Job responsibilities
Job Context
Commissioning is a high-profile public service provided by the Council in partnership with the local
NHS though contractual and partnership agreements, the Voluntary and Community sector, and user-led organisations.
The service delivers high quality and effective evidenced commissioning for adults requiring
statutory services, prevention and early help.
Commissioning delivers services to people who need a rapid response to a crisis, need help to
maintain their independence where they have complex needs, and promotes preventative services
which help people remain well and independent.
The service ensures that individualised care and safeguarding of vulnerability and risk is provided in
conjunction with other health and social care services and that the Council performs its statutory
duty in relation to the provision of Adult Social Care services.
Job Purpose
This post is the Service Manager for Adults Commissioning with a remit of either operational,
strategic or commercial.
Strategic commissioning covers commissioning strategies, data, demand forecasting,
recommissioning, relationship management, market development and sustainability, the
voluntary sector and transformation.
Operational commissioning covers quality assurance, contract management, performance
management, risk management and safeguarding.
Commercial covers the brokerage service, including the use of bench marking tools such as
Care Cubed or similar, and cost negotiation, annual inflationary uplifts, hospital flow, escalations, oversight of matching people and oversight of issues contract agreements such
as CoSA and ToSA.
The service manager is responsible for implementing the strategic direction set by the Director of
Commissioning and Head of Adults Commissioning.
Supporting the Head of Service and Director the postholder will ensure that evidenced based
commissioning is embedded. They will ensure that there is a robust quality assurance framework in
place and that at every opportunity we provide value for money. The postholder will maintain a focus
on meeting the specific needs of the person and ensuring their voice is reflected in the outcomes. As
part of the extended senior management team of the Commissioning directorate the post holder will
provide support to ensure that services are delivered to the highest standards, providing robust
quality assurance, compliance with all legal and statutory requirements and within an effective and
efficient budgetary framework.
Specific duties and responsibilities include -
Undertake operational management of a specialist service, area or workstream which
has impact across the Council managing day to day performance in conjunction with the
relevant head of service.
Service expert with responsibility for leading the identification, development and delivery of
effective commissioning strategies for improving service delivery.
Service lead on the continuous development of performance management systems to
improve quality and delivery within the strategic, operational and commercial elements of
commissioning. Analysing performance data across the service and providers to inform the
strategic direction and evidenced based decision making. Performance will be monitored
through POGs and POBs and the postholder will have responsibility for providing and
presenting this data, providing recommendations on actions to improve performance.
Ensuring the performance of Team Managers delivery of front line services within their teams
is effective and efficient, driving a high performance culture.
Support and drive innovation and change across the service and wider partnership.
Service lead for the recruitment and retention internally and with our providers, providing
support to over 7000 people, developing strategies and initiatives to support and build
service capacity.
Supporting the Head of Service to ensure that services are CQC inspection ready, working
with the inspection leads to understand, prepare for and develop action plans related to
inspections.
Develop and deliver co-production and other initiatives with partners such as health to
ensure the highest levels of public satisfaction for the service, to continue to transform the
service to meet the aspirations of customers and in accordance with the requirements of the
law and external regulation.
Provide leadership across the partnership (including both internal and external partners),
demonstrating a breadth of knowledge and skills and willingness to step outside of
specialisms.
Engage with customers, carers, the wider community, with staff in the service, the council
and with other organisations to promote the provision of high quality opportunities and
services which will promote well-being and independence.
Work closely with the senior management team across the directorate including operational
colleagues to ensure that there is alignment across the directorate in terms of a focus on
providing and promoting choice, preventing and delaying statutory services and value for
money.
Support the Head of Service with activities within joint programmes with the ICS and other
partner agencies, towards integrated approaches to commissioning and joint funded
pathways, ensuring effective partnership working to provide delivery of health and social
care.
Deputising for the Head of Service, where necessary and Supporting SMT and Service
Managers in terms of providing cover across the directorate during periods of absence.
Maintaining positive working relationships with other service managers across the
organisation to maintain a one council approach.
Developing strategies to realise savings and service improvements within the service using
performance information and providing evidence based challenge to drive improvements.
Effectively managing budgets and achieving efficiencies through transformation work.
Working with other service managers, lead talent management and succession planning
across the directorate.
Undertaking specialist projects which impact on the whole of commissioning across adults
and children.
Develop, embed and review Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for the team, and take
responsibility for delivering good performance and providing a high-quality service.
Identify and manage risks, ensuring that significant risks are escalated as appropriate
Provide technical support and expertise to deliver the service priorities identified in the
corporate business plan and people strategy. Where applicable lead on projects to deliver
actions required.
Person Specification
Specific qualifications, knowledge, and skills required for this role - Degree in a relevant subject or/and extensive experience of evidenced based commissioning
and managing staff in a large and diverse organisation.
Significant experience of Adults Commissioning and experience in working with CQC and
other relevant regulatory bodies.
Expert knowledge of relevant Adults commissioning legislation such as The Care Act.
Level 7 in leadership and management or significant management experience.
Experience of working in a political and sensitive political environment with councillors and
supporting the Head of Service with managing challenges and queries that come into the
service.
An ability to lead effectively at a strategic level in a politically diverse organisation, managing
the conflicting pressures of public demand, media interest, member priorities and budget
constraints.
Experience of managing staff through change and forming high-quality working relationships
at all levels including as an interface with elected members.
Experience of leading effective partnership working across health, social care and the
voluntary sector.
Significant budget management with the ability to find innovative solutions to realise savings
and service improvements within the service.
Able to demonstrate highly specialised knowledge, skills and experience in Adults
Commissioning.
Experience of managing and resolving conflict, effectively handling challenging and complex
situations.
Significant evidence of operating at a strategic level delivering qualitative and focused
outputs.
Significant experience of analysing performance data and making recommendations onchanges to policies, processes and service design.
Well-developed leadership, planning and organisational skills and ability to absorb and
understand large volumes of new information at pace, distil this information and present it
clearly and succinctly to senior managers and members.
A genuine interest and commitment to leading and improving public services in Wiltshire.
Ability to source specialist knowledge from internal and external experts to drive fulfilment of
objectives.
Proven ability to challenge existing practice and improve performance.
Evidence of designing, developing and implementing solutions to improve service delivery
that support the organisations visions, goals and core values.
Resilience and tenacity to gain agreement and follow through on delivery of plans with the
ability to be collaborative and respectful, but able to challenge constructively to ensure
successful outcomes.
Evidence of developing complex strategies to improve service delivery.
Knowledge and understanding of safeguarding in operational teams and managing
safeguarding issues.
Evidence of continued professional development.
