Assistant SEND Officer

Bracknell Forest Council; Bracknell; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A local council is seeking an Assistant SEND Officer to provide high-quality administrative support for children and young people with special educational needs. Responsibilities include supporting SEND Officers, maintaining electronic records, and managing communications. The ideal candidate must have strong administrative skills, excellent verbal and written communication abilities, and a flexible approach to work. This role offers the chance to make a positive impact in the community by enabling vulnerable children to thrive in their education.

Benefits

Flexible working practices

Supportive environment

Qualifications

• Strong administrative skills and previous experience in similar positions are essential.
• Ability to produce clear communications and work with families and professionals in various settings.
• Enthusiastic, flexible, confident and reliable with a can-do approach.

Responsibilities

• Provide high-quality and effective administrative support.
• Support SEND Officers in delivering statutory assessments.
• Create and update electronic records using Capita ONE and Microsoft software.
• Prepare and manage communications, including writing emails and letters.
• Ensure prompt responses to communications and maintain accurate records.

Skills

Strong administrative skills

Excellent written and spoken English

Organisational skills

Ability to multi-task

Flexible and reliable

Job description

Overview

We are seeking an Assistant SEND Officer who is passionate about helping children and young people learn, grow, and achieve their full potential in education. At Bracknell Forest, we pride ourselves on being a council which is stable and well-managed where our employees can thrive in a supportive environment. We understand the importance of a healthy work-life balance and offer a variety of flexible working practices, including options for remote working and arrangements that allow you to work from home, dependent on the needs of the service.

This is your opportunity to make a lasting impact. We will help you to be at your best, so we can be at ours.

About our team: It is an exciting time to join Bracknell Forest. We continue to invest in our SEND and Specialist Support Service, reflecting the growing number of children and young people identified with additional needs. We are a small but growing team who work closely together to ensure we deliver the best support to families of children and young people with SEND. Sometimes the work is challenging, but our creative, solution-focused and collegiate approach means the work is highly rewarding. We are friendly and supportive and share a passion for enabling vulnerable children and young people the best opportunities to achieve great outcomes and secure futures.

Responsibilities

• As an Assistant SEND Officer, provide high-quality and effective administrative support, covering a wide range of activities.
• Support SEND Officers to deliver statutory assessments of children and young people; request and collate evidence; liaise with families and professionals.
• Create and update electronic records using Capita ONE (our case management system), Microsoft Word and Excel and other software.
• Prepare and manage communications, including writing emails and letters; interact with families and professionals in-person, in virtual meetings and on the phone.
• Provide high-quality confidential support in relation to coordination, administration, and implementation of all aspects of the SEND Team’s work.
• Ensure email and telephone communications are responded to swiftly, and maintain accurate records of all communications with appropriate, high-quality written correspondence.
• Manage information, including maintaining and updating documentation on shared systems including Capita ONE, with due regard to data security.
• Make arrangements for meetings, workshops and other events as required.
• Collate timely preparation and circulation of meeting papers, action notes and follow up on action points.
• Coordinate and provide administrative support in delivering the team’s response to Freedom of Information (FOIs) and Subject Access Requests (SARs).

Qualifications and Skills

• Strong administrative skills and previous experience in similar positions are essential.
• Excellent written and spoken English; ability to produce clear communications and work with families and professionals in various settings.
• Enthusiastic, flexible, confident and reliable with a can-do approach, good organisational skills and the ability to multi-task with a high level of accuracy.
• Ability to work both in the office and remotely as required by the service.