Victoria Hancock

Freelance Bid Writer (Self-Employed)

Dates: June 2019 – Present

Key responsibilities and duties include:

• Writing competitive bids and tender submissions for health, social care, and criminal justice services
• Supporting voluntary and community sector organisations to secure funding and contracts
• Conducting needs assessments and aligning proposals with commissioning priorities
• Collaborating with clients to develop compelling narratives and evidence-based responses
• Managing deadlines and submission schedules across multiple concurrent projects
• Providing strategic advice on service design and market positioning

Key achievements:

Secured successful contract awards for multiple and repeat clients across health and social care sectors. Including most recently 1 x tender award for Gloucestershire Supported Living, and 1 x tender award for Hackney Day Care Services.  

Head of Specialised Commissioning, Mental Health, Learning Disabilities and Autism (MHLDA) 

Employer: NHS England

Dates: From October 2024 to present (part time)

Key responsibilities and duties include: 

• Direct management of the MHLDA team, including case managers and administrative functions for Adult Secure Services, Adult Eating Disorders, Children and Young Peoples Tier 4 Mental Health, and Perinatal Services  
• Responsible for the delivery of commissioning and contractual arrangements with Midlands-wide stakeholders, including ICBs, service providers, and Provider Collaboratives 
• Ensuring high quality specialised MHLDA services are commissioned in line with agreed NHS England expectations
• Leading contract negotiations and discussions with service providers utilising appropriate contract levers to improve quality and outcomes
• Working with the CQC and other regulatory bodies sharing information where appropriate to improve services to patients
• Ensuring trends and provider ‘intelligence’ is shared adopting a matrix working approach, with the nursing and quality directorate and other regional/national directorates to implement improvements in services

Key achievements: planning and management of a combined services budget of £442 million per annum. Successful change in commissioning arrangements, and strategic transformation for women requiring secure services. Regional Leadership of a transformation programme for children and young people leading to a successful Tier 4 admission avoidance scheme accruing a £19 million saving to reinvest into services. 

Senior Health & Justice Commissioning Manager

Employer: NHS England

Dates: From November 2016 to October 2024 

Key responsibilities and duties include:

• Commissioning of custodial and non-custodial healthcare services to men, women, and young people across the West Midlands
• Contract and performance management of NHS, Independent Sector, and VCS Providers ensuring that services delivered are consistently of high quality
• Strategic development of healthcare services for men, women and young people in custody
• Partnership working across a complex landscape with range of senior stakeholders, including prison governors/directors, police, courts, health and social care directors 
• Matrix-working with medical directors and nursing directors to support patient safety 
• Management and development of a team of commissioning supportmanagers 
• Development and implementation of NHS England H&J Commissioning priorities, action plans andbusiness cases.
• Project management and oversight of change and innovation programmes
• Reporting to NHS England governance boards 

Key achievements: planning and management of a budget of £83 million pounds per annum. Consistent delivery of equitable care to those in custody, and successful roll out of liaison and diversion services. Responsible for strategic development and mobilisation of an award winning (HSJ) specialist dementia and palliative care service for patients at HMP Stafford – the only service nationally to exist. 

Targeted & Specialist Services Commissioning Lead

Employer: Staffordshire County Council

Dates: From April 2012 to November 2016  

Key responsibilities and duties included:

• Review, specify and redesign a number of specialist and targeted services across Staffordshire
• Design service specifications for competitive tenders
• Design performance templates and lead performance meetings with Providers
• Produce outcome reports for accountable strategic boards and elected members
• Review and investigate identified problems with services/service pathways
• Market development
• Plan and manage a budget of approximately £15 million per annum
• Engage with stakeholders and ensure views of service users are represented in commissioning decisions
• Lead on system change and transformation programmes across the children’s mental health pathway

Key achievements: writing and publication of the 2015 Children and Young Peoples Emotional Wellbeing Strategy for Staffordshire. Establishment and roll out of a framework of Providers to offer emotional wellbeing support to children and young people who historically did not meet the CAMHS threshold for intervention. 

Services Manager – Young Persons Substance Misuse Service & Arrest Referral (Staffordshire)

Employer: Crime Reduction Initiatives (now Change Grow Live)

Dates: From October 2009 to April 2012

Key responsibilities and duties included:

• Management of services and supervision of a multi-disciplinary team including clinicians
• Write tender bids and present at competitive tender panels
• Responsible officer for health and safety and safeguarding
• Lead on risk identification and management with young people, families and working practice
• Review and investigate service delivery/performance problems and implement solutions
• Implement and proactively manage a range of partnership agreements and to write Service Level Agreements
• Carry a small caseload of children and young people with complex substance misuse needs
• Plan and manage a budget of £1.5 million

Key Achievements: County-wide roll out of CYP Arrest Referral Services, and Hidden Harm project. 

Team Leader – Young Persons Substance Misuse Service (Staffordshire)

Employer: Crime Reduction Initiatives (now Change Grow Live)

Dates: From December 2006 to October 2009 – (TUPE transfer and promotion to new role)

• Direct therapeutic work with young people and their families affected by drug and alcohol use
• Representation at local operational and strategic meetings
• Establishing good relationships with partner agencies
• Identification and management of safeguarding concerns
• Accurate and timely record keeping
• Casework supervision of staff

Probation Project Worker

Employer: Alcohol and Drug Services in Staffordshire

Dates: From April 2006 to December 2006

• Direct therapeutic work (one to one/group) with adults who have committed alcohol related offences
• Representation and presentation of psychological reports in a court setting
• Development of electronic systems to record information 
• Development of successful partnerships with probation teams across Staffordshire

Trainee Forensic Psychologist

Employer: Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMP Stafford)

Dates: From July 2004 to April 2006

• Assessment and treatment of adult male offenders detained with drug related offending behaviour
• Delivery of group work treatment programmes (PASRO, Enhanced Thinking Skills, and Sex Offender Treatment)
• Duty responder to incidents of self-harm and bullying

9 GCSE’s(including Math and English,all   grades A-C)

4 A Levels (Psychology, Sociology, Biology and General Studies)

BSC (Hons Psychology)

MSc Forensic Psychology

NVQ Level 4 Health and Social Care Management

Post Graduate Diploma Commissioning and Contracting Health and Social Care Services

PhD Forensic Psychology (Current)