of partners and stakeholders to develop commissioning practice that improves outcomes for children, young people and their families. You will bring to the role:

• Experience in commissioning and/or project management and/or front line working with children and families with transferable skills.
• Flexibility to contribute to all aspects of commissioning, contract management, project management and quality assurance.
• A passion for learning with the ability to challenge and drive change.
• A restorative mind-set, focussed on improving outcomes for children and young people.
• The ability to use own initiative and take ownership of work programme.
• You are highly organised and able to manage competing priorities, work to tight deadlines and adapt to changing circumstances.
• You are skilled in building effective working relationships and influencing across a wide range of partners and stakeholders.
• You demonstrate strong leadership behaviours, including the ability to support and lead, and are committed to continuous improvement and inclusive, anti-discriminatory practice.

If you are motivated by improving outcomes for adopted people, passionate about delivering excellence in commissioning practice and confident working collaboratively in a national role, we would love to hear from you.

We take pride in offering the best employee experience, with benefits including:

• a competitive salary and annual leave entitlement plus statutory holidays
• membership of the West Yorkshire Pension Fund with generous employer contributions

Post holders will work flexibly both at home and will be available to attend an in person meeting approximately once a month in Leeds and be able to attend in person meetings at other events/conferences across the country as required. The Commissioning Team values spending time together in the office and currently work from the office once a week.

We particularly encourage applications from candidates who identify as Black, Asian or from an ethnic minority background, and those from the LGBTQ+ community, as these groups are underrepresented in our adoption workforce. The role is a permanent position with Leeds City Council, but in some circumstances a secondment may be considered.

Job Purpose: Working as part of Adoption England you will assist in effective delivery of commissioning and contract management outcomes, modelling values and behaviours to help us to achieve our ambition to become the best city council in the country, and our partnership aspiration to be a Child Friendly City. Through commissioning and contract management processes you will support colleagues to deliver our collective responsibility to keep all children safe.

Using the principles of project management you will undertake aspects of the commissioning programme including:

• Contributing to the Strategic Review of services
• Managing a portfolio of contracts and support colleagues in the management of complex services.
• Co-ordinating projects within the Commissioning Manager’s portfolio
• Contributing to the procurement of services
• Using appropriate tools and practice to identify and quantify need.
• Undertaking data analysis of service performance and completion of reports which can influence decision making
• Managing relationships with internal and external stakeholders to ensure effective and efficient service delivery
• Designing and developing services to improve children’s outcomes and meet need whilst ensuring efficiency and effectiveness.
• Designing and implementing suitable mechanisms to measure impact and co-ordinate the evaluation of contracts and the practical application of lessons learned
• Supporting the active involvement of children and young people and families in how Children and Families services are commissioned and delivered and how they contribute to the ambitions of the Council as set out in the City Plan for Leeds, ensuring that children and young people have a voice and their views are heard
• Developing and maintaining knowledge of key work programmes and service area priorities
• Developing and maintaining systems and processes such as Safeguarding, Quality Assurance, Information Governance, Performance and Risk Assessments across the team.

A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check against the Children’s or Adults’ barred list as applicable will be carried out on preferred candidates. We welcome applications from everyone and actively seek a diverse range of applicants from all backgrounds and cultures. We particularly encourage applications from, but not limited to, women, carers, veterans as well as LGBT+, ethnically diverse, disabled and care experienced people.

This role is based in the UK. Home Office guidance states that candidates must evidence their right to work in the UK prior to commencing employment, either as a UK or Irish citizen, under the EU Settlement scheme or having secured any other relevant work visa. If you do not have the right to work in the UK, you must consider your own eligibility for sponsorship for a particular role through the Skilled Worker visa route before applying. To be eligible for sponsorship you'll usually need to be paid the standard salary rate of at least £41,700 per year or meet one of the other eligibility criteria. Ensure you are eligible before applying.

Responsibilities:

• Use of project management techniques to support the strategic review of services, commissioning of new services and the re-commissioning/decommissioning of existing services as required
• To co-ordinate joint working within the directorate, across the council and with external partners as appropriate
• To be responsible for the contract management of a portfolio of services including effective relationship management with partners, value for money and achievement of quality standards and efficiencies where required.
• To contribute to and oversee the development of processes and practices that will deliver and support key developments in the commissioning function.
• To develop a working knowledge and understanding of contracted services to inform commissioning
• Lead regular monitoring meetings associated with the portfolio of contracts and ensure that delivery is achieving expected targets and outcomes.
• To develop and manage project meetings to include key stakeholders in any commissioning outcome
• To actively facilitate children and young people’s voice in all aspects of commissioning and to contribute to the sustaining of a culture that consistently meets the needs of, and listens to, children, families and stakeholders.
• To adopt a restorative approach in your interactions with colleagues, providers, service users and stakeholders and to provide high support and high challenge to providers as part of driving continuous improvement
• To contribute to the preparation and presentation of complex information in a variety of formats to a range of audiences including preparation of reports and briefings to support effective decision making at a strategic and political level within the Council.
• To undertake effective evaluation of projects and contracts including data collection; collation and scrutiny of performance management information; benchmarking; report writing; and the implementation of practical outcomes and lessons learned.
• Work effectively with the Corporate Procurement Team to ensure compliance with all relevant procurement procedures and to support the commissioning team to undertake its responsibilities in relation to the procurement of commissioned services.
• To develop a working knowledge of relevant Council, Directorate and Partnership plans and priorities and understand the implications for service areas
• To support colleagues in preparing and providing briefings, guidance and support to senior officers, elected members and staff across the council in relation to one or more service areas
• To work on behalf of the team or represent PO4 Commissioning Manager on specified work areas where required.
• To support the development of key policy and strategy relating to the commissioning of services
• To ensure due regard is taken of equality and diversity when designing, delivering or reviewing policies, strategies, services and human resources and ensure that any mitigating actions are delivered.
• To assist in ensuring compliance with governance and procedural requirements relating to the work of the team.
• This may include in relation to commissioning, contract management, procurement and financial management.
• To provide effective line management and supervision (as required) within the service area
• To maximise resources for the City including supporting partnerships and service area bids for resources
• To ensure commissioning activity takes place within available budgets, efficiency targets are met and services provide value for money.
• Using a restorative approach, make a positive contribution to the development of working practices within the commissioning and market management team.

