Senior Commissioning Officer

Job Introduction

The starting salary for this role is £40,227 per annum for a 36 hour working week.

We are looking for an outstanding Senior Commissioning Officer to join Surrey’s Children’s SEND and Inclusion Commissioning Team on a 9 month fixed-term contract, who brings with them the energy, passion and motivation to help us realise our bold ambitions for children, young people, families and communities in the county. 

Surrey's Children Services have undergone significant changes in recent years and the Commissioning Team has a central role in driving change and innovation; with a relentless focus on improving outcomes. At the heart of what we aim to achieve is the ambition to develop a deeper understanding of our communities and the challenges they face but also recognise their strengths, assets and aspirations and look to work with them to enable better outcomes for children. 

This nine month fixed-term role will focus on commissioning related to special educational needs and disabilities (SEND and Inclusion), with the potential to also work on projects related to corporate parenting. You will be a key part of the team supporting the transformation of these service areas, with a real focus on improving outcomes for children who have SEND and/or are looked after or care leavers, whilst also securing best value for money for Surrey’s residents and communities. Central to this programme is the desire to enable more children and young people to access services within Surrey, so that they both remain connected to and enrich the communities in which they live.

Examples of our work include:

• Building strong, collaborative and co-productive relationships with operational colleagues, partners, providers and children, young people and families, through an outcomes-led, systems-oriented approach to commissioning
• Analysing and interpreting data to ascertain need and plan for future sufficiency of services
• Facilitating market engagement events with key providers across Surrey, ensuring provision is developed in the right areas for our residents
• Working in partnership with colleagues across Health and Social Care to ensure we commission services to achieve the best outcomes for children
• Developing new and innovative services in response to what we learn about the needs and aspirations of children, young people and families
• Negotiating, monitoring and evaluating contractual arrangements to support learning and continuous improvement, enable better outcomes and secure value for money

In this role, you will be able and expected to take the lead on exciting projects like those examples listed above. Commissioning projects within the team take a variety of different forms and you must be comfortable working at pace, with clear deadlines, both independently and as part of an extended team, to bring about the change required to enable children and young people to achieve improved outcomes.

We would welcome your application if:

• You have commissioning experience or project management experience (an advantage but is not essential)
• You have knowledge or experience working in Children’s Social Care, SEND or Education
• You have excellent communication skills with the ability to influence and negotiate
• You can demonstrate the ability to work collaboratively with teams within the council and with external partners
• You have a passion for improving outcomes and services for children, young people and their families
• You have a keen understanding of value for money

At Surrey, our values and behaviours are just as important as our skills and abilities. They shape who we are as an organisation. Find out more about the values we follow.

For more information please find the full job description below and refer to this before submitting your application. We also invite you to read our Life at Surrey handbook to see insights of the culture at Surrey and how as a valued employee, you can help shape our Council.

Additional Information

The job advert closes at 23:59 on 23/01/2022.

Interview dates to be confirmed.

This is a 9 month fixed term contract.

An enhanced DBS ‘Disclosure and Barring Service’ check for regulated activity (formerly known as CRB) and the Children’s and Adults’ Barred List checks will be required for this role.

Contact Details

For an informal discussion contact Sally Furness by e-mail at sally.furness@surreycc.gov.uk.

We look forward to receiving your application, please click on the apply online button below to submit.

Benefits

From flexible working to job sharing (where possible) we are committed to providing a healthy work life balance. A laptop and mobile will be supplied if applicable to your role. You will benefit from 26 days annual leave, rising to 28 days after 2 years' service, a generous local government salary related pension, as well as the option to join our car lease scheme. For more information about the wide variety of benefits you can take advantage of please visit MyBenefits for Surrey County Council staff.

Our Commitment

Surrey County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We want to be an inclusive and diverse employer of first choice reflecting the community we serve and particularly welcome applications from all under represented groups.