Strategic Commissioning Manager - Children's Social Care

Purpose of the Job

1. To lead the commissioning, contract management, monitoring and quality assurance of children services in Dudley with a specific remit for Children Social care including Early Help, Child Protection, Children in Need and Children Looked After

1. To ensure a range of quality, outcome focused, child centred and best value service provision to meeting the needs of children and young people, working across the spectrum of need from Universal to Specialist and Statutory services.

1. To continue to establish and embed the Children's Commissioning function within the Children's Services Directorate with a focus on systems, process and governance both within the local authority and as part of multi-agency arrangements.

1. To ensure effective care and support is commissioned in partnership with the Integrated Commissioning Board (ICB) and Health Trusts as may be appropriate

1. To lead the development and implementation of Social Care Sufficiency Strategies and commissioning strategies.

1. To ensure all services commissioned are focused on outcomes and promoting independence, preparing for adulthood and reducing the need for social care intervention as appropriate.

1. To effectively lead and manage a team of Commissioning Officers and Quality and Safety Officers to deliver effective joint commissioning approaches with key partners and providers across Dudley Borough.

1. To effectively lead and manage the Home Linking Team to secure social care placements for children and young people, including service development, supervision and appraisal of team members and the effective management, allocation and prioritisation of resources.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

1. To be responsible for the budget, commissioning and monitoring of an array of external support services that contribute to improved outcomes for children, young people and families.
2. To ensure sufficient capacity of local provision.
3. To take responsibility for the delivery of effective contract monitoring and safeguarding in relation to commissioned service provision.
4. To ensure that commissioning interventions fit the requirements of current and future social care statutory duties and those services are procured inline with the Council's Standing Orders/ Financial Regulations.
5. To be responsible for the management of human resource activity within the section, across Commissioning, Quality Assurance, Home-Linking (placement finding) and Business Support.
6. To respond to national, regional and local policy and programme developments relating to Children's Social Care, ensuring that operational practice evolves to align with the implementation of these
7. To work in partnership with other Council Directorates and external partners in the development of contracts and specifications and completion of local and national data returns.
8. To manage the interface between the Directorate and external agencies.
9. Delivery of any efficiency target(s) associated with the role's key areas/ portfolio of projects and responsibility
10. Main Duties and Responsibilities
11. To be responsible for the budget, commissioning and monitoring of an array of external support services that contribute to improved outcomes for children, young people and families.
12. To ensure sufficient capacity of local provision.
13. To take responsibility for the delivery of effective contract monitoring and safeguarding in relation to commissioned service provision.
14. To ensure that commissioning interventions fit the requirements of current and future social care statutory duties and those services are procured inline with the Council's Standing Orders/ Financial Regulations.
15. To be responsible for the management of human resource activity within the section, across Commissioning, Quality Assurance, Home-Linking (placement finding) and Business Support.
16. To respond to national, regional and local policy and programme developments relating to Children's Social Care, ensuring that operational practice evolves to align with the implementation of these
17. To work in partnership with other Council Directorates and external partners in the development of contracts and specifications and completion of local and national data returns, To manage the interface between the Directorate and external agencies.
18. To ensure that children and young people who use the services and their families are involved in the development of services and that the work of the Authority is positively promoted throughout the local communities in Dudley.
19. To ensure that the work of the Commissioning unit promotes Directorate and Corporate policies and priorities and where appropriate service developments are integrated with Authority wide objectives.
20. To shape and develop the Home Linking service with the support of the key stakeholders to ensure that the service complies with legislation and statutory guidance and promotes best practice, To work closely with Social Work teams and managers to ensure the effective operation of the Home Linking team in relation to sourcing appropriate, high quality and best value placements for vulnerable children and young people
21. To ensure that the Home Linking team has effective systems and processes in place including in relation to the use of Liquid Logic and ContrOCC systems.

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