Inclusion Advisory Team leader

Leeds City Council; Leeds; On-site; GBP 54,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

West Yorkshire Pension Fund

Hybrid working arrangements

Career development opportunities

Staff benefits

Job summary

Leeds City Council is recruiting a proactive Inclusion Advisory Team Leader to provide professional and operational leadership for SEMH and SEND-focused services. You will work with Learning Inclusion and external partners to raise achievement, drive inclusion in schools and settings, and shape the Team Plan in line with city priorities.

The role demands strong management, extensive SEND knowledge, and a track record of collaborative change across multi‑agency teams.

Qualifications

• Proven leadership in education settings; experience aligning with SEND Code of Practice 2015.
• Strong SEND/SEMH knowledge and commitment to improving outcomes for CYP with SEND.
• Ability to work with partners across health, education and social care.

Responsibilities

• Provide day-to-day operational leadership for the Inclusion Advisory Team (IAT).
• Coordinate staff deployment to ensure high-quality, efficient service delivery.
• Develop capacity for inclusion in schools and settings; contribute to Team Plan and strategic priorities.
• Lead team meetings and drive professional development for staff.

Skills

Management experience

Change management

SEND Code of Practice

SEND/Special Educational Needs

Partnership working

Continuous improvement

Education

Qualified Teacher Status

Job description

Job title: Inclusion Advisory Team leader

Salary: ADV/INSP Soulbury 9-13 £54,398 - £60,269

Hours: 37 hours a week

Contract: Permanent

Location: Technorth Family learning Centre, Leeds, LS7 3NB

The Inclusion Advisory Team (IAT) are a multidisciplinary team who have expertise in early childhood development, cognition and learning, SEMH and communication and interaction including autism across all phases of education.

As the next IAT team leader, you will provide professional and operational leadership for the SEMH professional area, and work alongside the team leaders for early years, cognition & learning and communication & interaction.

Leeds City Council is one of the largest employers in the region with over 14,000 employees. We seek to recruit and develop talented individuals who embody our council values and ambitions.

About You

As an IAT team leader, you will bring to the role:

• Effective management experience and thrive on leading others and managing change.
• Significant experience in a range of educational settings implementing duties under the 2015 SEND Code of Practice
• Strong subject knowledge around SEND, and in particular SEMH needs, with passion and commitment to improving outcomes for CYP with SEND
• Partnership working with key stakeholders.
• A constant drive towards improvement.

Qualified Teacher Status or relevant professional qualification is an essential requirement for this role.

About The Role

As our next IAT team leader you will work with and alongside other SEND teams in Learning Inclusion, and wider partners in health, education and social care, to ensure efficient service delivery and improve the outcomes for children and young people, education settings and families across the city.

What We Offer You

We take pride in offering the best employee experience, with benefits including:

• a competitive salary and annual leave entitlement plus statutory holidays
• membership of the West Yorkshire Pension Fund with generous employer contributions
• flexible and hybrid working arrangements subject to service requirements
• a clear career pathway and continuing professional development opportunities
• a range of staff benefits to help you boost your wellbeing and make your money go further

Job Description

Special conditions this post is subject to a higher level check with the Disclosure & Barring Service. Please note that a criminal record will not necessarily be a bar to obtaining employment; this will depend on the circumstances and background to any offence.

Job Purpose

To provide day to day operational leadership within the Inclusion Advisory Team (IAT) which promotes and supports children’s development and maximises access to learning and inclusion for children with a range of specific educational needs and disabilities in schools and other settings, to drive SEND strategies, and to support settings in the implementation of the SEND Code of Practice 2015. The Inclusion Advisory Team Leader will work with other colleagues to develop the capacity for inclusion in schools and other settings and will be a member of the IAT management team.

Responsibilities

• Professional and operational leadership of the Inclusion Advisory Team (IAT). They will work with colleagues across IAT, Learning Inclusion, Children’s Services and with other agencies to integrate practice to improve the outcomes for children and young people. The post holder will develop and maintain effective relationships key stakeholders including parents/carers, children and young people, professionals and service providers.
• Supporting staff within the framework of the SEN Code of Practice to provide effective advice, assessment and intervention in order to raise achievement and promote both setting improvement and inclusion of young children with SEND.
• Deploying staff within the team to provide high quality, efficient and effective team working and delivery to children, families and settings in alignment with service arrangements.
• Coordination of all consultation and support requests made to the team.
• Undertaking direct consultation and active support for staff working with children, families and settings, some of whom may be experiencing extremely challenging circumstances.
• Contributing to service development as a member of the Management Team including the development of specific areas of responsibility and a contribution to the writing and monitoring of the Team Plan with due regard to the Strategic Plans of LCC.
• Active participation and service representation in any review or inspection processes.
• The implementation of LCC policy and action plans, particularly in the areas of special educational needs, inclusion and school improvement.
• Active contribution to the monitoring, challenge, support and intervention role of the LA and ensuring relevant and effective support is offered to settings in order to meet their ongoing needs.
• Maintaining record keeping in relation to individual case work and other team activities, through active engagement with LCC data systems and protocols.
• Gathering, analysing and interpreting data to monitor and evaluate the impact of team interventions on pupil progress, performance and provision.
• Acting as the key point of contact when queries, concerns or complaints arise within designated area of responsibility and ensure these are resolved promptly or passed on to the appropriate level.
• Facilitating Team Meetings to enable effective communication, support and professional development of team members.
• Overseeing and co-delivering training and support to build capacity for families and settings.
• Establish collaborative working with other agencies (Health, Social care, 3rd Sector) and other partners within Learning Inclusion and LCC to offer a co‑ordinated SEND support offer to settings which is based on developing inclusive and enabling environments for all children.
• Identifying areas for continuing professional development, ensuring highest personal and professional standards and awareness of national and local initiatives relating to workforce development.
• Facilitating the effective recruitment, selection and induction of new staff, undertaking of performance management, supervision and problem solving with team members to monitor performance. Undertaking effective attendance and sickness monitoring.
• Ensuring DfE standards are met as appropriate. Responding to national and local policies in relation to early years education.
• Responsibility for team budget in relation to consumable resources and professional CPD.
• Effective communication with all stakeholders to promote multi‑agency, partnership working across Children’s Services.
• Representation of the Service on strategic groups, within Children’s Services, and at local, regional and national forums.
• To participate in and provide training and development activities as necessary to ensure up to date knowledge and skills.

