Senior Commissioning Officer

We are looking for an enthusiastic and driven Work Stream Lead Commissioning Officer for Education and SEND to join our Children’s Commissioning team on a 12-month maternity cover contract. This is an exciting opportunity to make a real difference to the lives of children and young people across Medway.

The successful candidate will play a key role in delivering our Education and SEND Commissioning and Sufficiency Strategy, ensuring it is rooted in outcome-focused solutions that support Medway Council and local schools in achieving their strategic goals.

You will also provide support and expertise in developing the commissioning function for Education and SEND in Medway as part of a wider programme of work taking place to refresh the SEND strategy and sufficiency strategy. With the overall ambition to ensure all children and young people with SEND receive high quality education and achieve their potential, within the spending capacity of the high needs budget.

The successful applicant will work closely with the Programme Lead supporting the development and delivery of commissioning functions for Education and SEND as part of a wider programme to refresh Medway’s SEND and sufficiency strategies.

The role will involve supporting the Programme Lead to manage commissioned contracts, including:

• Conducting practice research and needs assessments.
• Analysing demand and financial data.
• Strengthening relationships by co-ordinating engagement with service users and providers.
• Supporting robust quality assurance processes.
• Attending and co-ordinating contract meetings to ensure providers are delivering high-quality services and meeting KPIs.
• Identifying opportunities for improved service quality, value for money, and risk management.
• Collaborating with schools and partner agencies to share best practice and explore opportunities for joint commissioning

This exciting opportunity will give the successful applicant the opportunity to contribute extensively to how children's services are commissioned in Medway. They will be expected to work in partnership with providers, other agencies, and strategic networks.

Our Organisation

Medway is a unitary authority in the South East of England, made up of the towns of Strood, Rochester, Chatham, Gillingham and Rainham and more rural areas, including the Hoo Peninsula.

Situated in Kent in the South-East of England, the area has plenty of green spaces, excellent facilities and easy access to the national motorway and rail networks, facilitating superb transport links to London.

We provide all local Government services for a quarter of a million people, looking after education, environment, social care, housing, planning, business and much more - everything from frontline services such as rubbish collection and events like the Dickens Festival to work that goes on behind the scenes to ensure services in Medway run smoothly and cost effectively.

Working at Medway Council means that you get to be part of this journey working alongside talented, professional colleagues to drive forward change to transform the lives of our residents and the communities they live in.

Important Information

Applicants must be able to demonstrate all essential requirements as listed in the job profile

Equal Opportunities Commitment Statement

Medway Council is committed to creating an inclusive work environment with a diverse workforce. All appropriately qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, disability or age

For further information please refer to the Medway information pack available as a download or to view online

Please be advised that if you are not contacted within 3 weeks of the advert closing date then you have not been shortlisted. All recruitment correspondence, including interview letters and contracts of employment will usually be sent out via email.

Please visit http://www.mindfulemployer.net/ for information on how Medway Council put good practices in place to ensure employees and job applicants who declare mental health issues receive the right level of support.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy at any time prior to the closing date

If you are not contacted within 3 weeks of the advert closing date then you have not been shortlisted.

All recruitment correspondence, including interview letters and contracts of employment will usually be sent out via email, if you require documentation/correspondence in different format such as braille or large print, please contact the Resourcing Team on 01634 332878.