Deputy Designated Clinical Officer SEND

NHS; Kempston; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 63,000; Full time

Job summary

A health services organization is seeking a Deputy Designated Clinical Officer SEND to enhance services for children and young people with special educational needs. This role involves supporting legislative compliance and leading health initiatives across Bedfordshire, Luton, and Milton Keynes. Candidates should have significant leadership experience in health and a commitment to improving patient outcomes. Salary ranges from £55,690 to £62,682 per annum.

Qualifications

• Experience of working with children and young people in a community setting.
• Recent significant leadership experience in NHS/Local Authority environment.

Responsibilities

• Support the DCO in driving improvements for SEND statutory duties.
• Provide leadership for health providers in delivering services for SEND.
• Work with multi-agency partners to ensure compliance with SEND regulations.

Skills

Understanding of SEND in the reformed NHS

High level communication skills

Effective co-production skills

Education

Registered Nurse or Specialist Public Health Nurse

Educated to Masters level or equivalent

Job description

Overview

Go back Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust

Role

Deputy Designated Clinical Officer SEND

The closing date is 30 September 2025

Are you an experienced health professional with a passion for improving outcomes for children and young people with SEND?

We are looking to recruit 2 x innovative Deputy Designated Clinical Officers (DDCO) to work across Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes. The roles will support the current Designated Clinical Officer to improve performance, enhance patient experiences and outcomes, and sustain safe, efficient and affordable services. The post holders will also have a key role in supporting the shaping and transforming of services as we respond to legislative and national change programmes, and work to deliver greater system integration and effectiveness for children and young people aged 0-25 years with special educational needs.

The Deputy Designated Clinical Officers will be an integral part of the Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care Board (BLMK ICB), with joint reporting arrangements to Bedfordshire and Luton Community Health Services (Cambridgeshire Community Health Services).

We are looking for candidates with experience of developing and maintaining productive and effective relationships with multi-agency partners. The post holders will also be able to demonstrate that they embrace equality and strive to reduce inequality in patient outcomes.

Should we receive a high number of applications we reserve the right to close this vacancy at any point after 26-09-2025

Main duties of the job

Work closely with the DCO, to ensure that the ICB is meeting its statutory duties for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), aged 0-25 years. Providing assurance and scrutiny, as well as driving improvement.

Support the DCO in ensuring the health system's compliance with the legislation and spirit of the SEND Code of Practice, leading to improved outcomes for children and young people with SEND.

Provide leadership and coordination of the ICB and health providers in Bedfordshire (including Luton) and Milton Keynes in relation to children and young people with SEND, working in partnership with education and social care services and voluntary sector organisations.

Provide professional and clinical leadership and be a source of expertise on matters relating to EHCP assessment and SEND appeals as part of partnership working with the Local Authority, health care providers and other local agencies and organisations.

Work in partnership with the DCO, ICB and Local Authority SEND Leads, in providing specialist input into the strategic and clinical planning, standard setting and assurance processes in service provision for children and young people with EHCPs.

Support health providers to co-produce service direction, improvements, and the values on which they are based, with users of the services.

Promote a culture that embraces equality and strives continuously to reduce inequality in both access and outcomes for all residents in Bedford Borough, Central Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes.

Undertake work to identify needs of children and young people with SEND and their families, to inform joint commissioning.

Act as an expert resource for families and professionals, in relation to health services for children and young people aged 0-25 years with SEND.

Work in co-production with the Bedfordshire and Milton Keynes Parent Carer Forums to consider feedback regarding the quality of local health services and identify gaps in provision.

Work in conjunction with the DCO to escalate any concerns, demonstrating the ability to identify appropriate risk and mitigation strategies to support the Executive Leads within the integrated Care Board (ICB).

Expanded responsibilities

• Work with all health partners to ensure that obligations under the Children and Families Act 2014 and the SEND Code of Practice 2015 are met and understood.
• Work in accordance with the Milton Keynes, Bedford Borough, Central Bedfordshire and Luton SEND strategies, monitoring progress towards their co-produced outcomes.
• Provide innovative, specialist knowledge and clinical leadership in conjunction with Public Health Nursing and CYP Specialist Services around prevention, early identification and notification for children and young people with SEND.
• Deputise for the DCO where requested, working with the lead commissioners, making highly complex judgements and decisions in relation to the health provision within Education Health and Care Plans (EHCPs).
• Work with the DCO to provide leadership and oversight of the health component of Education Health Care Plans quality assurance process, compiling associated quality reports and providing high level scrutiny and assurance to commissioners.
• Provide health specialist advice, guidance and support at multi-agency SEND panels across Bedfordshire and Milton Keynes
• Contribute to multi-agency case planning meetings, working collaboratively with system partners to ensure a holistic approach to supporting CYP with SEND.
• Work with others to manage and investigate complaints, following policy and procedural guidance to resolve concerns in a timely and satisfactory manner.
• Interpret national policies for children and young people with SEND in conjunction with the DCO or where delegated by the DCO.
• Liaise and work closely with colleagues in education including, early years settings, schools, academies, and colleges.
• To work autonomously demonstrating effective time management and prioritisation skills.

Person Specification

Skills

• Understanding of SEND in the reformed NHS and the role of commissioners, providers, and NHS England.
• Knowledge and understanding of Children and Families Act (2014), and the SEND Code of Practice 0 to 25 years (2015).
• Experience of the Education, Health and Care planning process and pathways, and of undertaking highly complex assessments.
• Possesses the high level of communication skills required to engage NHS/LA senior managers and local communities in highly complex service development and change issues. This includes highly developed organisational, interpersonal, negotiation, influencing and conflict management skills.
• Ability to communicate effectively with a diverse range of stakeholders and partners, including children, young people and their parents and carers.
• Experience of effective co-production (including service users and/or their representatives) analysing their views and and jointly agreeing positive outcomes for children and young people with SEND.

Qualifications and Training

• Registered Nurse (Part 1 NMC) and/or registered Specialist Public Health Nurse (Part 3 NMC) who has completed a specific programme with a child and family focus.
• Or Registered paediatric AHP with HCPC
• Educated to Masters level or appropriate equivalent or commitment to working towards it. Wide clinical experience working in an acute or community setting.
• Teaching or mentoring qualification

Experience

• Experience of working with children, young people and adults in a community setting
• Recent significant leadership experience at a management level in NHS/Local Authority or relevant environment with proven track record of using professional knowledge to bring about change.
• Ability to inspire and motivate.
• Experience of establishing effective operational and strategic working links with colleagues from local authorities.
• NHS Experience/ Social Services Department/ Local Government

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust

£55,690 to £62,682 a year, per annum, pro-rata