jobRisk Manager

Stoke on Trent City Council are looking for a Care Broker to join the Commissioning Team.

Brokerage sits at the operational end of the wider commissioning function and acts as the link between assessed need and service delivery. Commissioning teams set the strategic direction (e.g. market shaping, service design, contracts). Brokerage implements this by sourcing individual care packages that align with those frameworks and priorities.

Brokerage provides real-time intelligence on provider capacity, cost pressures, and gaps in provision, which informs commissioning decisions and future service development. While commissioners set pricing frameworks and contracts, brokers negotiate individual packages within these parameters to achieve cost-effective solutions.

Key Responsibilities:

·Source and arrange appropriate care and support packages in line with assessed needs

·Work closely with social workers, health professionals and providers to coordinate care

·Negotiate costs to ensure value for money while maintaining quality standards

·Support timely hospital discharges by securing suitable care placements

·Monitor availability within the care market and identify suitable providers

·Maintain accurate records and ensure compliance with policies, procedures, and contracts

·Manage referrals and prioritise urgent cases effectively

·Resolve placement issues and escalate risks where required

·Effective communication - clear, professional interaction with service users, families, providers, and professionals

·Negotiation and influencing - securing appropriate care at best value

·Organisation and prioritisation - managing multiple referrals and tight deadlines

·Knowledge of adult social care systems - pathways, eligibility, safeguarding, and legislation

·Market awareness - understanding of local care providers and available services

·Problem-solving - identifying suitable solutions quickly in complex situations

·Attention to detail - accurate recording, compliance, and contract terms

·Partnership working - collaborating across health and social care teams

·Resilience and adaptability -working under pressure in a fast-paced environment

We are a city of strengths, with a proud heritage and bright future. Working for Stoke-on Trent City Council is more than just a job, it's about making, protecting and improving the services for the local population, reducing inequalities and improving independence for the people who live and work in the city. And that's where you come in. We are always looking for people of the highest calibre with skills, knowledge and experience to help us deliver our compelling vision., Stoke-on-Trent City Council's diverse and talented workforce is its greatest asset and most valuable resource. The skills, knowledge and experience of our c.4,600 employees are essential to delivering our ambitions and vision for our organisation and Stoke-on-Trent. We want to be an employer that people are proud to work for, and where our staff are supported, developed and rewarded in an inclusive way that helps them to excel and to deliver the high-quality services that our residents need., Stoke-on-Trent City Council is a unitary authority employing approximately 4,600 staff who deliver 700 services to more than 260,000 residents. Our city comprises of six towns: Burslem, Fenton, Hanley, Longton, Stoke and Tunstall. We are a city of strengths, with a proud heritage and bright future. We have undergone significant changes over the last few years. New ways of working have already transformed many service areas and we are determined to continue to develop more innovative approaches to ensure that we can maximise the benefits of transformation.

Our city

Although the 13th largest city in the UK, Stoke-on-Trent is rapidly outstripping a number of parts of the country with our economic growth and recovery.

Stoke-on-Trent is a city with a strong sense of civic pride - we've been voted the kindest city in the UK - and a place where you'll receive a hugely warm welcome. We have a rich and diverse culture, steeped in our prestigious industrial heritage as the celebrated 'world capital of ceramics'. But we don't just want to celebrate our proud past - we firmly believe that Stoke-on-Trent's best years are ahead of it. We are determined to raise aspirations and match them with high-quality education and health provision, as well as improved opportunities to secure fulfilling and well-paid work. Through uniting social and economic opportunities, we are maximising the full power of the city council as a secure and steadfast institution within the city.

·A competitive salary based on your skills, experience and talent

·Hybrid and flexible working options

·An excellent local authority benefits pension scheme

·Professional development through learning opportunities, regular training sessions and apprenticeship and management schemes, When you work for Stoke-on-Trent City Council you'll be helping to improve the lives and wellbeing of our residents. We'll provide you with support, learning opportunities and flexible working options and some amazing benefits including; a competitive salary, generous holidays, an excellent defined local authority benefit pension scheme, annual leave purchase scheme, cycle to work schemes just to name a few. We also have access to lifestyle benefits which offer a wide range of discounts such as family days out, travel, retail and many more.

Our commitment to you

Vibrancy and diversity are two of Stoke-on-Trent's greatest assets. A city founded on creative endeavour should value and celebrate the multitude of voices, ideas and identities that shape its culture. We are committed to creating a culture which is truly inclusive, where all staff feel valued, listened to, supported and able to do their work to the best of their abilities at all times. And we must ensure that our decisions and policies nurture and empower communities across our city and do not inadvertently disadvantage groups and individuals that we want to help to thrive.

Our approach to Equality and Diversity is an invitation to all our communities to work with and for us so we can continue to improve how we deliver services residents need.

Our employee networks are inclusive, open forums for colleagues with similar lived experiences. They allow staff to meet, support and mentor each other, alongside being a voice for under-represented groups to advise and support the organisation when developing policies and services.