Quality and Outcomes Project Officer Commissioning Officer

Our benefits

We are committed to continuous improvement, building a skilled, knowledgeable, and flexible workforce alongside promoting innovation and creativity whilst keeping children, young people and families at the heart of all we do.

We really value our workforce and offer you a great benefits package including:

• 28 days annual leave, plus 8 Bank Holidays (pro rata for part time) and an additional 5 days, after 5 years
• Local Government Pension Scheme plus immediate life cover (3 times your annual salary from day one) and ill-health pension protection.
• Opportunity to purchase up to 25 days annual leave
• Employee Assistance Programme - We have an employee support programme run by Health Assured, an independent, external organisation. Health Assured is available for you and your immediate family members, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year and includes telephone counselling, legal advice, bereavement support and medical information.
• Employee discounts with local and national retailers, days out, finance, health and beauty, travel and eating out plus lots more.
• Flexible and family working arrangements including enhanced maternity benefits
• A permanent, supportive and inclusive management team where you will be empowered to make good professional decisions
• Extensive Learning & Development and career development opportunities
• Subsidised town centre car parking scheme

About the role

Please note that this post is 18.5 hours for 1x Commissioning Officer role.

This is an exciting opportunity to join the Commissioning and Strategy Service within Northamptonshire Children’s Trust in the role of Commissioning Officer. Working within the Quality and Outcomes Team, you will be part of the team delivering our Quality Assurance Framework for commissioned services driving quality and service improvement to ensure value for money and improved outcomes for children, young people, and families in Northamptonshire.

What will you be doing?

Through regular contract monitoring and quality visits, you will work in partnership with providers of vital services for children and young people, such as residential placements for children in care or important services for children with SEND, to improve standards and shape the market by helping to develop existing and new providers. You will be responsible for completing quality audits, reviewing practice and developing action plans with providers to ensure that our children and young people benefit from a service that is fit for purpose. 

Whilst some knowledge of children’s services is required, business and commercial experience would also be of value to this role to allow effective service improvement and support for our providers and partner organisations.

The role of Commissioning Officer will also allow you to use your contract management and service improvement skills to really make a difference to the children and young people of the county through supporting Commissioning colleagues with contract monitoring, procurement and tender exercises and projects and activities that allow for the voice of the child to be captured effectively. 

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, we encourage you to submit your application as early as possible.

About you

The role involves frequent travel to children’s homes and other placement settings across Northamptonshire, and on occasion in other counties across the UK and therefore a full clean driving licence is required. The role is hybrid and will require at least one day working in the office based in Northampton. 

For an informal chat about the role please call Sarah Burr on 07738 459552.

When applying please ensure your supporting statement covers how you fulfil the essential criteria set out in the person specification as this will be used for shortlisting. You will need to provide a full employment history including any gaps since leaving full time education

About us

At Northamptonshire Children’s Trust, children, young people and families are at the heart of all we do – in every decision we make and every action we take. Our mission is driven by the unwavering commitment to achieving the best outcomes for them.  The Trust is wholly owned and funded but operationally independent from the Councils.

Our workforce are our most valuable asset and are pivotal to making the services and support we offer to children, young people and families who need us to be the absolute best we can be.

We value our colleagues and empower them to be able to do the best job of their lives every single day, working in a culture of support and kindness where achievements are celebrated and creativity is very much welcomed.

At NCT equality, diversity and inclusion are part of us and in everything we do, to enable all colleagues to develop and thrive in our organisation.  We are a disability confident employer and have a commitment to care leavers who we guarantee an interview if they meet the essential criteria.

Join our dedicated team and be a part of an organisation where your work makes a real difference.