Our client is looking to recruit an experienced Business & Contracts Manager to work within the Commissioning Team with a focus on Special Educational Needs (SEN) and Disabled Children’s Services.

The role involves monitoring and reporting on the Local Authority SEN/DCT High Needs Budgets, including projections for future increase or reduction of expenditure on each cost centre within the based budgets using individual CYP and contract data; liaison with and gathering information from educational and health partners settings within and external to Swindon for the purposes of ensuring funding for individual needs is appropriately applied.

Oversight of all the contracts commissioned within Swindon SEN and Disabled Children’s services, including meetings and evaluations of KPIs; Ensuring all contracts demonstrate value for money, key service outcomes including quality CYP focused outcomes.

Consider new service delivery options where appropriate to meet identified needs including designing and shaping co-production with partners and other Swindon services.

Proactively monitor new placements ensuring good planning, effective budget management and the identification of placement savings such as shared funding are maximised.

Lead on ensuring that activity data, performance and savings data is regularly updated in a comprehensive reportable way and maintained on the relevant program management system, providing of year end accounts.

You must have demonstrable experience of ability to organise own workload to meet tight deadlines, coping well under pressure and difficult situations and ability to identify and act on own development needs. You will have knowledge of Children Services, disability and educational needs for children and a wider understanding how SEND relates across the department.

Attendance at face to face meetings in Swindon or further afield may be required. The role will report to the Head of Commissioning for an initial 3 months with an option to extend further.