Role purpose

Are you passionate about supporting the delivery of high-quality services and ensuring positive outcomes for vulnerable young people?

We are seeking a Commissioning Officer to join our Children’s Integrated Commissioning Team, within the Children’s Services directorate for a 9-month period.

This is to cover the period during which the current post holder will be on secondment. This is an exciting opportunity to develop creative solutions in a challenging market for commissioned services. The role will involve supporting the Commissioning Manager within the team on contract monitoring and commissioning / procurement exercises, by analysing data, building positive relations with commissioned providers, supporting market engagement and feeding into the development of services.

The role will have a specific focus on children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), ensuring that these are well monitored and offer real choice and flexibility to the children, young people and families in the borough alongside value for money to the Council.

The successful candidate will need to demonstrate an ability to work in a fast-paced environment with constant change.

Key Responsibilities

This role provides the opportunity to join a dynamic and enthusiastic Commissioning Team in a busy inner-London borough. Our well-established Children's Commissioning Service works in partnership to develop and deliver high quality provision and solutions that meet the care and support needs of Children, Young People and their families and carers.

The role of Commissioning Officer covers a broad range of functions, covering all aspects of the commissioning cycle. The post holder will focus flexibly on different elements depending on service demands and requirements. For a detailed list of responsibilities, please refer to the Job Description.

Requirements

Candidates will need to show a willingness to work in an integrated way across health and social care partners to embed integrated working and will be able to demonstrate a good understanding of the varied children's health and social care provision.

This post will suit candidates with a commissioning, strategy, health, social care or transformation background. Whilst experience of working within a Children’s public services context would be desirable, it is not a requirement. Candidates will need to demonstrate the following essential criteria: ▪ Sound knowledge in relation to quality assurance processes sand contract management methodology;

▪ Knowledge of administrative, financial and information systems in use to monitor and review services.

▪ Knowledge of quality systems and performance frameworks.

▪ Current knowledge of the needs of children and young people, specifically children with SEND;

▪ Experience of preparing and delivering hight quality information reports, enquiries and briefings, often to tight deadlines, including complex reports.

▪ Experience of identifying contractual problems and developing solutions to resolve them.

▪ IT skills at intermediate or advanced level, including Word and Excel.

Application details:

This post is open to internal candidates only and is offered as a 9-month fixed term contract or secondment. Candidates considering a secondment should ensure that this was discussed with their line manager and that their current team would be supportive of their secondment before applying. Application will be assessed via the application form and an interview.

Only applicants successful at the application form sifting stage will be invited for an interview. Indicative Interview dates: week commencing 2nd of June 2025 All applications should be made via our online application system, no CV’s or alternative forms of applications are accepted.

If you have any questions about the role, please do not hesitate to contact Sultana.Hussain@towerhamlets.gov.uk.

Tower Hamlets vision for our borough is that: people are aspirational, independent and have equal access to opportunities; we are a borough that our residents are proud of and love to live in; and we are a dynamic, outcomes-based council using digital innovation and partnership working to respond to the changing needs of our borough. We want people who aspire to our TOWER values: Together; Open; Willing; Excellent; Respect. Tower Hamlets has a zero-tolerance approach to, and works to eradicate, all forms of discrimination on the basis of race, sex, disability, age, religion or belief, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marital status, status as a civil partner, gender, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy and maternity and looks to employ a diverse workforce representative of those groups. We recognise that people can also be disadvantaged by their social and economic circumstances, so we will work to eliminate discrimination and disadvantage caused by social class.

We welcome applicants interested in flexible working arrangements

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