Specialist Provision Officer (Commissioning)

At Suffolk County Council we're passionate about improving the future for our customers, our communities and the environment. If you are too, join us as a Specialist Provision Officer (Commissioning) and make a huge and meaningful impact. Your innovation and drive will help us to continue improving and evolving. Our opportunities and support will enable you to make a difference and leave a positive, lasting legacy.

Reimagine the possibilities.

Your role and responsibilities

You will report to the Specialist Provision Manager and will be at the forefront in ensuring that robust contract management arrangements are embedded across independent providers. You will work directly with providers, be involved in service redesign, market development, procurement, provider relationships and contract management activity.

Alongside multi-agency and partnership working, some of the key responsibilities of this role include:

- ensuring that providers continue to comply with contractual expectations through data analysis and review meetings

- supporting the development of new provision within Suffolk to enhance our local offer and to ensure children and young people in Suffolk receive high-quality education

- supporting Service Officers to write service delivery specifications which are based on evidenced needs, demands, legislative requirements, national best practice, county council policy, resources available and the views of stakeholders

- ensuring effective co-production takes place within commissioning and procurement of services., The Provider Services Team is seeking motivated and innovative Specialist Provision Officer's to work as part of a team who ensure that our specialist education settings are providing the quality provision that Suffolk County expect and continue to comply with contractual expectations. If you have experience in commissioning and contract management, then this may be the role for you.

The team are responsible for the development and delivery of the Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Sufficiency Plan to improve the local offer and outcomes for children and young people with SEND and ensuring there is high-quality management information to inform need and service gap analysis. We are also responsible for provider development and management and quality of specialist education provision.

Shaping Careers and Learning

We want to champion talent and seek to continuously develop everyone's professional knowledge, potential and job satisfaction. Through accessible learning opportunities and clear career pathways we aim to identify individual strengths, diversify skill sets and enable all people, to build influential and impactful careers., Step 3 - Upload a supporting statement answering the following questions below (no more than 400 words per question). You should use the Supporting Statement template (Word).

1. Tell us about a time when you contributed to the commissioning, procurement or development of a service. What was your role and what did you achieve?

2. Describe an occasion when you scrutinised costs, budgets or expenditure to ensure value for money. What factors did you consider?

3. Tell us about a time when you used complex data to identify a trend, risk or service improvement. What did you do and what was the outcome?

4. Tell us about a time when you worked collaboratively with colleagues, partners or service users to shape a service or reach a shared decision. How did you ensure different views were considered?

a suitable qualification at level 5 or equivalent experience in a relevant area of work

- experience of commissioning and contract management

- experience of service improvement and continued quality assurance

- the ability to record information in minutes and/or reports

- experience of collaborative approaches through effective partnership working.

- to be able to assess and manage risk, set clear priorities and manage competing demands.

As a modern and effective council, we offer a wide variety of careers to suit people with a range of skills, abilities and ambitions. We offer working options that flex to reflect the way people work today and take the time to understand and support your individual needs. We're driven to make a positive difference to the world around us and encourage everyone with drive and focus to join us and build an influential and impactful career. Reimagine the possibilities.

In return, you'll enjoy:

up to 29 days annual leave entitlement (pro rata), plus UK bank holidays and two paid volunteering days

membership of a competitive Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)

travel, lifestyle, health and wellbeing benefits

performance-related annual pay progression, in addition to an annual cost-of-living pay increase

training and encouragement to expand your knowledge

a variety of career development opportunities across our organisation

diverse and active staff networks

flexible working options, with the right to request flexible working from your first day

Plus lots more!