The duties outlined are not meant as an exhaustive list and will also comprise any other duties within the spirit of the post commensurate with the job evaluation outcome for this post.

Qualifications

Essential requirements

• Qualified Teacher Status or relevant professional qualification.
• Managing Self: effective interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to manage change, respond flexibly to new ideas, and promote change as a natural process. High level communication skills, appropriate to different client groups with the ability to challenge and influence, deal effectively with conflict and present feedback in a sensitive, honest and constructive manner. Highly effective time management and organisational skills, with the ability to manage a challenging workload within a pressurised environment with identified deadlines.
• Managing others and developing performance: supervision, mentoring and coaching to develop individuals to deliver key priorities of the team and service.
• Managing resources: organisational, project, and/or resource management, including delegated aspects of budget.
• Managing information: gathering, analysing and interpreting data to monitor and evaluate the impact of team interventions on children’s progress, performance and provision. Identification of actions that are likely to lead to improvement and ensure quality assurance procedures for evaluating staff impact and outcomes. Use ICT and technology effectively and encourage others to develop technical solutions in response to change.
• Well‑established problem‑solving skills: ability to develop creative solutions, support others to find solutions to complex problems, and ability to evidence a flexible response to challenging situations.
• Managing inter‑agency and partnership‑working: provide effective links and maintain relationships with colleagues and partners at a range of levels to maximise impact for children and young people. Effective partnership working to ensure effective development, interpretation and implementation of strategies.
• Working with children and young people with complex needs and their families.
• Knowledge of statutory and non‑statutory legislation and guidelines in relation to education, inclusion and SEND.
• Extensive knowledge of SEND, personalised planning and good practice in relation restorative and reflective practice and to inclusion.
• Knowledge and understanding of management of other colleagues evidenced through active pursuit of CPD opportunities and/or formal and/or informal leadership.
• Of a variety of methods of assessment and intervention and use of applied knowledge and skills in a range of settings.
• Of relevant information and issues influencing the work of the team and Learning Inclusion Service.
• Of the workings of local government and public sector.
• A practitioner with significant experience in a range of educational settings implementing duties under the 2015 SEND Code of Practice, working restoratively with children, families, professionals, and colleagues, securing best practice and leading other practitioners to enable an inclusive environment.
• Of providing advice and consultation.

Essential Behavioural & Other Characteristics

• Understand and embrace Leeds City Council Values and Behaviours and codes of conduct.
• Committed to continuous improvement in all areas and work towards delivering the Best City Ambition of Health & Wellbeing, Inclusive Growth and Zero Carbon.
• Able to understand and observe Leeds City Council policies and procedures.
• Carry out all duties having regard to an employee’s responsibility under Health, Safety and Wellbeing.
• Willingness to actively participate in appraisal, training and development activities to ensure up to date knowledge and skills.
• Flexible and adaptable to change to assist other services as required commensurate to grade.
• Be aware of and support difference and ensure equality for all working in an anti‑discriminatory manner, upholding, equality & diversity of Leeds City Council.
• Recognise and appropriately challenge any incidents of racism, bullying, harassment, victimisation, and any form of abuse, reporting any concerns to the appropriate person.
• The Council has adopted a flexibility protocol and the role will be expected to work within these parameters.

We welcome applications from everyone and actively seek a diverse range of applicants from all backgrounds and cultures. We particularly encourage applications from, but not limited to, women, carers, veterans as well as LGBT+, ethnically diverse, disabled and care experienced people.

This role is based in the UK. Home Office guidance states that candidates must evidence their right to work in the UK prior to commencing employment, either as a UK or Irish citizen, under the EU Settlement scheme or having secured any other relevant work visa.

If you do not have the right to work in the UK, you must consider your own eligibility for sponsorship for a particular role through the Skilled Worker visa route before applying. To be eligible for sponsorship you'll usually need to be paid the standard salary rate of at least £41,700 per year or meet one of the other eligibility criteria. Please ensure you are eligible before applying.

A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check against the Children’s or Adults’ barred list as applicable will be carried out on preferred candidates. Read our recruitment of ex‑offenders policy.