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At West Sussex County Council, we are ambitious for our children and our workforce. We are committed to improving our services for the children and families in West Sussex that we support and care for.
Children, Young People & Learning are focused on delivering an outstanding service. It is our strong belief that closer working relationships with partners and a focused commissioning strategy will achieve better outcomes for our children and young people.
The Opportunity
Salary: £30,296 - £33,024 per annum
Working Pattern: Full Time (37 hours)
Contract Length: Permanent and Fixed Term (March 2025)
Location: Worthing with some hybrid working
We currently have a number of exciting roles within different teams in the Childrens Commissioning Service – each of the roles is based in Worthing and is a Grade 8 position – the roles sit across both the 0-16 and the 16+ teams. Integral to each role is the sourcing and monitoring of the homes and accommodation our children and young people reside in and ensuring that all times they are of the best quality and conducive to the achievement of best outcomes.
In practical terms each of these roles will involve – supporting with placement stability and disruption meetings, the reviewing of placement costs and fee negotiations, supporting with the interface between providers of care and social work teams, supporting with provider forums, training events and quality assurance visits and placement finding.
The ability to effectively and professionally communicate with a range of professionals, including providers of care, social workers, education and health professionals will be a daily requirement. The role is a busy one and will require the successful candidate to work well under pressure and in time sensitive situations.
We are particularly interested in applicants that have an appreciation of what it means to be a child or a young person in care, the challenges this can bring and the importance of having a safe place to call home.
You will on occasion be expected to travel to various locations throughout the county and beyond including to locations that are not always accessible by public transport, therefore, a driving licence would be desirable.
The team work to a hybrid arrangement which involves working in our Worthing office for part of the week as well as from home.
Experience and Skills
Key Skills:
- Excellent literacy and numeracy skills to understand the referral processes, tender documents and contracts, and to check statistical financial information and other documents
- Ability to present information clearly, concisely, accurately and in ways that promote understanding, either verbally or in written/electronic form, and have sound and accurate IT skills
- Good analytical skills to interpret complex information, with the ability to organise, plan and meet set targets
- Good communication and interpersonal skills to interact effectively with a range of partners and create and maintain effective working relationships. This will include the ability to negotiate good outcomes and advise and guide others to make sound decisions
- Ability to work on your own initiative, anticipate problems, present solutions, and make frequent informed decisions
- Ability to work flexibly as required across different areas within the Children’s Services Commissioning Team, embrace change and have the flexibility to respond to the needs of the service.
Qualifications and/or experience:
- HNC or equivalent qualification or experience demonstrating that level of numeracy, literacy and communication skills
- Experience of working in brokerage and/or contract management – Desirable
- Experience of working within Children’s Services – Desirable
- Experience and enthusiasm for work within a department to achieve the best outcomes for children and young people
- Experience of working as part of a team, independently and with a range of professional groups
Rewards and Benefits
As an employer we recognise that it is our employees that are central to everything we do. We aim to create a supportive and dynamic working environment where employees can achieve their full potential, achieve a healthy work-life balance and are rewarded for the work they do.
In addition to working within a great team and a brilliant opportunity you will receive:
For a full list of the benefits offered to you as a West Sussex County Council employee you can find them on our Rewards and Benefits page.
Further Information
The reference number for this role is CAFHE04867
For an informal conversation or for further information regarding the role, please contact James Ball or Shelly Dichello at james.ball@westsussex.gov.uk or shelly.dichello@westsussex.gov.uk.For issues or queries regarding your application please contact hrrecruitment@westsussex.gov.uk.
To apply, please follow the links below to upload your CV and Cover Letter. In your Cover Letter outline your motivations for applying and explain how you meet the key skills listed in full and the experience you can bring to the role (please refer to the key skills) ensuring that any gaps in employment are covered in your CV. Please ensure you have saved the job description attached to the main advert on our website as, once the job has closed, you may not have the opportunity to download again.
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. This post is subject to 5 years referencing and a health check.
Equity, inclusion and accessibility is very important to West Sussex County Council. We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, as this helps us build a diverse and talented workforce, that reflects the communities we serve. We ensure our approach to recruitment is flexible and supportive to enable all applicants to be at their best and to ensure they have the best possible chance of success.
For information regarding your eligibility to apply for this role under our Disability or Veteran’s Guaranteed Interview Scheme, this can be found on our application help page.
Note for Recruitment Agencies: We prefer to hire people directly, but we do have a supplier list for when we need a helping hand. We'll be in touch directly if we need you!
Job Reference: CAFHE04867
