Senior Brokerage Officer PO1

The post holder will be part of the Brokerage team and will support the Brokerage manager, including acting in this role during absences, and managed a number of brokerage officers and assistants, including secondments and trainees.
The post-holder will be part of the wider Commissioning Team and work closely with Service Managers, Senior Practitioners and Care Managers to source, arrange and amend packages of care, placements in residential and nursing homes and supported living services. This may involve regularly dealing with complex and/or contentious issues.
The Senior Brokerage Officer will act following the policies and procedures set out for the Brokerage Team to ensure that appropriate standards are met and value for money achieved in the procurement and delivery of services. The Senior Brokerage officer will ensure all placements are facilitated within the councils Standing Orders
The Senior Brokerage manager will ensure that all staff directly managed by them are managed and supported within the councils management and HR policies and procedures.
The senior Brokerage officer will also act as Lead Specialist in either (1) Community Placements or (2) Residential and long term Placements This means they will take special interest and develop each of these areas but will not solely work within these areas and will support the wider team in meeting targets relating to these areas.

MAIN AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY:

The post holder will have responsibility and accountability for the following:-
? Manage a small team of brokers and brokerage assistants to carry out their brokerage role within an adult services context e.g older people, learning disabilities and mental health services.
? To work within the Commissioning Team to contribute effectively to market management initiatives.
? Ensure all supplier set up, contracting and amendment activities are carries out in a timely way.
? To source services for those who have no recourse to public funds, as required.
? To ensure that the Mosaic and CM2000 systems are updated as required.
? To work effectively with the Information and Assessment Team, Care Management Teams, Hospital Discharge and Finance Teams
? To identify savings, negotiating with providers to achieve value for money in services brokered for service users.
? To maintain clear lines of responsibility and accountability in carrying out the brokerage function.
? To maintain accuracy in record keeping and ensure consistent recording practice on Mosaic that will provide robust financial information for the budgets forecasting and community care charging purposes.

Commissioning and developing services
? To identify service gaps and take appropriate action within the Commissioning Team.
? To contribute to the identification, development and assessment of potential new providers.
? To work within the Commissioning Team on the implementation of new Brokerage policies and procedures.

? To respond positively under emergency circumstances in maintaining business continuity of the brokerage function.
? To accurately maintain and update market intelligence information related to service providers and other stakeholders, to maintain an up to date knowledge of the care market.
? To participate in the development of local partnership approaches to service delivery.
? To support the development and promote the use of iCare in relation to the range of services available in Hackney which may assist people with care and support needs to live independently.

Staff Management
? To ensure all staff are managed and supervised under the Hackney Council HR and management policies.
? To ensure staff are supported in their professional development, to promote in house training and ensure all staff access mandatory training.
? To ensure other managers within the team manage their staff appropriately, offer regular supervision and manage staff within the Hackney HR Policies
? To ensure iTrent is kept up to date
? To manage staff absenteeism within the policies of the Council
? To address poor performance in a constructive and supportive manner
? All employees are expected to adhere to the Council's Diversity and Equality and Health and Safety Policies.

OTHER DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Professional behaviour
? To have awareness of the organisational context and commitment of the Council's organisational values and beliefs, especially Hackney Council's Diversity & Equality and Health and Safety Policies.
? To ensure corporate standards for customer service are met and that sensitive and confidential information and political matters are handled discretely and sensitively at all times.
? To ensure the way you work reflects the principles of personalisation, that service users receive person centred support that facilitates their ability to choose services that are manage risk and achieve outcomes that promote independence.
? To undertake any other duties that might arise from time to time as required within the overall grading and general responsibilities of the post.

All employees are expected to adhere to the Council's Diversity & Equality and Health and Safety Policies., We are seeking to cover a Senior Brokerage role pending a full review of the commissioning team due to be complete Spring 2025. This is a well established brokerage team in the adult social care setting. This is a 7 day per week service although the post holder is only expected to work Monday to Friday. The brokerage team is managed by a Brokerage manager then has two teams below, Community and Placements. This Senior role will be to manage the Community team. You will directly line manage 3 brokerage officer and 2 assistants, you will also cover for the second senior during holidays and also the Team Leader when required. we use MOSAIC and are also rolling our a new E-Brokerage system.

Service Experience and knowledge

? Previous experience of working as a brokerage officer
? Experience of working within a health or social care context.
? Experience of residential or supported living placement finding,
? Experience of managing relationships with stakeholders in a health or social care context.
? Experience of making effective use of effective IT monitoring systems to contribute to recording, researching service and reporting on brokerage activities, customer contact and service performance.
? Experience of undertaking short term projects to contribute to enhancing the role of the brokerage Team.

Communication skills

? Able to communicate effectively, confidently and assertively whether in writing or when speaking. This may also involve presenting complex information sensitively and matched to the needs of the audience and in line with organisational policy and practice.
? Use influencing and negotiation skills effectively with different stakeholders and arrive at an agreed solution that represents the key interests of the service.

Personally effective
? Ability to make effective use of supervision and contribute constructively to team meetings.
? Demonstrable ability to carry out work under their own initiative, in an organised fashion, managing own workload. In doing this they will be able to prioritise work under pressure, adapt their priorities to changes in demand and deliver to agreed deadlines.
? Able to negotiate effectively using diplomacy and tact.
? Demonstrates a personal and professional demeanour which generates credibility and confidence amongst staff, managers and other stakeholders.
? Develop and maintain working partnerships and effective relationships across the organisation and with external stakeholders.
? Experience of working under their own initiative, in an organised fashion, managing their own workload. In doing this they will be able to prioritise work under pressure, adapt their priorities to changes in demand and deliver to agreed deadlines.

Technical knowledge

? Working knowledge of the Councils Corporate Strategy, the Government modernising agenda and best value.
? Good working knowledge of the legislation and Council policies covering data protection, information sharing and confidentiality.
? The Councils 2020 vision, budget strategy and the Government directions, modernising agenda, including Our Health, Our Care, Our Say and the Independent Living Strategy and best value.
? Commissioning and monitoring techniques
? The Community Care Act, the NHS & Community Care Act and related legislation
? A working knowledge of the Department of Health guidance in respect of Adult services.
? Knowledge of mathematical, graphical and statistical conventions and routines.

Technical skills

? Good working knowledge of administrative, contact management and case management systems.
? Working knowledge of a wide range of typical IT tools including database, word processing, email and spreadsheet applications

Accountability

? Understands political drivers and the role of members.
? Commitment to continuous learning and development for self and others.

Delivery

? Experience of setting targets and delegating tasks.
? Experience of monitoring performance and suggesting new ways of doing things.

Decision Making

? Proven experience of focusing on what is important and making decisions based on available information

? Able to make decisions that demonstrate commitment to the Council's vision for a better Hackney.

Working Together

? Take into account others views and harnesses the benefits of having a diverse workforce.
? Experience of working in teams that takes account of the needs of diverse stakeholder groups.

Experience
The ideal post holder will have experience of:
? Working and negotiating with other agencies and other stakeholders
? Using financial management and procurement software to commit expenditure.
? Working as part of a team.
? Managing your own workload.
? Establishing and managing office administrative systems.
? Handling a complaint procedure

NB: All employees are expected to adhere to the Council's Equality & Diversity and Health & Safety Policies., You will have some brokerage and line management. Anyone with MOSAIC knowledge and experience while not essential is desirable