Inclusion Lead Officer – £350 Per Day

Ackerman Pierce Company; Greater Lincolnshire; Hybrid; GBP 56,000 - 73,000; Full time

Job summary

North East Lincolnshire Council is seeking an experienced Inclusion Lead Officer to steer strategic and operational inclusion services. You will lead a multidisciplinary team and shape policy on attendance, exclusions and access to education.

The role offers flexible hybrid working with two days per fortnight in Grimsby and a meaningful leadership remit across education welfare, fair access and alternative provision.

Qualifications

• Significant experience in educational inclusion, attendance, education welfare, alternative provision or local authority education services.
• Proven leadership or management experience within a multidisciplinary education or children's services environment.
• Strong knowledge of statutory responsibilities relating to school attendance, exclusions, fair access and elective home education.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Inclusion Leadership: Lead and develop the Council's Inclusion Services, promoting improved attendance, positive behaviour, fair access and inclusive educational opportunities.
• Service & Team Management: Provide professional and operational leadership to a multidisciplinary team of 13 Inclusion Officers, driving performance, accountability and continuous improvement.
• Education Welfare & Attendance: Oversee education welfare functions and attendance improvement strategies, supporting schools and families to address persistent absence and barriers to learning.
• Exclusions & Fair Access: Lead the Council's Fair Access Protocol and chair Behaviour and Attendance Panels, supporting effective decision-making and appropriate educational placements.
• Alternative Provision: Oversee commissioning, procurement and contract management arrangements, ensuring suitable, high-quality alternative education provision is available across North East Lincolnshire.
• Elective Home Education: Maintain oversight of statutory responsibilities relating to elective home education, ensuring appropriate policies, monitoring and support arrangements.
• Virtual School Support: Provide operational support to the Virtual School, contributing to coordinated educational inclusion and improved outcomes for vulnerable children.
• Policy & Statutory Compliance: Lead the development and implementation of service policies and strategies, including attendance, penalty notices, digital safety, anti-bullying and educational access.
• Partnership Development: Build productive relationships with schools, academy trusts, education providers, families and wider children's services to deliver joined-up solutions.
• Budget & Performance Management: Manage resources, contracts, budgets and operational performance, ensuring services achieve statutory, financial and quality objectives.

Skills

Educational inclusion

Attendance

Strategic leadership

Exclusions

Alternative provision

Job description

North East Lincolnshire Council | Educational Inclusion & Strategic Leadership

Location: Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire
Daily Rate: £350 per day
Working Arrangement: Flexible Hybrid – Minimum 2 Office Days Per Fortnight
Specialism: Educational Inclusion | Attendance | Alternative Provision

Lead inclusion. Remove barriers. Transform educational outcomes.

Ackerman Pierce is recruiting an experienced Inclusion Lead Officer to join North East Lincolnshire Council, offering an attractive £350 daily rate and highly flexible hybrid working.

This is an exciting opportunity for an accomplished education professional to lead strategic and operational inclusion services, helping ensure children and young people can access appropriate education, overcome barriers to attendance and achieve positive outcomes.

With office attendance required for just two days per fortnight in Grimsby, this position offers an excellent balance of senior leadership responsibility, professional collaboration and remote working flexibility.

You will oversee a broad portfolio spanning education welfare, school attendance, exclusions, fair access, elective home education and alternative provision, making a tangible difference to some of the area's most vulnerable learners.

The Opportunity

As Inclusion Lead Officer, you will provide strategic direction and operational leadership across the Council's Inclusion Services.

Leading a multidisciplinary team of 13 Inclusion Officers, you will strengthen service delivery, develop effective partnerships with schools and education providers, and ensure the Council meets its statutory responsibilities for educational inclusion.

The role combines policy development, service transformation, commissioning, operational management and senior stakeholder engagement.

This is a role focused on educational inclusion, attendance, exclusions and access to education, rather than a specialist SEND service leadership position.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Inclusion Leadership: Lead and develop the Council's Inclusion Services, promoting improved attendance, positive behaviour, fair access and inclusive educational opportunities.

Service & Team Management: Provide professional and operational leadership to a multidisciplinary team of 13 Inclusion Officers, driving performance, accountability and continuous improvement.

Education Welfare & Attendance: Oversee education welfare functions and attendance improvement strategies, supporting schools and families to address persistent absence and barriers to learning.

Exclusions & Fair Access: Lead the Council's Fair Access Protocol and chair Behaviour and Attendance Panels, supporting effective decision-making and appropriate educational placements.

Alternative Provision: Oversee commissioning, procurement and contract management arrangements, ensuring suitable, high-quality alternative education provision is available across North East Lincolnshire.

Elective Home Education: Maintain oversight of statutory responsibilities relating to elective home education, ensuring appropriate policies, monitoring and support arrangements.

Virtual School Support: Provide operational support to the Virtual School, contributing to coordinated educational inclusion and improved outcomes for vulnerable children.

Policy & Statutory Compliance: Lead the development and implementation of service policies and strategies, including attendance, penalty notices, digital safety, anti-bullying and educational access.

Partnership Development: Build productive relationships with schools, academy trusts, education providers, families and wider children's services to deliver joined-up solutions.

Budget & Performance Management: Manage resources, contracts, budgets and operational performance, ensuring services achieve statutory, financial and quality objectives.

About You

We are seeking a confident, solutions-focused education leader with the experience and professional credibility to manage complex inclusion services and influence positive change.

You will ideally demonstrate:

Significant experience in educational inclusion, attendance, education welfare, alternative provision or local authority education services.

Proven leadership or management experience within a multidisciplinary education or children's services environment.

Strong knowledge of statutory responsibilities relating to school attendance, exclusions, fair access and elective home education.

Experience working collaboratively with schools, academy trusts, local authorities and external education providers.

An understanding of alternative provision commissioning, procurement and contract management.

Confidence leading professional panels, influencing stakeholders and making complex operational decisions.

Experience managing staff, budgets, performance and service improvement initiatives.

Excellent communication, organisational and strategic problem-solving skills.

A commitment to safeguarding, equality of opportunity and improving educational outcomes for vulnerable children and young people.

Why Consider This Opportunity?

£350 Per Day
An attractive daily rate for an experienced educational inclusion and service leadership professional.

Highly Flexible Hybrid Working
Attend the Grimsby office for a minimum of just two days per fortnight, with the remaining working arrangements offering substantial flexibility.

Significant Leadership Responsibility
Lead a team of 13 Inclusion Officers and oversee a broad range of statutory education services.

Influence Educational Strategy
Help shape local policies, strengthen school partnerships and improve the accessibility and effectiveness of educational provision.

Meaningful Community Impact
Support children and young people at risk of exclusion or disengagement, helping remove barriers to education and promote better long-term outcomes.