Commissioning Officer in Peterborough

We have an exciting opportunity to join the Children's Commissioning Team as a Commissioning Officer for Children in Care. In this role, you will support the commissioning of services for children, young people, and families in Peterborough.

This role will contribute to commissioning activity that improves outcomes for children and young people, including targeted support for care leavers as they transition to adulthood and require housing and accommodation options at age 18. This includes undertaking all stages of the commissioning cycle in the development and delivery of services to support children and young people across Peterborough, with a specific focus where required on care leavers (including those turning 18) and housing-related services & support as part of leaving care transition arrangements.

We are developing the service with a focus on innovation and shaping services to respond to the needs of our community. As a Commissioning Officer, you will play a crucial role in supporting the delivery of our strategic priorities and commissioning intentions. This role will include the commissioning, contract monitoring, and quality assurance of services, all aimed at improving outcomes for children, young people, and families.

The Children's Commissioning Team is part of the Adults and Commissioning Directorate. We help to transform the way public services are designed, delivered, and integrated. We work with a range of local, regional, and national organisations and public sector bodies. Together we want to improve the quality of life for vulnerable children, young people, and families.

Commissioning is important for improving public services. Our goal is to help vulnerable children, young people, and families by working with partners to prioritise their needs. We understand that achieving our goals requires collaboration within complex systems. We use the commissioning cycle as a framework for our work and often work on multiple phases at once. If necessary, we may return to an earlier phase for specific tasks.

Do you have:

• The ability to work with a range of people to achieve a common goal
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Good analytical skills
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Proficient organisational and planning skills
• The ability to work autonomously and as part of a team
• An ability to manage competing priorities, within a supportive, yet often pressured environment
• Confidence in managing contracts, monitoring performance and challenging underperformance
• Ability to apply a solution focused approach
• An enthusiastic attitude and an eagerness to learn
• A passion for making a difference to the lives of children and young people and families

We value our colleagues and have developed a number of benefits in addition to our generous annual leave starting at 25 days + bank holidays, sick pay and local government pension scheme:

• Access to a range of benefits via our Employee Benefits Platform, including in-store and online discounts as well as our Cycle to Work and Home & Electronics schemes
• Buy up to 10 days additional annual leave (pro-rata)
• Access to car lease scheme
• Take your bank holidays flexibly to better suit your personal circumstances
• Make Additional Voluntary Contributions (Shared Cost AVCs) to your pension with tax and National Insurance savings
• Access to development opportunities including apprenticeships to support your personal and professional growth
• Paid volunteering hours each year so you can make a positive impact on our community during your normal working day
• Access to our equality, diversity and inclusion network
• Opportunities to receive Employee Recognition Awards

We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer, dedicated to fostering diversity, advancing equity, and building an inclusive workplace for everyone. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds and particularly encourage those from underrepresented groups, including disabled people, care leavers, and individuals from minority ethnic communities. Your unique perspectives and experiences are encouraged and valued and will play a vital role in our success.

We are committed to making our recruitment process as accessible as possible. If you are a person who has or considers yourself to have a disability and you require reasonable adjustments to the application or interview process, please contact pccrecruitment@peterborough.gov.uk.

Appointment to this post will be subject to the outcome of an Enhanced Disclosure obtained through the Disclosure and Barring Service. The Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

If you've already applied and completed the recruitment process for this position within the last three months, there's no need to reapply. We really appreciate your interest and thank you for considering us.