Designated Clinical Officer for SEND

NHS; United Kingdom; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

A regional healthcare provider is looking for a Designated Clinical Officer (SEND) to lead SEND delivery for children and young people. This role involves collaborating with local authorities, analyzing performance data, and ensuring effective communication among stakeholders. The position offers a hybrid working arrangement for a 12-month fixed-term contract covering maternity leave. Ideal candidates are Registered Nurses or Registered Allied Health Professionals with a strong knowledge of SEND.

Benefits

Continuous professional development

Clinical supervision

Access to extensive induction process

Qualifications

• Extensive knowledge of Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND).
• In-depth understanding of the Children and Families Act and SEND Code of Practice.
• Experience in a senior children’s services operational role.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership on SEND delivery for 0-25 year olds.
• Act as key contact for local partners regarding SEND.
• Analyze data relating to demand management.

Skills

Communication skills

Leadership

Analytical skills

Interpersonal skills

Education

Registered Nurse or Registered Allied Health Professional

Job description

Job Summary

Applications are invited for a rare opportunity that has arisen to join NHS Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board as a Designated Clinical Officer (SEND) at Halton Place within the Merseyside DCO cluster. This post is a 12‑month fixed‑term contract for 0.6 WTE (22.5 hours per week) to cover maternity leave and secondments are welcome. The role is hybrid and the successful applicant is expected to work at Place for a minimum one day per week.

This senior post will provide leadership and direction on Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) delivery for 0‑25‑year‑olds. Taking account of national and local strategy, you will work with Senior Strategic Managers, Heads of Service, stakeholders and partners to support the delivery of SEND, ensuring spread of best practice in respect of all commissioned services.

To apply for this post, you will be a Registered Nurse or a Registered Allied Health Professional (Speech & Language Therapist / Physiotherapist / Occupational Therapist) with extensive knowledge of SEND. The role offers the opportunity to utilise your existing skills and also to develop further working across organisational boundaries and championing partnership working.

In return, you will join a forward‑thinking and supportive organisation, working as part of an experienced Cheshire and Merseyside DCO team with access to an extensive induction process, continuous professional development and clinical supervision by the ICB Head of SEND.

Main duties of the job

The SEND Code of Practice for children and young people (CYP) with Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) 0‑25 years indicates that partners should ensure there is a Designated Medical Officer (DMO) or Designated Clinical Officer (DCO) to support the ICB at Place in meeting its statutory responsibilities for children and young people with SEN and disabilities. There are discussions at a national level about making this post a statutory requirement.

The post will primarily be a key point of contact and advice for local partners (e.g. Local Authority, Education, Social Care), professionals, parents and young people who have SEN and/or a disability. Ultimately the aim of the post is to help ensure that children and young people with SEND have their health needs assessed and that they can access appropriate services to meet their health needs.

A national handbook for Designated Clinical Officers for SEND developed by the Council for Disabled Children exists and the post holder will be expected to deliver the role as outlined in the handbook.

About us

Cheshire and Merseyside ICB is a highly complex organisation serving a population of over 2.5 million people across nine Places (Boroughs including local Authorities), 17 NHS Provider organisations, 51 PCNs plus Northwest Ambulance service as well as third sector and voluntary organisations. Cheshire and Merseyside is the third largest ICB in the country, and regarding scope of organisations the ICB is double the size of the next largest ICB.

The postholder will be supported locally but will also be part of the wider Cheshire and Merseyside Team for support and development in this exciting role.

Terms and conditions will be as per Agenda for Change.

Job description

The Designated Clinical Officer will act as the key source of knowledge and experience for a wide range of clinical colleagues and key stakeholders working to implement the SEND agenda. The post holder will therefore require an in‑depth and comprehensive understanding of the Children and Families Act, SEND Code of Practice and statutory requirements of the health system.

Key duties & main responsibilities

Communication and Relationships

• Use a wide range of communication skills to convey complex and highly contentious information to a variety of stakeholders, including children, young people and their families and carers.
• Develop a range of effective relationships and partnerships with stakeholders to support implementation of the SEND Code of Practice, ensuring involvement of key groups and individuals and using co‑production as a basis.
• Represent the ICB at Place by providing clinical advice to key planning groups in relation to SEND and develop close working relationships with colleagues within the ICB at Place, across the locality and Cheshire and Merseyside Footprint, ensuring effective leadership and management of the SEND programme.
• Ensure the involvement of key stakeholders, particularly children, young people and families, in the service redesign process and ensure this takes place in a creative and proactive manner.
• Act as a point of contact in the health system for enquiries relating to the EHCP process and provide advice regarding alternative solutions as appropriate.
• Ensure excellent partnership working and co‑ordination to ensure effective transition to adult health services (including health) for children and young people with SEND.
• Provide support and challenge to senior medical colleagues such as paediatricians and GPs.
• Participate in appropriate professional/developmental groups across the region and nationally in order to develop a community approach and share good practice.

