Job Introduction
Children's Wellbeing & Partnerships:
Post 1 - The Children's Public Health (Health & Wellbeing) team are looking to recruit an additional full time permanent Commissioning Officer.
The existing team comprises of 4 part-time / full-time Commissioning Officers and a Commissioning Support Officer.
Our priorities are:
- Mental Health
- Healthy weights
- Infant mortality
This role will be joining a hard-working, enthusiastic, friendly & supportive team that are truly passionate about improving the health outcomes of children & young people in Staffordshire.
Post 2 - The Placements Team team are looking to recruit a permanent full time Commissioning Officer to help shape, influence and drive the placement market to access appropriate foster homes, residential homes and supported accommodation to meet the needs of children in our care.
Post 3 - We are looking to recruit a permanent full time Commissioning Officer for SEND / Education. You will join a friendly, hardworking and committed team with a passion to achieve the best outcomes for children and young people.
Main Responsibilities
Post 1 (Children's Public Health / Health & Wellbeing):
Much of our work involves working with a wide range of partners, taking a whole system approach to improving the health outcomes for children & young people.
We are already working hard with partners to improve children & young people's mental health & emotional wellbeing. There are 7 working groups taking actions forward such as a Prevention group, an Outcomes group and a Pathways group, but there is still much to do and achieve!
We also started work on a whole system approach to healthy weights (children & adults); we've branded this as Better Health Staffordshire. There are lots of internal and external colleagues / partners; such as Adult's Public Health, Together Active, the district / borough councils, and our NHS colleagues; working together as equal partners to try to tackle this complex problem.
We are at the start of a more joined-up / co-ordinated approach to working more effectively together across Staffordshire & Stoke-on-Trent to reduce infant mortality. This post is likely to have a focus on infant mortality, working with other Commissioning Officers within the team, however there will be flexibility to work across a number of our priorities.
In the first instance this post will cover for the lead Commissioning Officer for the commissioned Families Health & Wellbeing (0-19) service as she goes on maternity leave in the summer.
Post 2 (Placements Team):
The role will involve:
- Working in collaboration with Staffordshire’s Market Relationship Manager to support the commissioning and delivery of a children’s social care market for residential, independent fostering and supported accommodation services to meet the needs of Staffordshire’s children in care. Including placement needs for children with disabilities
- Develop options appraisals to inform future commissioning intensions with the placement market, identifying gaps in provision with colleagues in children and families and in partnership with regional commissioning network
- Support the development and implementation of the strategic sufficiency strategy for the purpose of reviewing the analysis of need in children and families and developing key commissioning initiatives to address placement gaps
- Write and present reports to support and inform decision-making of commissioning intentions to meet the needs of children in care
Post 3 (SEND / Education):
We are looking for a fulltime permanent Commissioning Officer to support other SEND / Education Commissioning Officers with a range of work to improve outcomes for children & young people in Staffordshire.
The Ideal Candidate
Post 1 (Childrens Public Health / Health & Wellbeing):
We're particularly looking for someone who is equally passionate about improving outcomes for children & young people; is well organised; proactive; has great communication skills and is able to work effectively with a broad range of stakeholders; including children, young people and their parents / carers.
We are very much looking forward to a new colleague joining the team!
Post 2 (Placements Team):
The successful candidate will be innovative, flexible and visionary in helping us to shape and drive the future commissioning and delivery of placements to meet the needs of Staffordshire’s children in care.
You will need to develop good understanding of the placement needs of children in our care and identify how these needs can be delivered. Staffordshire placement’s service is part of the Strategic and Operational Commissioning Networks within the West Midlands Region so you will also collaborate with Commissioning Officers across the region.
You will be instrumental in the development and delivery of Staffordshire County Council’s Sufficiency Strategy.
You will need to have or develop knowledge of children’s social care placement requirements and the challenges identified in the Children’s Social Care Market Study and in other key research and publications
Subject area knowledge and significant commissioning experience are not necessary (but may be an advantage). However, the successful candidate will have excellent literacy, numeracy and problem-solving skills, the ability to independently complete complex tasks, the ability to work in challenging multi-agency arenas, excellent influencing skills, the flexibility to work on multiple projects simultaneously and an enthusiasm for improving outcomes for Children & Families.
If you are keen to be involved and have the ability to be innovative, flexible and visionary in outlook we want to hear from you.
Post 3 (SEND / Education):
We are seeking an enthusiastic and highly organised person to join the team to work alongside other SEND / Education Commissioning Officers helping to improve outcomes for Staffordshire children & young people.
For job description details please click on the following link: Staffordshire County Council Jobs - Commissioning Officer (Children's)
About Staffordshire County Council
We are no ordinary county council:
Our Values:
The core of who we are as an organisation. Just like we all have personal values that shape our thoughts and behaviour, organisational values drive how we think and act collectively.
Our values were created and shaped by colleague feedback and national best practice and they sit at the heart of People Strategy:
We have a real sense of community spirit that brings our people together. This feeling of belonging means we are all connected to what we do and take pride in the difference we make every day for Staffordshire people. We are ambitious and our sights are set firmly on a better future.
We look forward and race ahead - that goes for your career too.
Our benefits:
We recognise that it is our employees that are central to everything we do. We aim to create a supportive working environment where employees can achieve their full potential and achieve a healthy work-life balance.
In addition to your salary, as a member of staff, you will have access to a range of benefits.
Our recruitment process:
As an Authority we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people/vulnerable adults and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
Staffordshire County Council is an equal opportunities organisation and Disability Confident employer. We encourage applications from all background and communities
As part of our commitment as a Disability Confident employer, a Silver Award Armed Forces employer and our commitment to supporting care leavers - we offer a guaranteed interview as long as your application meets the minimum criteria for the post.