Short Breaks Co-ordinator

Short Breaks Coordinator

Pay: £30.07 Per Hour PAYE / £40.53 Per Hour Umbrella.

Location: Hackney, London

Directorate: Children & Education (Disabled Children's Service)

Contract Type: Temporary

Start Date: ASAP

Responsible For: 2x Short Breaks Service Support Officers, 1x Short Breaks Finance Officer

Enhanced DBS Required

About the Role

Are you a strategic thinker with a passion for improving outcomes for disabled children and young people? The London Borough of Hackney is seeking a dedicated Short Breaks Coordinator to step into a vital maternity cover role.

In this position, you will oversee the strategic and operational development of Hackney's short breaks program, managing an allocated £900k budget. You will ensure services are equitable, affordable, and highly accessible, while leading on crucial contract management, parent/carer participation, and upcoming service tenders.

Key Responsibilities

Service Leadership: Oversee the allocation of the £900k short breaks funding and drive improvements to make universal/mainstream settings more accessible.
Contract & Financial Management: Lead contract monitoring activity to ensure compliance and high standards. Partner closely with finance teams to track expenditures, prevent over/underspends, and assist with the Disabled Children's Service Homecare tender.
Team Management: Line manage and support a dedicated front-line team, including two Service Support Officers and a Finance Officer.
Community Engagement: Coordinate the parent/carer participation strand, working closely with local parent forums, third-sector organizations, and health partners (NHS City & Hackney) to keep the "Local Offer" robust and updated.
Continuous Improvement: Integrate the direct views of disabled children and their families into strategic planning, shaping the future short breaks offer based on usage data and feedback.

What We Are Looking For

Experience & Knowledge

Significant experience working within or alongside services for disabled children, with a deep understanding of the unique challenges their families face (Desirable).
Proven track record in contract management, commissioning social care/children's services, and managing substantial budgets.
Experience line-managing front-line staff and driving high-performance teams.
Strong background in inter-agency collaboration (Education/Social Care/Healthcare) and service user involvement.
Deep knowledge of the policy agenda for disabled children and statutory sector challenges.

Skills & Abilities

Strategic Focus with Sharp Detail: Ability to keep your eye on high-level project goals while meticulously managing finance and performance data.
Exceptional Communication: Confidence to engage sensitively and clearly with everyone from children and parents to senior management and elected Members.
Data Literacy: Ability to interpret complex financial/performance data and translate it into high-quality reports.
Resilience: Highly organized, proactive, and capable of working methodically under pressure to meet tight deadlines.

Additional Requirements

Very high standards of literacy and numeracy, alongside excellent IT skills (MS Office).
A commitment to equal opportunities, diversity, and challenging discrimination within an inner-city environment.
Flexibility to attend occasional evening or out-of-hours events (with prior notice).
A satisfactory Enhanced DBS (Criminal Records Bureau) check, medical clearance, and references.

Commercial Services Trading Ltd is acting as an Employment Business in relation to this vacancy