PERSONAL SPECIFICATION

ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS:

It is essential that the Candidate should be able to demonstrate the following criteria for the post within the context of the specific role duties and responsibilities:

• Candidates will only be shortlisted for interview if they can demonstrate on the application form that they meet all the essential requirements

Method of Assessment will be through one or more of the following Application Form, Test, Interview, and Certificate

Skills Required

• Excellent communication skills with the ability to influence, negotiate and establish credibility for the service, enhance its reputation, and to form positive relationships with internal services and external partners.
• Able to work flexibly across different work locations and areas as appropriate.

Knowledge Required

• Knowledge and understanding of evidence-based approaches within the context of services to children, young people and families e.g. Outcomes Based Accountability and Restorative Practice
• Demonstrate a knowledge of provider markets and in particular the role of the third sector in supporting the delivery of positive outcomes for children and families.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the Child Friendly City concept and the voice and influence of children and young people to underpin this
• Understanding of commissioning principles and practice including the commissioning cycle and procurement.
• Understanding of issues relating to contract management and compliance including performance and risk management
• Knowledge of the Council’s decision-making processes and the ability to use MS Office and IT packages to produce reports and information to support decision making practices and briefings for officers and elected members.
• Knowledge of current local and national issues impacting upon the service and can demonstrate a clear linkage with the needs of children and children and young people across the city.

Experience Required

• Relevant technical skills, knowledge, qualifications and membership of relevant professional bodies and evidence of commitment to ongoing professional development.
• Ability to use MS Office and IT packages to produce accurate reports and information to support commissioning practices.
• Experience of working within a multi-agency environment and forging and driving successful partnerships e.g. external partners; Members; schools etc

Behavioural and other Characteristics required

• Understand and embrace Leeds City Council Values and Behaviours and codes of conduct.
• Committed to continuous improvement in all areas and work towards delivering the Best City Ambition of Health & Wellbeing, Inclusive Growth and Zero Carbon
• Able to understand and observe Leeds City Council equality and diversity policies.
• Carry out all duties having regard to an employee’s responsibility under Health and Safety Policies.
• Willingness to actively participate in training and development activities.
• Flexible and adaptable to change to assist other services as required commensurate to grade.
• Participate in appraisal, training, and development activities.
• Be aware of and comply with Leeds City Council policies and procedures.
• Be aware of and support difference ensuring equality for all, working in an anti-discriminatory manner, upholding, equality & diversity.
• Recognise and appropriately challenge any incidents of racism, bullying, harassment, victimisation, and any form of abuse, reporting any concerns to the appropriate person.
• The Council has adopted a flexibility protocol and the role will be expected to work within these parameters.

DESIRABLE REQUIREMENTS:

It is desirable that the candidate should be able to demonstrate the following criteria for the post within the context of the specific role. Candidates are not required to meet all the Desirable requirements however these may be used to distinguish between acceptable candidates.

Method of Assessment will be through one or more of the following Application Form, Test, Interview, and Certificate

Skills Required

• Ability to find and implement creative and innovative solutions to complex managerial problems.

Knowledge Required

• Knowledge and familiarity of current working practices of key partners to support commissioning activity. (education, early years, youth work, family support, complex needs, youth offending, social work, public health, children’s transport, residential and housing support services)
• Understanding/experience of a range of improvement methodologies to drive service improvement

Experience Required

• Management/supervisory experience within the relevant children’s services environment (i.e. schools, colleges, or local authority) with specific responsibility for implementing policy via service delivery and outcomes.
• Experience of developing and managing strategies leading to successful outcomes for children within the relevant environment.
• Experience of managing, supporting and developing individuals and teams and promoting a ‘can do’ attitude within a context of continuous improvement and improved outcomes for children and young people
• Experience of effective staff management and financial accountability within recognised rules and procedures and within a context of delivering successful outcomes for service users
• Experience of health & safety and risk management and safeguarding practices (including CSE) to ensure the well being and safety of staff and service users.