Commissioning Support Officer

"Co-production is more than just a process-it's a philosophy. It's about working together with people from all backgrounds to create a service or come to a decision that works for them all and supports everyone to lead meaningful lives."

Dr Clenton Farquharson CBE, Associate Director of Think Local Act Personal

Sandwell Council's Adult Social Care Commissioning Team is looking to recruit two committed and passionate individuals to complement our existing team, to support us and the Adults Directorate in embedding the philosophy of co-production into our business as usual.

The successful candidates will be responsible and accountable for coordinating a wide range of co-production and engagement activities that will contribute to the Directorate's approach to involving people with lived experience in all we do, as well as at a corporate level.

The post holders will need to be inclusive and creative, good presenters but even better listeners. They will know when to talk and when to let people do the talking and be skilled at getting people to open up. You will be empowered to create social media content to document and report on the co-production process, so we expect to be impressed by your creativity.

In addition, being part of a wide-ranging commissioning team and committed to a One Team approach, there will also be plenty of opportunities to share your skills and experience by getting involved in other areas of our work, which covers Supported Living, Working Age Residential and Nursing, and the transformation of Day Services.

The successful candidates, as with the rest of the Commissioning Team, will be responsible for shaping and transforming the future of local markets by feeding back on user experience, involving people in the co-production process and supporting them to become experts by experience. You will support the commissioning team to facilitate provider forums.

You will be customer-focused, as well as being good at developing positive working relationships, not just with internal colleagues, but also with people who draw upon social care now, have done so previously, or may do so in the future.

You will also be expected to achieve positive outcomes for Sandwell residents and contribute to the Council's Plan.

You should be able to demonstrate a reasonable understanding of commissioning and the need for high-quality, cost-effective, and joined-up services. You will also have, or be keen to achieve, an awareness of the latest policy and guidance surrounding health and adult social care, and have an understanding of safeguarding for both Adults and Young People.

Most of all, we are looking for people with passion and who are ambitious to ensure that people's experience of Adult Social Care in Sandwell is the best it can possibly be. You may not have experience in this exact kind of role, so we will be keen to hear the transferable skills and experience you do have that make you stand out.

Given the way we are now working, you will have developed skills in remote working. This will include communicating with colleagues and providers using video conferencing, but you must also be keen to re-develop those important face-to-face relationships. As a result, the post will mainly be home-based, but you will be expected to commit at least two days a week working within Sandwell, one of which will be Tuesday.

Part of the recruitment process, should you be shortlisted, may involve spending some observed time with some of the clients we support, including people with a learning disability and/or autism.

Our organisation's values and behaviours are embodied within these roles and this advert. Therefore, in response to your application, you should clearly demonstrate how you, as a person, meet these values and behaviours.

Secondments and part-time may be considered for the right candidate.

You must hold NVQ Level 3 or equivalent in related field.

Sandwell Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of vulnerable adults and children and expects all staff to share this commitment. Therefore, a Standard DBS is required for this post.