Adult Social Care Commissioning Officer in Kingston upon Thames

6 Month Contract With A Local Authority

The Adult Social Care Commissioning Officer will support and lead key commissioning, contract management and service transformation activity across the Older People, Carers and Sensory Needs portfolios.

The role will have a particular focus on transforming support for unpaid carers, including improving carer identification, flexible carer breaks, respite provision and proactive crisis planning. The postholder will also lead the development and implementation of an updated Sensory Needs support offer and undertake contract and performance management responsibilities for services supporting older people.

Working collaboratively with health and social care partners, providers, voluntary and community organisations, carers and experts-by-experience, the postholder will contribute to service redesign, commissioning activity and the delivery of improved outcomes, quality and value for money for residents.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead specific commissioning and service transformation projects focused on improving support for unpaid carers, including carer identification, carer breaks, respite provision and proactive crisis planning.
  
• Oversee the design, implementation and evaluation of pilot projects designed to expand flexible carer breaks and respite options.
  
• Deliver key operational milestones within the Carers Contract Development Plan, ensuring projects remain on track and deliver agreed outcomes.
  
• Manage and monitor contracts and service performance across services supporting older people, ensuring quality, compliance, value for money and positive outcomes for residents.
  
• Lead the implementation of an updated Sensory Needs support offer, working closely with operational teams, providers, health partners and voluntary and community sector organisations.
  
• Develop and maintain effective commissioning and contract management arrangements, including performance monitoring, risk management and improvement planning.
  
• Support end-to-end commissioning and recommissioning activity, including co-production, service specification development, procurement support and mobilisation.
  
• Engage with unpaid carers, experts-by-experience, service users, providers, voluntary and community sector partners and health leads to inform service design and gather feedback.
  
• Build strong working relationships with internal and external stakeholders to support integrated approaches to health and social care.
  
• Support Senior Commissioning Leads with cross-cutting transformation projects and the development of integrated health and social care pathways.
  
• Research best practice and emerging models of service delivery and make recommendations to improve commissioning approaches and service outcomes.
  
• Analyse performance, service and financial information to identify trends, risks, improvement opportunities and areas requiring further intervention.
  
• Prepare reports, briefings and recommendations for senior managers and relevant governance forums.
  
• Ensure commissioning and contract management activity is undertaken in accordance with relevant legislation, council policies, procurement requirements and governance arrangements.
  
• Contribute to the development of an enabling council culture by supporting innovation, transparency, collaboration and continuous improvement.
  

Requirements

Essential

• Proven experience working as a Commissioning Officer, Commissioning Manager or Contract Manager within adult social care, health and social care, or an NHS/Integrated Care System environment.
  
• Specialist knowledge and/or direct commissioning experience within adult social care, particularly in relation to Older People, Carers Services and/or Sensory Impairment.
  
• Strong project management skills, with demonstrable experience of delivering commissioning, service redesign or transformation projects.
  
• Experience of developing, managing and evaluating pilot projects and implementing new service models.
  
• Experience supporting or delivering end-to-end commissioning and recommissioning processes, including co-production, specification writing, procurement support and mobilisation.
  
• Strong contract management and performance monitoring experience, with the ability to identify performance issues and drive improvement.
  
• Excellent stakeholder management skills, with the ability to develop effective relationships across statutory agencies, health partners, service providers, voluntary and community organisations and service users.
  
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to use performance and service information to inform commissioning decisions.
  
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to prepare reports, briefings and recommendations for senior stakeholders.
  
• Strong organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple projects, priorities and deadlines effectively.
  
• Ability to work independently, take initiative and make evidence-based recommendations while working collaboratively within a wider commissioning team.
  
• Good understanding of the adult social care environment and the challenges affecting older people, unpaid carers and people with sensory needs.
  

Desirable

• Experience of commissioning or transforming carer support services, including respite, carer breaks, crisis planning or early identification.
  
• Experience of commissioning services for people with sensory impairments.
  
• Experience of working within integrated health and social care pathways.
  
• Knowledge of relevant adult social care legislation, commissioning frameworks and local authority governance arrangements.
  
• Experience of co-production and working directly with experts-by-experience or unpaid carers.
  
• Experience of working within a local authority or similar public sector organisation.
  

Additional Information

• Hours per Week: 36 hours
  
• Location: Kingston, London - Hybrid
  
• Payment: Bi-weekly payments