Contract Officer

About the role
Are you an ambitious and inspirational individual with the capability to make a difference to people’s lives?

Then we want to hear from you

Cambridgeshire County Council is looking for a Contract Officer to support our Contracts Team. This is a unique opportunity to be part of an established high performing team with an outstanding reputation for leading the way in our Adult’s Commissioning Directorate.

Can you rise to the challenge? If you have the passion for putting social care at the heart of everything you do and the ambition to help shape our future, we would love to hear from you.

What will you be doing?
Work with Contract and Account Managers to develop and use appropriate systems and tools (such as the risk matrix tool) to manage and monitor contractual compliance with internal and external providers in order to ensure that quality services are provided to service users

Identify contractual compliance shortfalls and liaise Commissioners and Contract and Account Managers to recommend the appropriate course of action. To professionally challenge poor practice and carry out ongoing work with providers to address any such shortfalls and ensure improvement of service provision and quality and the management and mitigation of risk.

Where appropriate, to gather information or carry out an initial visit to a provision which has not previously been used or monitored where a Service User is being placed for the first time.

Monitor notifications of concerns and report evidence of any trends in performance, concerns and other issues to the relevant Contract and Account Manager and support key Managers, Commissioner, CQC, Quality Improvement, Operations and Safeguarding Teams in the event of provider failure.

Ensure providers are aware of and comply with all relevant legislation and contract requirements as well as current priorities and strategies across both Councils.

Support Contract and Finance Manager to provide information to assist with the commissioning of services and support the development of commissioning strategies, specifications, monitoring tools and other associated documents, where required. The post holder will also be expected to act as a member of tender project groups as appropriate.

Support the review of Commissioned Services through providing intelligence which identifies gaps in service provision and any trends in needs of service users.

Provide information which will assist in the development of the relevant market, including networking with other local authorities.

Research and review legislation, policy guidance, new initiatives, and best practice in relation to personalised models of service that increase choice and control and to ensure staff, providers and other stakeholders are aware of any relevant current and future government policy and initiatives.

Promote good practice and enhance service quality through the ongoing provision of clear guidance, information, and education to care providers, in order to raise the quality-of-service provision.

Work closely with providers across the statutory, voluntary, and independent sector to develop productive relationships and co-production of service delivery and improvement.

Provide support and information to social care teams in relation to commissioning and contract arrangements, including promotion of good practice, advice, and support.

Liaise with external agencies, including but not limited to CQC, health partners, district councils and other statutory and non-statutory organisations.

Contribute to the delivery of provider events as delegated by the manager.

Ensure the demands of the service are met, a requirement of this role is to provide emergency support during weekend and bank holiday periods.

Carry out additional reasonable duties as required by the line manager.

To demonstrate awareness/understanding of equal opportunities and other people’s behavioural, physical, social and welfare needs

About you
Be educated to A Level / NVQ Level 3, GCSE Maths and English Grade C

Have an up to date and credible level of knowledge and understanding relating to commissioning and contract management.

Have knowledge of policy, legislation and guidance relating to Commissioning and Contract Management.

Have the ability to problem solve on a wide range of issues and to seek the necessary information and guidance to make an appropriate decision or recommended course of action

Have good analytical skills and the ability to draw qualitative and quantitative data from a wide range of sources and utilise it to inform strategy development.

Have experience of using information management systems to produce good quality data in a variety of formats.

Have extensive office administrative experience and be fully proficient at using IT systems, with a good working knowledge of the Microsoft Office package

Have knowledge of Health and Safety Legislation.

Have knowledge of Data Protection and Equal Opportunit