Planning And Performance Team Leader

Number of Vacancies: 1 Time Type: Full time Worker Type: Fixed Term (Fixed Term) Proposed Interview Date: Monday, September 14, 2026 Hours of Work: 37 Hiring Manager: Claire McKenzie Contact Number: 01482 612805 Job Description Summary: This is a Full Time, Fixed Term position due to funding for 12 months.

Lead and manage the Planning and Performance Team, Contract Management Team and Independent Travel Trainers to deliver a safe, high quality, efficient and value for money Passenger Transport Service. The post holder will oversee the procurement, commissioning and contract management of transport services through the Council Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS), ensure statutory home to school transport responsibilities are met and promote independence through travel training initiatives.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead and manage the Planning and Performance Team, Contract Management Team and two Independent Travel Trainers
• Ensure safeguarding and statutory compliance
• Oversee eligibility assessments, route planning and resource allocation
• Lead DPS procurement, tender evaluation, contract award and contract management activities
• Monitor supplier performance, value for money and continuous improvement
• Manage complex SEND and Adult Social Care transport arrangements
• Develop KPI reporting and performance management frameworks
• Authorise contractor payments and maintain governance controls
• Maintain operational systems and accurate management information
• Respond to customer complaints and stakeholder enquiries.

Person Specification:

• Leadership and transport operations experience
• Procurement and contract management expertise
• Strong analytical and reporting capability
• Knowledge of safeguarding and risk management
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.

ROLE & PURPOSE:

To lead and manage the Planning and Performance Team to contribute to delivering a safe, high quality, efficient, value for money Passenger Transport Service for Children’s Young People and Family Services and Adult Social Care that supports independence and attendance at school or Day Care Centres / Respite of significant numbers of Special Educational Needs Children, Looked After Children, Pupil Referral Units, Post 16 and adult clients.

Ensures that the council’s statutory duty of providing free “home to school” transport for eligible children of compulsory school age living in the local authority area is discharged and compliant with national legislation.

Provides and interprets key performance indicators that inform service decision making, service development and reports performance against agreed standards to Elected Members, Safeguarding Boards, Corporate Strategy Team and stakeholder Management Teams.

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES:

1. To promote and safeguard the welfare of children, young people and/or vulnerable adults.
2. Statutory Obligations – The Education Act 1996; the Education Act 2002 and the Education and Inspections Act 2006 places a duty on the Council to provide free home to school transport for eligible children of compulsory school age living in the local authority’s area
3. Lead, motivate and direct the Planning and Performance Team including recruitment, induction, staff development, performance management, holiday planning, sickness absence and conducting grievance and disciplinary procedures to contribute to the effective and efficient delivery of the service. Ensure that there is positive communication throughout the team; that regular contact is made to allow for cascade of information and to receive comments and concerns from staff. Take independent action or escalate where appropriate.
4. Lead, motivate and direct the Planning and Performance Team to determine eligibility for customers applying for a transport service, applying and implementing policy, determining the most cost-effective method of transport, Personal Travel Budget, Buss Pass or commissioned transport always ensuring there is an eye on safety and best value. Working with the team to communicate and promote independence for the customers.
5. Lead the Planning and Performance Team in working with Children’s Young People and Family Services and Adult Social Care to ensure full and complete information is received for young people with special educational needs and disability (SEND); looked after children (LAC); pupil referral units (PRUs); young people post 16 and Adults. Manage the planning / scheduling of routes for all passengers and allocate resources (contracts, drivers, passenger assistants) that correspond to their needs, from both the internal delivery team and external contractors to ensure that transport is delivered safely and on time to support independence and attendance at school.
6. Identify passengers with complex medical needs and agree any necessary specialist support with Children’s, Young People and Family Services or Adult Day Care. Commission the additional support (i.e. nurse or responsible adult and/or specialist equipment) and ensure that appropriate safeguarding controls and risk assessments are in place to ensure safe transportation.
7. Establish and maintain records that demonstrate that external contractors hold a clean, current PSV or PCV license and an enhanced DBS (Disclosure Barring Service) and that they progress through a training programme that meets best practice for Safeguarding and Health and Safety. Attend meetings with the drivers who have a positive DBS and undertake a risk assessment to determine suitability to operate contracts on behalf of the authority.
8. Organises appropriate engagement with provider organisations including market engagement events through which to consult potential provider organisations upon the optimal approach to the procurement of such contracts in a manner that will deliver greatest social, environmental and economic value.
9. Lead, manage the Councils Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS), holding regular reviews, regular reviews of external transport contracts. Support suppliers to engage with the Councils Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) to allow the sourcing of external resources from the marketplace via competitive tender that contributes to delivering effective and efficient services.
10. Produces and determines contract specifications and conditions, invites, analyses and evaluates tender submissions, negotiating the award of contracts on the basis of best value. Implements and supports contract management systems to ensure value for money and continuous improvement throughout the life of the managed contracts. Ensures that procured framework contracts/dynamic purchasing systems are utilised appropriately and reviews are undertaken, update identified key performance data. Manage the external contracts by measuring, monitoring, and analysing a broad range of performance information including – actual service delivery against plan, customer satisfaction, contractor feedback (with particular focus on safeguarding concerns and /or challenging behaviour of passengers) and financials to inform decision making, the production and presentation of reports to stakeholders and a significant contribution to continual service improvement. Investigate any incidents / accidents / near misses and put measures in place to reduce the risk of reoccurrence.
11. Implement and contribute to the development of a Performance Management Framework for the overall Operational Transport Service.
12. Authorise validated payments to external contractors, identify services failures and apply penalties if appropriate. Devise and implement improvement actions and develop appropriate governance arrangements that incorporates clear decision making and sound monitoring procedures to maintain / improve effective and efficient service delivery.
13. Ensure that all data held in Operational Systems (i.e. Mob iSOFT and Assyst) is accurate and complete to inform operational decision making, positive customer, staff and other stakeholder communications and performance management / reporting. Manage the development of operational systems to contribute to meeting the needs of customers, the transport service, and the wider council.
14. To be a point of contact for the Planning and Performance Team and respond effectively and efficiently to day to day and complex enquiries and complaints to promote and maintain, positive relationships with customers.
15. The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and associated legislation places responsibilities for health and safety on Hull City Council, as your employer and you as an employee of the council. In addition to the Councils overall duties, the post holder has personal responsibility for their own health, safety and wellbeing and that of other employees; additional and more specific responsibilities are identified in the Council’s Corporate H&S policy.