Job Title:
Commissioning Officer / Service:
People
Post Number: PECL9112
0.5 FTE / Division:
Prevention and Commissioning
Grade: 9 / Business Unit/Section:

Integrated Prevention Commissioning and Partnerships

Overall Purpose of Job:
The role of Commissioning Officer is to support the Integrated Commissioning / People Commissioning Manager on the policy development, strategic planning, world class outcome based commissioning and procurement of a range of activities (not necessarily purchased services) in partnership with other statutory, independent and third sector organisation, taking fully into account the views of service users and their carers.
To lead and advise the joint strategic market development in accordance with national and local direction aligned with local priorities and needs.
Main Responsibilities
  1. To work with the Integrated People Commissioning Manager to develop and publish the Commissioning Strategies and Market Position Statement Place Shaping documents for Peoples Services and ensure that relevant action / improvement plans are reviewed annually and to lead on specific commissioning projects, strategic reviews and work streams developing detailed action and implementation plans to ensure that strategies are translated into operation and as agreed reporting progress within agreed timescales to various joint and single agency commissioning groups.
  1. To commissionand procure a range of Children’s and Adult’s Social Care and health service activities based on local needs analysis, for the citizens of North Lincolnshire in partnership with the NHS and all other relevant partners. Ensuring that these are evidence based and innovative cost-effective responses that are world class and take into account the diverse needs of North Lincolnshire’s population and deliver high quality outcomes for service users/carers.
  1. To ensure that commissioning and planning processes in the North Lincolnshire CCG and North Lincolnshire Council are aligned so that there is a single timetable for commissioning and support the work of Practice Based and Experience Led Commissioning arrangements within North Lincolnshire.

  1. Provide strategic advice and intelligence to ensure Children and Adult’s Social Care, health and housing related support activities are efficiently and effectively commissioned ensuring compliance with appropriate legislative and policy requirements.
  1. Develop and implement commissioning processes, ensuring robust, efficient and effective plans are in place.
  1. Develop and provide a planning and business development function to undertake service planning and redesign, including decommissioning where necessary and to ensure the best use of resources in negotiation with key stakeholders and delivered in line with national guidance and good practice standards.
  1. Work with a range of teams whom provide a Quality and Performance functionsto ensure appropriate data collection, analysis and performance management systems operate effectively, to inform the commissioning of activities and improve outcomes for service users, and to implement and monitor the Quarterly Performance review system, engaging all stakeholders in the process. Ensuring that reporting systems track progress against targets and that where risks are identified that these are reported as appropriate.
  1. Ensure service users, carers, partner agencies and other stakeholders are engaged appropriately within commissioning activities and that work is carried out within the principles of good partnership working, and to engage and involve service users and carers in genuine consultation and engagement, ensuring their views are fed into service planning and influence the development of future services
  1. Be responsible for financial modelling and ensure that commissioning activities and responses deliver best value, required efficiencies and fits within available resources, working with partner agencies to attract or align funding to meet identified needs or opportunities and activities.
  1. Work with colleagues and partner agencies to develop, analyse and interpret needs assessment and other research data to inform strategic reviews and the commissioning of future responses.
  1. Assist the Integrated Commissioning / People Manager in developing, implementing and delivering commissioning strategies, strategic reviews and workstreams, working with service providers and partners to inform and develop modernised approaches that meet national and local drivers for change and meet the needs of localities.
  1. Ensure that issues of access, equality and diversity are addressed in preparing commissioning strategies, service specifications and contracts. Ensure Integrated Impact Assessments are undertaken on commissioning, policies, strategies and implementation plans ensuring recommendations are implemented.
  1. To undertake risk assessments in relation to strategic reviews, procurement and other commissioning activities, identifying risks, potential impact and contingency plans; ensuring information is collated within the Directorate risk register and appropriate action taken, in partnership with the Business Support Unit

  1. To develop contracts and service level agreements for the procurement, delivery, monitoring of services to enable the effective implementation of the commissioning cycle.
  1. Ensure appropriate contract compliance arrangements are in place for all commissioned services. Develop and maintain systems for addressing non-compliance that meet corporate and Directorate requirements, ensuring key decisions are identified, forward plans completed and member approval sought.
  1. To work alongside strategic and operational managers and providers to ensure services are able to influence and deliver the change agenda, and to work in partnership with health and social care providers, the private sector and third sector to develop their capacity in line with agreed commissioning strategies
  1. Deputise for the Integrated/People Commissioning Manager as agreed and appropriate
  1. Ensure effective contract compliance, contract management and monitoring.
  1. To carry out any other reasonable duties and responsibilities within the overall function, commensurate with the grading and level of responsibilities of the post.

