Band 7 Performance and Contracts Manager

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South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust has a rich history, well-established community links and an international reputation. We deliver specialist services in the London boroughs of Croydon, Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark, Bexley, Bromley, Greenwich, Wandsworth and Richmond.

We are committed to provide a high quality and specialist care to our service users and we are recognised for our care and treatment we provide. The Care Quality Commission already rates our services as 'good'.

We launched our five-year strategy, Aiming High; Changing Lives in 2021 together with Our Care Improvement System as our quality management system methodology to make a positive impact on patient care, outcomes and staff experience. By joining SLaM, all staff will get the opportunity to be part of this exciting improvement journey supported with learning and development to harness everyone's potential as change makers.

The trust recognises the unique and valuable contribution that people with lived experience of mental illness can bring to a role. We therefore welcome applications from people with lived experience and consider them as an asset to the Trust.

Our Values

We take pride in providing specialist care to our service users where our Trust values and our promise to be caring, kind, polite, prompt, honest, listen and do what I say I'm going to do is at the heart of everything we do. When you join us, you'll be part of something special.

As a Trust we are happy to talk flexible working.

Job overview

Band 7 Performance and Contracts Manager

- Secondment from 14th April 2025 to 31st March 2026

Please note:
• Only NHS employees can apply
• Applicants will need to have permission from their managers before applying

An exciting opportunity has arisen in our Performance and Contracts Team for an enthusiastic Performance and Contracts Manager to cover for Maternity Leave. The successful candidate will have knowledge and experience of both performance and contracts and a willingness to develop these skills. There will be a diversity of challenges and opportunity if you are successful with your application; please read the job description for further information and to confirm your suitability against the person specification.

Main duties of the job

This post will allow the successful applicant to play a supporting role in the Performance and Contracts team with accountability to the Director of Performance and Contracts. Ideally you will have worked within an NHS environment with a proven track record of developing relationships and working with a range of cross-organisational stakeholders and successfully supported a team/s to deliver organisational priorities. You will have or be able to develop the skills of supporting the delivery of programmes in a challenging environment.

You should possess good communication, interpersonal and organisational skills, with a flexible approach to work and enjoy working as part of a team.

Above all we are looking for a keen, enthusiastic and confident individual who can show determination to the team / individual development and commitment in the role.

Working for our organisation

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, CCG 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, outcom

ebased, 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 service.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Performance Expectations
The Team is part of the Operations Directorate which is funded as an overhead cost across Directorates and their clinical services. It is therefore expected that all team members will be proactive wherever possible and highly responsive in supporting Directorates and assisting them to deliver against contractual requirements. Team members are expected to provide a minimum level of cover or each other in being able to respond to general contracting issues and while colleagues are on leave. Team members are expected to share calendars and work files to enable a professional response to enquiries.
The Team meets regularly to review progress against projects (objectives) and to provide a forum for sharing work issues. Team members are expected to update the group on their work for these meetings and at quarterly appraisal and review meetings with the Director of Performance and Contracts.
The Team is expected to act as an expert resource in supporting Directorates, infrastructure departments and the Trust leadership, and members will therefore be supported in maintaining, developing and sharing their knowledge, understanding and experience of
• The external business environment, DH guidance, business intelligence, the healthcare market, Monitor, CQC
• The internal business environment; Trust and Directorate strategic direction and services, corporate business systems and roles.

Members of the Team are highly visible, external facing representatives of the Trust and must always be professional and business-like in interactions with external organisations.

Key Responsibilities:
1. Support specific aspects of managing the Trust's day-to-day delivery against the requirements of the performance management framework and allocated contracts
2. 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
3. Reviewing and updating documentation as necessary, particularly ensuring service specifications are clear, deliverable and up to date.
4. Ensure information is properly analysed and supports Trust business decision-making.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. Ensure the Trust has sound and efficient processes in place to manage inquiries and queries, formal and informal, from commissioners regarding contract performance and other contract issues
8. Ensuring that other Trust teams are aware of any responsibilities they may have to support delivery against performance standards and allocated contracts
9. Managing the process of review and renegotiation in a timely way, involving others as necessary.
10. To manage ongoing communication with designated commissioners and external agencies (such as Monitor) including regular meetings, and to ensure Trust responses are sent in a timely way
11. Support nominated Directorate in their delivery against performance standards and contracts by
a. Sharing with all relevant Trust directors and departments the terms and conditions of NHSE and CCG specialist contracts and monitoring Trust compliance with these requirements and the performance management framework
b. Reviewing and supporting the Directorate in updating documentation as necessary.
c. Co-ordinating the delivery of any necessary activity, performance or financial reporting from other departments and escalating any issues with these requirements where appropriate and necessary
d. Managing the timely production of regular performance reports, including for key commissioners
e. 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.
f. 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

