Job Description

Commissioning Officer | 9569 | Permanent Contract | 37 hours per week | £31,537 to £33,699 per annum | Grade G | Norwich (Hybrid working)

Are you passionate about improving services for children and families? We're looking for several Commissioning Officers to join our Integrated Commissioning team within Children's Services.

These key roles (roles A and B described below) will assist with specific streams of commissioning activity involving specialist and complex support services.

In either case your focus will be:

• Supporting the delivery of commissioned services through monitoring and evaluating their effectiveness.
• Managing small projects from start to finish.
• Maintaining project plans and ensuring milestones are met.
• Collecting and analysing data to inform commissioning decisions and partnership work.
• Monitoring trends in comments, compliments and complaints received from all sources concerning commissioned services, undertaking investigations, resolving issues or escalating persistent problems as required.

What we're looking for:

• Strong organisational and analytical skills.
• Ability to work independently and manage multiple priorities.
• Excellent communication skills to engage with providers and stakeholders.
• Experience in project work and data analysis (commissioning experience desirable).

Role A will primarily support one of our contract management teams with the following main duties:

• Regularly monitoring the effectiveness and quality of commissioned services through direct observation of practice (including site visits), collecting and analysing data to produce regular performance reports for all stakeholders.
• Working with providers to ensure quality standards are maintained whilst gathering accurate market intelligence.
• Using the above to establish and roll out best practice.
• Contributing to the development of a locality commissioning performance management framework and practice.
• Giving advice to commissioned service providers in relation to interpretation of service specifications, data requirements, invoice queries or the need to vary service delivery outcomes.

Role B will primarily support a relatively new team commissioning SEND services to develop and establish systems including tasks such as:

• Supporting project activity through managing small projects and maintaining project plans, particularly for joint funded and complex placements.
• Using your initiative to review and develop recording and reporting systems using latest applications such as SharePoint, Microsoft Lists, Power Bi and exploring and implementing opportunities for automation.
• Supporting the High Needs Brokerage Team with investigating and resolving ad-hoc contractual/finance queries relating to children's placements in independent and non-maintained schools.

Before you apply, we recommend reading the full Job Description and Person Specification to help you demonstrate you meet the criteria.

If you have any questions or would like any further information regarding the roles, please feel free to contact Commissioning and Service Development Managers daisy.mailey@norfolk.gov.uk (Role A) or jenny.cuthbert@norfolk.gov.uk (Role B).

These are some benefits you can enjoy by working for Norfolk County Council:

• Competitive salary
• Generous holiday entitlement
• Health and Wellbeing services including fast-track physiotherapy and a free counselling service
• Flexible working opportunities including flexi-time, part time, remote and hybrid working - dependant on your job role and business need.
• Financial benefits such as:
  • 'Norfolk Rewards' our employee discounts programme which helps you save money on almost anything, from everyday groceries and clothes, to holidays, new technology, gym membership, trips to the cinema and days out.
  • A Blue Light card for Fire Service and Social Care Workers
  • Relocation expenses (where applicable)
  • An advance of your expenses if you travel for work
  • Local Government Pension Scheme with generous employer contribution, life assurance, death in service payments and dependants' pensions.
  • Tax efficient ways of getting extra pension and new bikes
  • Access to our tax efficient car lease scheme for greener travel enabling you to lease a brand new, ultra-low emission vehicle (subject to eligibility)
  • A payment if you refer someone you know to a hard to fill job

You can also find information on our Terms and Conditions here.

We want our people to be inspired and motivated to work well together, make the most of our workspaces, enjoy a healthy work-life balance, and deliver excellent services to Norfolk and its people. Flexibility is built into the way we work, with hybrid working a key feature for many roles. Our technology platform and equipment are first class, enabling you to connect and collaborate remotely. We ask that you have in place good Broadband connectivity.

Already a Norfolk County Council employee? See and apply for internal and external vacancies in myOracle using your @norfolk.gov.uk or @nccal.ac.uk email.

We would like to make you aware that priority consideration for this post may be given to current employees who are at risk due to restructure within the organisation or are in a redeployment position.

Redeployment closing date: 13 January 2025 at 23:55

All other applicants closing date: 20 January 2025 at 23:55

Secondment opportunities would be considered but please speak to your line manager to get approval before applying.

About Us

We have miles of beautiful coastline and our unique Broads, thriving market towns and a city with a proud cultural heritage. Our economy is growing and driven by innovation in a number of sectors, including energy and food. We also have ambitious plans for new housing and a building programme for schools across Norfolk. Our county a great place to live, work and visit, and is an excellent environment for businesses to start, grow and innovate.

We are the main local authority for Norfolk providing services countywide to more than 850,000 Norfolk residents. We take the lead in critical policy areas, working with 84 elected Members responsible for the strategic local government services in the county.

We provide a high quality service through involving people who use our services to shape and comment on them and by promoting efficiency and innovation.

We work in partnership with local businesses, voluntary organisations and other local authorities such as District and Parish Councils to provide the people of Norfolk with excellent services.