Knowledge, Skill and Experience Required:
  • Have a relevant level 4 qualification or equivalent knowledge, skills and experience
  • Demonstrate continuous professional development
  • Understanding and awareness of outcome based commissioning processes, along with the legal and contracting implications of the commissioning process and best practice relating to the client groups represented in North Lincolnshire
  • Comprehensive knowledge of relevant policy legislation guidance and regulations in relation to children and adult social care and health
  • Knowledge of best practice relating to relative client groups
  • Excellent communication skills and information sharing skills, particularly when dealing with service users and carers in a variety of settings
  • Excellent mediation, negotiation and presentation skills
  • Able to promote effective communication and information sharing
  • Able to promote new and innovative ways of working to achieve outcomes
  • Excellent influencing and conflict resolution skills
  • High level of IT skills
  • Report writing and numeracy skills.
  • Political sensitivity
  • Ability to gather, analyse, interpret and disseminate a wide range of complex data and information published by the government and generated by internal information systems which are used to improve performance throughout the service
  • Experience of working within a health or social care environment
  • Experience of relevant child or adult service specialism in health or social care
  • Experience of service planning, commissioning, contracting, procurement and/or service improvement
  • Experience of budget management
  • Experience of using management information for both performance monitoring and reporting
  • Experience of undertaking research and development in a service area
  • Experience of working in effective partnership across both statutory and voluntary sectors, including Service Users and Carers
  • Experience of managing project teams
  • Experience of conflict resolution
Personal Qualities
  • A committed team player
  • Able to work on own initiative
  • Commitment to the service user groups
  • Good listener
  • Highly self-motivated and action-oriented
  • Self-starter, able to plan and initiate and complete complex tasks involving multi-agency partners

Creativity and Innovation
  • Undertake service review, development and project management across a diverse range of service areas to commission responses to the needs of vulnerable people, eg children, and young people, older people, people with a long term condition, learning disabled, people needing supported housing, and ensure these responses are person centred.
  • Working in partnership with a range of customers, including North Lincolnshire Council, health organisations, community services and family carers to create re-modelled or new services to meet their needs
  • Maximising current resources through creative strategic development to create services and responses to meet vulnerable peoples needs
  • Developing user focused procedures and practices – working with service users and carers to make sure policies and procedures are person centred.
  • Motivating and developing social care and health staff members to work together to create responses to peoples needs
  • To use innovative and imaginative ideas to create a culture where performance management is used to effect change
Decision making:
Responsible for decisions within services areas: recommending change to the Integrated Commissioning / People Manager on policy matters which affect service provision and which impact on the public, the council and other organisations
Responsible for recommending changes to service delivery, policy and procedures to the governance structure within North Lincolnshire Council and North Lincolnshire CCG which may effect the services vulnerable people receive in the future and may affect the lives and experiences of their families, informal and formal carers
Responsible for recommending changes to the governance structures to service delivery, including the decommissioning of current services which may affect the Council’s budgets and human resources.
Responsible for procurement and commissioning decisions that are high value in excess of £500,000 and decisions that affect the reputation of the Local Authority and if not taken appropriately can result in legal challenge.
Contacts and Relationships:
On behalf of North Lincolnshire Council, responding to/acting upon a range of issues which require a high degree of involvement in negotiation across a variety of complex and often contentious matters which influence strategy/policy as follows:
  • Social and Health Care agencies, statutory, voluntary and independent sector
  • Neighbouring authorities, regional and national networks
  • Range of partnership arrangements to deliver client specific visions and strategies.
  • Multi-agency project groups.
  • Consultation and planning arrangements with service users and family carers Community 1networks e.g. local businesses
  • Commission for adherence to Ofsted registration and CQC standards
To provide detailed and negotiated reports to a wide spectrum of audiences, these reports may involve decommissioning services and as such will be highly political and sensitive.
To act as advisor to Cabinet, Council, senior management, CCG Boards and management on commissioning and provide verbal or written briefings/reports/presentations to Members and Senior Managers on issues regarding commissioning service delivery and performance monitoring.
To represent the Integrated Commissioning Manager / People Commissioning Manager, where appropriate in relations with internal and external agencies, Government Departments and other local authorities.
To continuously negotiate with service users and their families through the governance structure of partnership boards and Local strategic partnership boards and associated sub groups.
Responsibility for Resources: (to include approximate value, sole or shared responsibility and for what percentage of their working hours away from their designated base)
Sole responsibility for physical equipment e.g. laptop,mobile telephone when away from office base with approximate value of £1000.
Working in accordance with Worksmart policy – working on a hot desk and from home basis (working without an office base and away from home 50% of time).

WORK ENVIRONMENT

Work Demands:

Frequently working to short and long term deadlines set internally and by external agencies eg central government. Required to balance a range of conflicting demands from a variety of different agencies with conflicting needs, and ability to constantly prioritise and re-prioritise
Flexibility to work as required ie out of hours meetings and consultations
Working in accordance with Worksmart policy – working on a hot desk and from home basis.
Developing, maintaining and evaluating effective partnerships for the benefit of users and carers and in contributing to the implementation of the Council’s priorities.
Physical demands:
Ability to work from different locations.
Working Conditions:
The post will be open for flexible working, hours and places of work to include hot desking and home working with requirements to visit and work within remote locations with teams, services and partners.
Work context:
Low level of physical risk associated with service user, family and community contact
Dealing with contentious issues relating to changes in service delivery
Position in Organisation:
Indicate how many staff the post is directly accountable for: up to 4

Does the postholder manage the posts No

OR
Does the postholder supervise the posts Yes
Post holder will supervise staff as per projects require, these may be staff in other directorates and teams – on average 4 staff per project team
Are posts in more than one location? Yes
Is the supervision/management shared with another post in the structure? Yes
Please indicate which post(s) Other Commissioning Officers
Integrated and People Commissioning

Note:

Post holders will be expected to be flexible in undertaking the duties and responsibilities attached to their post and may be asked to perform other duties, which reasonably correspond to the general character of the post and are commensurate with its level of responsibility. This job description is provided for guidance only and does not form part of the contract of employment.

Date of Job Description…………………………….

Date copy sent to Post holder…………………………….

Page 1 of 8