Commissioning Manager Social Care in Middlesbrough

Purpose of the Post: To support the Head of Adult Commissioning with strategic planning, policy development, and commissioning of services for adult social care. To be responsible for the leadership of strategic commissioning, service development and transformation in a complex and challenging environment, ensuring best use of resources, delivery of strategic outcomes and responsiveness to local need.

To provide managerial direction and oversight of the commissioning process by co-ordinating the commissioning activities of a team of staff to ensure the effective delivery of a comprehensive commissioning work program. To work in partnership with a variety of agencies to ensure that commissioned services are strategically relevant, person centred and high quality.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Educated to degree level;
• A relevant professional qualification e.g., Level 5 in relevant discipline;
• Relevant work-based experience in strategic commissioning, able to be clearly demonstrated;
• Project Management Qualification;
• Principles of Commissioning for Wellbeing Level 5 Qualification;
• Qualification in management or leadership;
• Ongoing commitment to continuous professional development.

KNOWLEDGE & EXPERIENCE

• Detailed knowledge of current relevant legislation, guidance and statutory duties and responsibilities of local authorities.
• Detailed knowledge of current relevant legislation, guidance and statutory duties and responsibilities relating to Social Care, and/or Housing, and/or Health services, or other related subject matter.
• Knowledge and significant experience of strategic commissioning.
• Knowledge and experience of transactional commissioning.
• Knowledge and experience of working within Procurement regulation, including Procurement Act 2023 and/or the NHS Provider Selection Regime.
• Experience in support, involvement or developing innovative services, with experience in managing risks and reporting.
• Experience of managing, or influencing large budgets, and business planning.
• Ability to work strategically, implement strategic plans and manage change.
• Experience of managing and evaluating contract performance.
• Experience of applying local, regional and national policy initiatives to commissioning and market activity.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, including the ability to communicate effectively in writing to produce documents in a range of formats to suit a range of audiences.
• Excellent presentation skills and an ability to present to a range of different audiences.
• Ability to problem solve and find pragmatic solutions.
• Demonstrate capabilities to manage own workload and make informed decisions in the absence of required information, working to tight and often changing deadlines.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Take strategic responsibility and leadership for a defined portfolio and drive forwards service development and transformation using national best practice, legislation, evidence based information and data to define service models and opportunities.
• To lead on the development and publication of commissioning strategies and plans that will ensure services are commissioned against agreed corporate, directorate, strategic and customer-based needs assessments, having co-production at the centre.
• Ensure new provision is commissioned in line with the Constitution and financial regulations, including any requirements of the Procurement Act 2023. This will include providing oversight of any procurement process and ensuring good quality specification development and outcome-based performance frameworks.
• To ensure good understanding of available compliant routes to market, which may include the use of grant agreements, and seek support from the Strategic Procurement Team where required.
• To support and provide oversight to the development and commissioning of new services in line with strategic aims and priorities and to the de-commissioning of services where relevant.
• To identify areas for efficiency and improvement and making the most effective use of resources when commissioning, through identifying, assessing and evaluating different approaches, alternative service models and reviewing the evidence base, in order to ensure achieve value for money, demonstrating cost effectiveness.
• To conduct and contribute to comprehensive needs assessments, including the analysis of social care, housing, health, and demographic data to inform service planning and delivery, in addition to developing effective work programmes for the team of Officers; including contributing to the development of social care, housing and health strategies and policies.
• To ensure appropriate market, budget and performance information is available, maintained and analysed.
• To support the delivery of budget savings in line with Directorate objectives and ensure all services procured provide value for money by undertaking regular benchmarking in regard to quality and price for commissioned provision.
• Be responsible for the delivery of best value for services commissioned and ensure good negotiation with regard to fee uplifts and price increases.
• To take an active role in the regional, sub-regional and inter-agency joint working and commissioning. This should include the development of opportunities to use joint commissioning solutions to improve outcomes for customers.
• To prepare and present reports on work programme activities to senior management, committees, boards, Executive and other stakeholders as required. Reports should be able to be prepared for a range of audiences.
• Oversee the production of regular reporting as required, utilising available information from dashboards, JSNA and other data sources, including but not limited to commissioned service delivery and staff team performance measures.
• To establish and maintain effective working relationships with internal and external partners including other Directorates, ICBs and other health bodies, central government departments, CQC, voluntary sector providers, and independent sector providers.
• To establish and maintain contact with the market place to ensure awareness of latest trends and sector initiatives, and to ensure that efficient and effective services are available, when required to meet local needs.
• Ensure the care, support and housing markets are fully developed to meet the requirements of our customers, and that market position statements are reflective and up to date. This will include the identification of any gaps in provision and support market shaping.
• Consult, engage, collaborate with and involve providers, customers and carers in the development of commissioning plans and strategies, and in the development of new service specifications.
• Identify and mitigate risks associated with commissioning services, including service delivery risks, financial risks, and compliance risks.
• Take responsibility for decision making of escalated issues, professional judgements and delegation as appropriate, and work autonomously within own levels of expertise and authority, resolving any service delivery issues within available resources.
• To offer advice and guidance to all staff, including operational directorate staff, in respect of any commissioning activities and market change or development.
• Identify opportunities to digitalise processes within the teams, ensuring efficiencies in working practices.
• To provide strategic guidance to Officers who oversee the management of contracts with service providers, ensuring compliance with legal and regulatory requirements and other contract management escalations, and contribute to an on-going programme of quality assurance of commissioned services.
• Take the lead under the direction of the Head of Adult Commissioning in respect of the delivery, output and performance of the commissioning team; deputise for the Head of Adult Commissioning as and when required.

Corporate Responsibilities:

• We will make every reasonable effort to supply the necessary employment aids, equipment or adaptations to enable employees to perform the full duties of the job in accordance with the Equality Act 2010 where a post holder is disabled.
• You will demonstrate a commitment to the principles of equality of opportunity and fairness of treatment in relation to employment issues and service delivery.
• Respect all confidentialities and principles and practices of the Data Protection Act.
• Comply with Health and Safety policies and legislation.
• Be committed to continuous personal development, including Middlesbrough learns.
• Demonstrate a commitment to the safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults, highlighting any areas of concern with the appropriate service and adhering to the policies relating to these issues.

The above duties and responsibilities cannot totally encompass or define all tasks which may be required. The outlined duties and responsibilities may, therefore, vary from time to time without materially changing either the character or level of responsibility: these factors are reflected in the post.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

For the purposes of recruitment and selection, you will be assessed against Our Values and the criterion which are marked as Essential / Desirable in the Qualifications and Knowledge & Experience section.

Our Values

Our Values are a critical element of our strategy to create a brighter future for Middlesbrough. They will be at the heart of everything we do and will be the foundation for how we operate, behave and make decisions. Having these values will help you be the best you can be and help Middlesbrough to grow and thrive.

Interested please apply.