Commissioning Officer

Peterborough First group; Peterborough; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 42,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days annual leave

Sick pay

Cycle to Work

Home & Electronics schemes

Local government pension

Job summary

Peterborough First group is seeking a Commissioning Officer for Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) to support the Children’s Commissioning Team in Peterborough. The role focuses on commissioning services for children, young people, and families and requires strong collaboration across partners and with contracted providers.

Responsibilities include supporting the commissioning cycle, contract monitoring, and quality assurance to improve outcomes.

Qualifications

• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to engage diverse partners.
• Good analytical skills to interpret data and inform decisions.
• Proven organisational and planning abilities to manage multiple tasks.
• Ability to work autonomously as well as in a team.
• Capacity to manage competing priorities in a supportive but pressurised environment.

Responsibilities

• Support the commissioning of services for children, young people, and families in Peterborough.
• Contribute to contract monitoring and quality assurance of commissioned services.
• Assist in delivering commissioning activity across the cycle and priorities.
• Support SEND-related transition planning and education, employment and training options.

Skills

Excellent written and oral comms

Strong interpersonal skills

Good analytical skills

Organisational skills

Autonomous and team work

Prioritisation under pressure

Job description

All about the Role

We have an exciting opportunity to join the Children's Commissioning Team as a Commissioning Officer for Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND). In this role, you will support the commissioning of services for children, young people, and families in Peterborough.

This role will contribute to commissioning activity that improves outcomes for children and young people, including targeted support for children and young [people with SEND as they transition to adulthood and require education , employment and training options at age 18. This includes undertaking all stages of the commissioning cycle in the development and delivery of services to support children and young people across Peterborough, with a specific focus where required on children with SEND

We are developing the service with a focus on innovation and shaping services to response to needs of our community.

As a Commissioning Officer, you will play a crucial role in supporting the delivery of our strategic priorities and commissioning intentions. This role will include the commissioning, contract monitoring, and quality assurance of services, all aimed at improving outcomes for children, young people, and families.

Interviews will be held 9th and 10th November

All about our Team

The Children's Commissioning Team is part of the Adults and Commissioning Directorate. We help to transform the way public services are designed, delivered, and integrated. We work with a range of local, regional, and national organisations and public sector bodies. Together we want to improve the quality of life for vulnerable children, young people, and families.

Commissioning is important for improving public services. Our goal is to help vulnerable children, young people, and families by working with partners to prioritise their needs. We understand that achieving our goals requires collaboration within complex systems. We use the commissioning cycle as a framework for our work and often work on multiple phases at once. If necessary, we may return to an earlier phase for specific tasks.

All about You

Do you have?:

• The ability to work with a range of people to achieve a common goal
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Good analytical skills
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Proficient organisational and planning skills
• The ability to work autonomously and as part of a team
• An ability to manage competing priorities, within a supportive, yet often pressured environment
• Confidence in managing contracts, monitoring performance and challenging underperformance
• Ability to apply a solution focused approach
• An enthusiastic attitude and an eagerness to learn
• A passion for making a difference to the lives of children and young people and families,

Our Benefits

We value our colleagues and have developed a number of benefits in addition to our generous annual leave starting at 25 days + bank holidays, sick pay and local government pension scheme…

• Access to a range of benefits via our Employee Benefits Platform, including in-store and online discounts as well as our Cycle to Work and Home & Electronics schemes
• Buy up to 10 days additional annual leave (pro-rata)
• Access to car lease scheme
• Take your bank holidays flexibly to better suit your personal circumstances
• Make Additional Voluntary Contributions (Shared Cost AVCs) to your pension with tax and National Insurance savings
• Access to development opportunities including apprenticeships to support your personal and professional growth
• Paid volunteering hours each year so you can make a positive impact on our community during your normal working day
• Access to our equality, diversity and inclusion network
• Opportunities to receive Employee Recognition Awards

Our Commitments

We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer, dedicated to fostering diversity, advancing equity, and building an inclusive workplace for everyone. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds and particularly encourage those from underrepresented groups, including disabled people, care leavers, and individuals from minority ethnic communities. Your unique perspectives and experiences are encouraged and valued and will play a vital role in our success.

We are committed to making our recruitment process as accessible as possible. If you are a person who has or considers yourself to have a disability and you require reasonable adjustments to the application or interview process, please contact [e-mail].

Appointment to this post will be subject to the outcome of an Enhanced Disclosure obtained through the Disclosure and Barring Service. The Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

If you've already applied and completed the recruitment process for this position within the last three months, there's no need to reapply. We really appreciate your interest and thank you for considering us.