Head of Brokerage in Slough

The Brokerage Manager will need to lead a team responsible for delivering high-quality, person-centred brokerage. This involves:

• Matching individuals with appropriate services, ensuring value for money, and monitoring service quality.
• Managing and developing a team to deliver efficient and effective services.
• Contributing to the development of the council's social care strategy and operational plans.
• Ensuring effective financial management and maximising resources.
• Building strong relationships with service users, providers, and other stakeholders.
• Monitoring performance, identifying areas for improvement, and implementing necessary changes.
• Integrated service development and delivery is informed by client, partner and stakeholder views, latest thinking, good practice and legislative requirements.
• Corporate strategies are effectively implemented within area of responsibility.
• Service delivers excellent customer service.
• Manage responses to complex professional or politically sensitive issues within the area of responsibility.
• Customer outcomes are clearly understood and specified.
• Services/goods are delivered on time, to budget and standards agreed.
• Opportunities to improve delivery/capacity of provision are proactively identified and actioned.
• Suppliers and supply chains are resilient and adaptable to meet changing needs.
• Expected operational efficiencies are realised.
• Lead an effective, motivated and outcomes focused team.
• Any required recruitment, induction, development, performance reviews, employee relations and all HR processes and planning is completed to the required standards and timescales.
• Effective team meetings take place to required timescales.
• Identify, secure, people, and systems are utilised optimally and efficiently.
• Value for money is maximised.
• Appropriate safeguarding training is provided.
• Manage and advise on risks and issues affecting Council service areas.
• Business threatening situations are recognised, planned for and managed or escalated as appropriate.
• Systems and governance are in place to respond promptly to critical events.
• Continuous service is provided.
• Ensure the successful implementation of health and safety legislation, policies and practices.
• Risks to staff and others are assessed and managed.
• Suitable health and safety instruction and training are provided.
• There is a safe working environment.
• To oversee the day-to-day delivery of quality commissioned care services for the client group(s).
• Effective contract and market management is supported.
• Productive working relationships are established with providers.
• Providers report positive relationships with the team.
• To proactively support quality assurance and information quality across the service, taking a lead on relevant areas as required.
• Social work teams understand the requirements for support plans and practice for cases passed to the Brokerage function.
• Information entered onto social care and financial systems contain accurate information.
• Peer reviews and other service improvement initiatives are effectively supported.
• Review and develop RAID logs that provide information to Management Board and Members on the current and projected risk position for the key strategic programmes and projects and acted on.
• Excellent relationships with peers are developed and maintained.

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• Must have direct experience of managing complex business change projects, programmes and portfolios.
• Experience of building excellent relationships with senior managers and Members, with a view to ensuring that corporate visions and priorities are delivered and that an excellent customer service is experienced by those stakeholders.
• Experience of detailed resource management and success in implementing new resourcing approaches.
• Experience of managing a mixed and varied workload of conflicting priorities responding effectively to the needs of all customers.
• Knowledge and experience of commissioning and procurement processes and frameworks for analysing, understanding and developing supplier markets and how this can be applied to social care services.
• Experience and a proven track record of successful negotiation ideally within a public sector environment and experience of supplier relationship management and supplier/market development.
• A good understanding of the health and social care needs of young people, older people and people with physical and learning disabilities, and the role of brokering services to meet identified needs.
• Significant understanding of and experience in working with the defined client group(s), including the issues affecting service users, carers and families, legislative and policy drivers, good practice and innovation.

Indicative Qualifications

• Educated to degree standard or equivalent.