Victoria Hancock

Freelance Bid Writer for health and social care sector

Freelance Bid Writer (Self-Employed)

Dates: June 2019 – Present

• 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

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) 

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

Senior Health & Justice Commissioning Manager

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 

Targeted & Specialist Services Commissioning Lead

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

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

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

Team Leader – Young Persons Substance Misuse Service (Staffordshire)

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

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

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)