Contracts Leader, Health & Social Care (Flexible Working)

To implement, develop and review the arrangements for contracting with and quality‑assuring a specified range of Health and Social Care Partnership (the Partnership) contracts. To ensure the effective application of departmental policies and procedures in relation to identifying the extent to which providers are meeting their contractual and compliance obligations and maintaining an overview of and reporting on the operation of services for which the post holder has been assigned a particular responsibility. Contribute to the achievement of the overall aims and objectives of the department through effective leadership, consultation and communication.

Responsibilities

• Develop contract specifications for services in response to commissioning plans to meet need as set out in the Partnership’s overall strategic plans, working closely with City of Edinburgh Council (the Council) procurement and legal colleagues to ensure that specifications meet the Council’s legal and statutory obligations.
• Work closely with Partnership professional colleagues in operational services to ensure that clinical and care elements of specifications are appropriate and support the proposed model of care.
• Ensure that contract specifications reflect national and Partnership priorities such as Self‑Directed Support, Adult Support and Protection, shifting the balance of care from hospital to community.
• Work closely with the Council’s procurement team to manage the process of tendering and awarding contracts for services and to make recommendations to the Team Leader on contract awards.
• Negotiate with external providers, working closely with professional colleagues on the set‑up and development of new contracts and termination of existing contracts, including areas such as phasing in and out periods and transfer of service users between providers.
• Have regular contact and review meetings with providers to develop and maintain a working knowledge of providers with whom the Partnership contracts.
• Update and maintain registers of existing contracts and providers.
• Maintain risk registers for contracts and providers, identifying areas of risk by service type and provider and including mitigation actions.
• Maintain an overview of contracted provider performance, considering issues or concerns raised as a result of the application of relevant Quality Assurance procedures, by departmental colleagues, other assessing agencies, services users and carers and/or the Care Inspectorate.
• Undertake monitoring visits and reviews of services with contracted providers, considering contract compliance and the value of the service to the Council.
• Make recommendations on the status of providers, including suspending them from receiving new referrals, applying specific sanctions or terminating their contract with the Council.
• When necessary, lead work to implement termination or reduction of a contract, including transfer of service users to alternative providers, working closely with professional colleagues to ensure this process is managed safely and appropriately.
• Provide professional support and knowledge to providers to help them build organisational capacity and resilience.

We are committed to a diverse and inclusive workforce where everyone feels valued and able to be their best. We particularly encourage applications from women for senior roles, as well as people from minority ethnic backgrounds, people with disabilities or neurodivergent people, care‑experienced people, carers and LGBT+ people across all levels of the organisation. All applicants will be considered fairly based on skills and experience. Disabled and care‑experienced applicants who meet the minimum job criteria will be guaranteed an interview.