g. Developing relationships within Directorate and infrastructure departments at appropriate levels to ensure that any relevant service delivery or contract compliance issues are escalated quickly.
h. Providing co-ordination of responses and documentation etc. in the event of any relevant consultations or contractual disputes.
i. Develop a detailed programme of work to:
- assist the Trust in delivering against contractual plans
- assist agenda planning with CCGs throughout the year
12. Work with the Commercial Team and service development lead to support the tendering/service development process to secure income through contracting
13. Work with Informatics and nominated Directorate to
a. Identify any issues of data quality and accuracy and make recommendations for appropriate improvements as necessary
b. With Team colleagues, to manage the ongoing development of regular
performance reporting against contractual requirements to minimise reporting burden on the Trust
c. Identify the need and mechanisms to enable Directorate narrative input and explanation of the Trust's activity and performance reporting

14. 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.
15. To assist Team colleagues in updating the Trust's service directory and change control processes.
16. Support the senior members of the team in the annual contract development and negotiation process for major contracts.
17. Support nominated Directorate(s) in their general understanding of the business,
performance and contracting environment, making use of
a. The shared drives, MS Teams and intranet
b. Directorate business meetings and training opportunities
c. Any other appropriate vehicles such as the Trust newsletter
18. Ensure that any business intelligence gleaned from internal or external sources which may support the performance management and business development of Directorate, or the Trust is fed back to appropriate senior managers.
19. Work on a team basis to support the strategic direction of travel of the Trust and
Directorate through the development of
a. Collation and analysis of business intelligence with other departments
b. Activity trend analysis
c. Maintaining Trust-wide overview and reporting where appropriate
20. Maintain detailed knowledge of relevant NHS guidance, information strategy, compliance framework and policies.
21. Any ad hoc duties related to the above, commensurate with the banding of the post and current capacity.

Person specification

QUALIFICATIONS,TRAINING, EXPERIENCE, SKILLSS

Essential criteria

• Degree level qualification ideally in a numerate discipline or knowledge gained by post-qualification experience Evidence of continuing professional development Postgraduate degree in a related field A EXPERIENCE: Experience o
• Experience of performance management frameworks and/or clinical contract management and support within healthcare organisations, to include negotiation, schedule development, performance and contract meeting management, business planning, representing your organisation and dealing with conflict
• Presentation and report writing
• Ability to prioritise conflicting requirements to meet Trust objectives Also the Ability to deliver to strict deadlines
• Knowledge of NHS Standard Contracts and contractual requirements Awareness of the MH Long Term Plan Commitments

Desirable criteria

• The ability to create contracts to suit a unique arrangement where no template exists
• Knowledge of performance and contract management systems within mental healthcare organisations

The Trust is committed to providing services which embrace diversity and that promote equality of opportunity. We are a Disability Confident Employer, we welcome applicants from all sections of the community and people of all protected characteristics. We provide reasonable adjustments for candidates with a disability and are committed to treating people fairly with compassion, respect and dignity and in promoting equality and human rights. We aim to put this commitment into practice by:

• Embedding our commitment to tackling inequality, eliminating discrimination and harassment; promoting equality of opportunity and fostering good relations in our everyday practice
• Ensuring that all our services and all staff understand and support our commitment
• We believe that people who use our services, their carers and our staff, should be treated with compassion, respect and dignity

Please note:

• That all applications for this post will need to be made online
• That you read and understand the Job Description and Personal Specification attached to the role. Your Statement in Support should reflect the requirements specified as your application will be judged against these criteria
• That the closing date listed is a guide only and that the vacancy may close earlier should sufficient number of applicants have been received. We advise that you submit your application as early as possible
• That once you have submitted your application you agree to your application being transferred to a 3rd party e-recruitment system. All subsequent information regarding your application will be generated from apps.trac.jobs
• That should you not have heard from us within three weeks from the closing date your application has not successful
• That priority consideration for applications may be given to at-risk NHS employees
• That should you be successful and appointed, you authorise South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust to confirm your previous NHS service via an Inter Authority Transfer (IAT) process
• That we are a smoke-free Trust

SLaM is a Stonewall Diversity Champion , Stonewall is the largest Lesbian, Gay, Bi and Trans (LGBT) rights charity in Europe'

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Documents to download

• P&C JD B7 (PDF, 181.0KB)
• P&C Spec B7 (PDF, 181.0KB)
• SLaM Staff Benefits (PDF, 1.1MB)
• Happy to Talk Flexible Working (PDF, 680.1KB)