Commissioning Officer

Overview

Organisation: Leicestershire County Council

Work Location: County Hall, Glenfield, Leicester LE3 8RA

Salary: £35,451 – £39,165 per annum (pro rata for part time)

Working Hours: 25.9 hours a week (pattern to be discussed with successful applicant but looking for coverage over 4 days)

Contract Type: Permanent

Closing Date: 26th March 2026

Interview Date(s): TBC

Are you passionate about ensuring that children, young people and their families/carers receive high-quality support at the right time to achieve their full potential?

Would you like to help make a difference to the lives of children and young people through effective 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, this could be the role for you.

About the Role

Successful candidates can expect to undertake a variety of tasks, including:

• Quality Assurance – Undertake quality assurance meetings and visits with providers such as Independent Non-Maintained Special Schools and Alternative Provisions, as well as other commissioned providers delivering services to children and young people who may have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).
• Contract Monitoring and Review – Complete annual contract management meetings with the above providers to ensure services are delivered in line with contractual expectations and achieve positive outcomes for children, young people and their families/carers.
• Brokerage and Negotiation – Broker education services and placements for young people, including Independent and Non‑Maintained Special School placements and other commissioned education services and manage all associated tasks relating to the brokerage of education services as required
• Governance and Procurement – Support the commissioning of services across the Children and Family Service ensuring compliance with the Procurement Act 2023 and local Contract Procedure Rules and coordinate internal commissioning requests, ensuring a focus on outcomes and value for money

Whilst the post will initially focus on supporting the commissioning arrangements associated with the Holiday Activities Fund, the Commissioning Service also provides support across the department in relation to Targeted Early Help and Children’s Social Care Services and Education, Inclusion and Additional Needs. At times, due to service demands and/or changes in the way that the service operations, successful candidates may also cover duties in those areas.

For information on our approach to the recruitment of ex-offenders, please see our policy statement.

About You

To apply for this post, you must:

• NVQ4 or equivalent qualification or equivalent work experience, along with 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.
• An understanding of commissioning practices and the Commissioning Cycle, with the ability to apply these principles to day‑to‑day work.
• An understanding of the outcomes required to ensure meaningful activities, respite opportunities, care packages and educational placements for children and young people.

In addition, we also expect you to share our commitment to our values and to delivering accessible and inclusive services which meet the needs of all of our residents. You will be asked to demonstrate your understanding of these commitments as part of the selection process.

Reasonable adjustments will be considered for applicants with a disability. We are a Disability Confident Employer.

Interested in Flexible Working?

We are open to discussions about flexible working, which may include part time working, job sharing, term-time working, flexible start and finish times, and hybrid working, depending on the requirements of the role and the service. If you would like to discuss the possible flexible working options that might be applicable to this role, please contact the person named below.

For more information or an informal discussion, please contact:

Sarah Wilson – Service Manager

Phone: 0116 305 6527

Email: Sarah.Wilson@leics.gov.uk

How to Apply

At Leicestershire County Council we’re looking for top talent from all walks of life. Whoever you are, wherever you’re from, and whatever your background – we care about what you bring to our organisation, not just what’s on your CV. That’s why we’ve designed a recruitment process that’s fair, accessible, and focused on potential. And with benefits that support people at every age and stage of life, we make sure you can thrive – both personally and professionally.

If you share our passion to make a difference for the people of Leicestershire, we’d love to hear from you. Click the apply button to submit your application, ensuring that you upload a supporting statement that explains how you meet the criteria listed in the ‘About You’ section above. Without this information, we won’t be able to assess your suitability for the role, and your application will be rejected. For tips on how to write your statement, see the How to Apply section on our career site.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.

If you have any technical issues when trying to apply for this post or you want to request an application pack in an alternative format, please contact our Employee Service Centre by telephoning 0300 3030222 (select option 2) or raising a ticket via our online portal: https://emss.org.uk/support.

By applying for this post, you agree to our Terms and Conditions.