Analytical Tasks

• Analyse complex data sets to enable dissemination of performance information relating to demand management and respond to all queries in relation to these, including the interpretation of national guidance into local context.
• Understand and present comparative provider performance reports and clarify the impact of changes through presentation of data.
• Interpret guidance on SEND (including NICE) to ensure that new service models, service improvements and development projects are in line with the national and local agenda and the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment.
• Analyse and use judgement on a range of options in conflicting, highly complex situations.
• Analyse and evaluate both quantitative and qualitative data and research evidence from a range of sources and make recommendations to inform decision making.
• Identify current and future needs of children and young people with SEND and their families to inform both Place and joint commissioning.
• Develop and monitor quality assurance systems in relation to health input into EHCPs and performance of ICB commissioned services in relation to SEND.
• Provide regular quality and performance information such as highlighting inequity in provision, timeliness of responses by health services to requests for into EHCPs, quality assurance and quality audits of EHCPs and achievements linked to personal outcomes and through this data inform both the ICB and joint commissioning processes.
• Provide quarterly progress reports to the ICB at Place with regards to the implementation of the local EHCP process and highlight any risks and changes which are needed.
• Provide assurance to the ICB at Place including quarterly updates and an annual report.
• Provide timely and accurate information about children and young people with SEND (including data to help predict future trends) to the ICB at Place and input this data into the joint SEND dashboard where appropriate.
• Contribute to data collection and audit of activity for the ICB at Place and relevant providers in relation to SEND.

Planning and Organisational Skills

• Contribute to the ICB at Place improvement strategy in relation to SEND.
• Contribute to short, medium and long‑term strategic programmes to deliver reform and service improvement with significant impact across care settings.
• Demonstrate excellent organisational skills, planning and implementation of care strategies and clinical pathways based upon organisational and national objectives.
• Provide leadership and co‑ordination across professional boundaries working closely with other clinicians and strategic leaders across the local area SEND Partnership.

Responsibility for Patient/Client Care

• Act as an expert on the needs of children, young people with SEND and their families.
• Support Director of Nursing and care to fulfil their statutory responsibility for SEND, using established governance mechanisms e.g. Quality, Finance and Performance committee on updates for the SEND action plan and leading on any inspections for the ICB at Place.
• Support and represent the ICB at Place in the complaints, mediation, disputes resolution and tribunal process relating to EHCPs.
• Have oversight of operational issues and provide expert advice where required in relation to the EHCP process for highly complex cases.
• Represent the ICB at Place at Multi‑Disciplinary/Multi‑Agency panels, including Continuing Care and DSR to strengthen decision making processes.
• Advise the ICB at Place when mainstream health services are not able to meet the needs of children and young people with SEND and therefore a personal budget may be required.
• Contribute to the ICB quality assurance role in relation to ICB at Place commissioned health services which provide support to children and young people with SEND.
• Alert the ICB at Place Children’s Commissioner of issues that could affect performance.

Policy and Service Development Implementation

• Be responsible for policy development and implementation of the ICB at Place SEND policy and service development.
• Implement and quality‑assure performance management and service improvement for major programme areas.
• Ensure adherence to appropriate Place policies and OFSTED & CQC regulatory requirements to ensure health services meet statutory and regulatory standards in relation to SEND services.
• Ensure compliance with national policy and achieve associated targets and timescales.
• Ensure that systems are in place that allow for the consistent delivery of high‑quality services and organisational objectives and contribute to the maintenance of the ICB at Place systems that support quality service provision.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Extensive, highly developed knowledge of specialist areas, such as SEND, Learning Disabilities, or other specialist areas.
• Registration with NMC, HPC or other Registered body.

Knowledge

• Clear understanding of the issues and challenges facing children and young people with special educational needs and disability.
• Must demonstrate understanding and interpretation of The Children and Families Act 2015 and SEND Reforms 2014 and utilise this knowledge to develop and implement procedures and processes.
• Previous professional experience in a senior children’s services operational, or commissioning, role for children and young people.
• Evidence of ability to work effectively within a team and in partnership with other stakeholders, including across organisational boundaries.

Skills

• Advanced skills for communication on complex information and administrative matters to large and influential groups/ customers, requiring highly developed interpersonal and oral/ written communication skills.
• Negotiating, networking and persuasive skills to achieve outcomes such as person‑centred care and shared strategic vision.

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.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

NHS Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board

ICB HQ

No 1 Lakeside, 920 Centre Park

Warrington

WA1 1QY

Employer's website

https://www.cheshireandmerseyside.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)