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

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.

• 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.
  
  

• 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.
  
  

• 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.
  
  

• 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.