HEAD OF INCLUSION & ALN STRATEGY

Cyngor Caerdydd/Cardiff Council; Cardiff; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Cardiff Council invites applications for Head of Inclusion and ALN Strategy, a pivotal leadership role within the Education Directorate. You will steer the ALN and Inclusion agenda, ensuring timely, place-based support and fulfilling statutory duties under ALNET Act across the city.

Working across education, health, social care and partners, you will shape long-term sufficiency planning, lead strategic inclusion pathways, and build strong teams to improve learner outcomes.

Qualifications

• Proven track record in strategic education leadership.
• Experience delivering inclusion and ALN programmes.
• Strong collaboration with partners across education, health and social care.
• Ability to lead change and improvements at city-wide scale.

Responsibilities

• Lead the delivery of Cardiff’s Inclusion Strategy and improvement programmes.
• Provide strategic leadership for ALN across the city.
• Ensure statutory ALN compliance under ALNET Act.
• Lead long-term sufficiency planning and specialist provision development.
• Develop inclusive pathways and equitable access to support.
• Collaborate with schools, health, social care and multi-agency partners.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Inclusion strategy

ALN planning

Partnership building

Change management

Education

Degree in Education/Leadership

Job description

Cardiff is a capital city with ambition for every child and young person. We are committed to delivering an inclusive education system where all learners belong, participate and succeed. Through our Cardiff Inclusion Strategy, Cardiff 2035 vision and Stronger, Fairer, Greener commitments, we are driving a transformational approach to equity, excellence and opportunity for all.

Cardiff is committed to ensuring that every learner can access the right support, in the right place, at the right time. This role is pivotal in shaping the future of Additional Learning Needs (ALN) provision, inclusion services and long-term sufficiency planning across the city.

About the job

This is a pivotal leadership role at the heart of Cardiff’s ambition to create an education system where every child and young person feels included, valued and supported to achieve their potential.

As Head of Inclusion and ALN Strategy, you will provide strategic leadership for Cardiff’s Additional Learning Needs (ALN) and Inclusion agenda, ensuring that children and young people receive the right support, at the right time, in the right place. You will lead the delivery of Cardiff’s Inclusion Strategy, fulfil the Local Authority’s statutory responsibilities for ALN, and drive continuous improvement in outcomes, experiences and opportunities for learners with additional needs.

Working across education, health, social care, children's services and other key partners, you will shape a sustainable and responsive system that meets current and future demand. You will lead strategic planning and sufficiency arrangements, ensuring that support is available as early as possible and as close to learners’ communities as possible.

The postholder will champion inclusion across the city, strengthening the capacity of mainstream schools while developing a coherent continuum of provision that brings together universal, targeted and specialist support. Through strong leadership, collaboration and innovation, you will help ensure that Cardiff’s education system is equitable, ambitious and inclusive for all.

This role offers the opportunity to make a lasting difference to the lives of children and young people by shaping the future of inclusion in Cardiff, ensuring that every learner can thrive, succeed and belong.

What You Will Lead:

• Delivery of Cardiff's Inclusion Strategy and associated improvement programmes
• Strategic leadership of Additional Learning Needs (ALN) across the city
• Statutory ALN functions and compliance with the ALNET Act
• Long-term ALN sufficiency planning and specialist provision development
• Inclusion pathways, graduated responses and equitable access to support
• Partnerships with schools, health, social care and wider stakeholders
• High-performing Inclusion, ALN and commissioning teams
• Strategic planning with School Organisation Planning and Placement teams

What We Are Looking For From You

Top 6 Outcomes:

• Cardiff's Inclusion Strategy delivers measurable improvements in learner outcomes and experiences
• Statutory ALN responsibilities are consistently delivered to a high standard across the city
• Clear and sustainable continuum of provision enabling learners to be educated closer to home where appropriate
• Increased capacity within mainstream schools to successfully meet a broader range of learner needs
• Robust sufficiency planning ensures the right number and type of specialist places are available to meet future demand
• Strong partnership arrangements with other Officers across the Education Directorate, schools, health and families resulting in improved learner outcomes and reduced escalation

What Success Looks Like in Year 1:

• A clearly defined city-wide Inclusion Continuum understood and consistently applied across schools and services.
• Significant progress against Cardiff Inclusion Strategy priorities with measurable outcomes and impact.
• Increased mainstream school capacity and confidence to meet a wider range of needs.
• Stronger quality assurance and consistency of ALN practices across schools and settings.
• Improved forecasting and sufficiency planning aligned with demographic trends and learner need.
• Clear plans agreed for future specialist provision, SRBs, inclusion bases and targeted support services.
• Improved partnership arrangements with Health Board colleagues and multi-agency services.
• Robust performance framework established to monitor inclusion, equity and ALN outcomes.

Additional information

Shortlisting will take between 9th-13th November

Interviews will take place over 2 days: 19th and 20th November

Appointment to this post is subject to an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, including a Child Workforce Barred List check.

Safeguarding and Child Protection are key priorities for the Council. We aim to support children and vulnerable adults to ensure they are as safe as they can possibly be. Our services and schools are committed to ensuring the safety and protection of all children and vulnerable adults, and will take action to safeguard their well-being, and acknowledge that children and vulnerable adults have a right to protection. This is supported in the general ethos of the Council and all schools.

Job Category Education - Professional / Support

Department Education & Lifelong Learning

Working Pattern/Contract Type Full Time Permanent