Contracts Manager

Job overview

• developing and managing contracts and relationships with nominated Trust commissioners and specific Directorates. The post holder will manage the process to deliver against the requirements of SWL, SEL, SLP, NHSE, ICB’s specialist and additional contracts with other commissioners or providers.
• Working with Internal and External Partners to ensure that contract KPI’s / performance management framework are aligned to national strategies, regulatory requirements and local Trust requirements; responsible for suggesting improvements to the framework.
• advice on mitigating and managing risk within contracts entered into by the Trust, minimising the Trust’s exposure to financial, clinical, reputational, performance and business risk
• best use of existing/new systems and processes to ensure contract compliance; to identify any material variance and discuss with Directorates and infrastructure departments regarding corrective actions to be taken.
• promote and enable the embedding of a culture of contract performance across the Trust, which is service / locality owned and led, focused on the delivery of the Trust’s strategy, has a robust accountability framework and well-defined escalation processes in the event of under-performance and/or non-delivery.
• will establish strong liaison with services to develop, monitor contracts through regular quarterly reviews to ensure quality, efficiency and productivity.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will support the Trust in managing performance across the Trust as well as securing and managing c.£250M in income from SEL, SWL, NHSE, ICB specialist and additional contracts. The post holder will be part of a team that works closely with Directorates to build relationships with other organisations such as NHS and Local Authority commissioners and independent and third sector providers, operating within the local health economy, as well as across London and nationally. The post holder will support the Head of Contracts and Performance in ensuring that services comply with the various regulatory frameworks provided by Monitor and Standard Contracts with Commissioners.

Contract types may include cost and volume, cost per case, MH Tariff cluster-based, outcome-based, block, framework contracts as well as non-contract activity, covering the following areas:

• Patient-related healthcare providing and subcontracting (including third sector)
• Provider-provider service agreements/contracts
• Contracts relating to the Trust’s income generation activities and new business.
• Contracts relating to the Trust’s purchasing of healthcare-related goods and services
• Support the development within Directorates of Service Level Agreements SLA

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Support specific aspects of managing the Trust’s day-to-day delivery against the requirements of the performance management framework and allocated contracts
• Working with the Finance Team to support financial performance management for an agreed area and to ensure contract costings are correct and cover the entire costs to SLaM of providing the service
• Reviewing and updating documentation as necessary, particularly ensuring service specifications are clear, deliverable and up to date.
• Ensure information is properly analysed and supports Trust business decision-making.
• Setting up and maintaining any necessary activity reporting/ compliance reporting for agreed areas of responsibility; monitoring the data quality of this reporting, escalating issues where required.
• Where SLaM is commissioning services from elsewhere, to require such reporting as necessary to assure the Trust that the service is being delivered as specified and achieving appropriate quality standards. To initiate remedial action as necessary.
• Ensure the Trust has sound and efficient processes in place to manage inquiries and

queries, formal and informal, from commissioners regarding contract performance and

• Ensuring that other Trust teams are aware of any responsibilities they may have to support delivery against performance standards and allocated contracts
• Managing the process of review and renegotiation in a timely way, involving others as necessary.
• To manage ongoing communication with designated commissioners and external agencies including regular meetings, and to ensure Trust responses are sent in a timely way
• Support nominated Directorate in their delivery against performance standards and contracts by
• Sharing with all relevant Trust directors and departments the terms and conditions of NHSE and ICB specialist contracts and monitoring Trust compliance with these requirements and the performance management framework
• Reviewing and supporting the Directorate in updating documentation as necessary.
• Co-ordinating the delivery of any necessary activity, contract performance or financial reporting from other departments and escalating any issues with these requirements where appropriate and necessary
• Managing a proactive process to regularly review and re-negotiate contracts with commissioners, as required, working with Directorate leads to ensure thorough preparation for these meetings and attending meetings to ensure a contract presence.
• Working with Directorate managers and other infrastructure departments to understand activity flows and assist in developing realistic and achievable activity plans, disinvestment plans or other contract schedules
• Developing relationships within Directorate and infrastructure departments at appropriate levels to ensure that any relevant service delivery or contract compliance issues are escalated quickly.
• Providing co-ordination of responses and documentation in the event of any relevant consultations or contractual disputes.
• Develop a detailed programme of work to:
• ther contract issues

- assist the Trust in delivering against contractual plans

- assist agenda planning with ICBs throughout the year

• Work with the Commercial Team and service development lead to support the tendering/service development process to secure income through contracting
• Assist in identifying any improvements to processes within the organisation, relating to contract, performance, finance, IT functions, suggesting solutions and working with other departments to implement these, where appropriate.
• Support the senior members of the team in the annual contract development and negotiation process for major contracts.
• Support nominated Directorate(s) in their general understanding of the business, performance and contracting environment, making use of
• The shared drives, MS Teams and intranet
• Directorate business meetings and training opportunities
• Any other appropriate vehicles such as the Trust newsletter
• Maintain detailed knowledge of relevant NHS guidance, information strategy, compliance framework and policies.
• Any ad hoc duties related to the above, commensurate with the banding of the post and current capacity.

Applicant requirements

The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.