Alternative Provision Senior Manager| Permanent| Full-Time

Lancashire County Council; Preston; On-site; GBP 66,000 - 72,000; Full time

Job summary

Lancashire County Council is recruiting a Senior Manager for Alternative Provision to provide strategic leadership for the Inclusion Service and to shape and drive the delivery of Alternative Provision, Elective Home Education and related services within Lancashire. The role requires senior leadership, strong stakeholder management and a commitment to improving outcomes for children and young people.

The post holder will lead multi-agency collaboration, oversee budgets and performance data, and

Responsibilities

• Lead the strategic delivery of Alternative Provision, Education Medical Needs and Elective Home Education services.
• Provide expert advice, intelligence and insight to inform decision-making and manage risk.
• Oversee quality assurance, commissioning, performance and data systems to drive service improvement.
• Further develop integrated inclusion pathways across Alternative Provision, SEND, Early Help and Social Care services.
• Lead high-performing teams and partnerships to deliver service objectives, transformation and positive outcomes for children and families.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Line management

Stakeholder engagement

Policy development

Job description

Salary 66,336

• 72,150 Per annum | Permanent, Full Time, 37 hours per week | Inclusion Service
• Lancashire International Sponsorship – this role is not open to international sponsorship Job Title: Senior Manager for Alternative ProvisionPlease note this is a full-time, full-year position. Lancashire County Council has a very exciting development supporting mainstream inclusion and creating more capacity across alternative education pathways.

The local authority is seeking to appoint a Senior Manager for Alternative Provision to support strategic leadership of the Inclusion Service. The post holder would have line management responsibilities for elective home education, alternative provision and education medical service leads.

This role will provide operational and strategic support to all key stakeholders ensuring legislation relating to SEND, Child Missing Education, Elective Home Education and Section 19 Education Act 1996 is understood to improve outcomes for children and young people across Lancashire. This role offers a unique opportunity to shape and lead Lancashire’s alternative education teams, ensuring that children and young people can access a clear pathway to suitable education and achieve positive outcomes.

The postholder will provide strategic leadership across a range of inclusion functions, influencing key policy, funding and investment decisions while maintaining oversight of significant service budgets.

Working closely with corporate priorities and transformation programmes, you will develop and implement strategic business plans, lead the delivery of ambitious service objectives, and collaborate with partners to drive innovative multi-agency initiatives.

You will champion a culture of continuous professional development, ensuring staff are supported to deliver high-quality services, while also establishing robust systems for accurate data collection, statutory compliance, performance monitoring and service evaluation. As a senior leader, you will play a key role in raising the profile of Lancashire’s Inclusion Services, engaging effectively with stakeholders and influencing decision-makers at the highest levels both within and beyond the Council.

Building and sustaining strong partnerships with schools, the SEND Partnership, Lancashire Parent Carer Forum and other key stakeholders, you will foster effective multi-agency collaboration, maintain positive stakeholder relationships, and undertake political engagement responsibilities, including the preparation and delivery of high-quality briefings on areas within your remit.

The role will consist of:

• Lead the strategic delivery of Alternative Provision, Education Medical Needs and Elective Home Education services.
• Provide expert advice, intelligence and insight to inform decision-making and manage risk.
• Oversee quality assurance, commissioning, performance and data systems to drive service improvement.
• Further develop integrated inclusion pathways across Alternative Provision, SEND, Early Help and Social Care services.
• Lead high-performing teams and partnerships to deliver service objectives, transformation and positive outcomes for children and families.

This is a fantastic opportunity to join an expanding team, embed change and implement a new vision for alternative provision across Lancashire.

The panel may be unable to shortlist you for interview without this evidence.

The post you are applying for is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2013).

If successful you will be required to apply to the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) for a 'disclosure'.

Further information can be found on the 'Our Recruitment Process' tab.

In return Lancashire County Council offers a range of benefits, which can be found on LCC Vacancies website.

We reserve the right to close down a vacancy early, before the closing date, if we receive sufficient applications.

Job Description/Person Specification Local Government Reorganisation

The Government has confirmed that local government across Lancashire will be reorganised, with the current 15 councils being replaced by four new unitary councils covering North, South, East and West Lancashire from April 2029.

If you are successful in your application, you will initially join Lancashire County Council.

However, as part of the planned transition, your employment will transfer to one of the new unitary councils from April 2029, subject to the implementation of the reorganisation and relevant employment legislation. Throughout this period, our focus remains on delivering excellent services to our communities.

By joining us now, you'll play an important role in shaping the future of local government and helping to build a strong new organisation that will serve residents for years to come

Full time

Posting Date: 2026-09-15