Local Authority Partnerships & School Placements Manager

Specialist SEND Group; Harrow; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

Specialist SEND Group is seeking a Local Authority Partnerships & School Placements Manager to oversee and enhance the referral and placement processes across its SEND schools. The successful candidate will develop strong relationships with Local Authorities and support families through the admissions journey, ensuring a seamless placements process.

This role is essential for improving referral conversion rates and ensuring that placements align with the specific needs of pupils. Candidates should have experience in SEND education and strong relationship-building skills.

Qualifications

• Experience liaising with Local Authorities and multi-agency professionals.
• Ability to manage multiple referrals and priorities simultaneously.
• High levels of professionalism, discretion, and emotional intelligence.

Responsibilities

• Oversee the referral and placement coordination process across the group’s SEND schools.
• Develop and maintain positive relationships with SEND case officers.
• Coordinate assessments, school visits, parent meetings, and transition planning.

Skills

Experience working within SEND education

Strong understanding of EHCP processes

Excellent organisational and communication skills

Ability to manage multiple referrals

Strong relationship-building capability

Job description

Local Authority Partnerships & School Placements Manager

Job Reference: –

Reporting to: Lead Executive Head teacher

Salary: £40,000 – £50,000 per annum

Location: Across all school sites, primarily Harrow – Harrow, Neasden, Twickenham, Kings Cross, St Albans

Contract: Permanent (52 weeks)

Role Purpose

The Local Authority Partnerships & School Placements Manager will oversee the referral, assessment, and placement coordination process across the group’s SEND schools. The role is designed to strengthen relationships with Local Authorities, improve referral conversion rates, support families through the admissions journey, and ensure a professional, responsive, and organised placements process from initial referral through to pupil transition. This is not a traditional sales role. The successful candidate will act as a trusted liaison between Local Authorities, families, and schools, ensuring that placements are handled efficiently, ethically, and in line with pupils’ needs and the schools’ specialist provision.

Key Responsibilities

Local Authority Relationship Management

• Develop and maintain positive working relationships with SEND case officers, commissioning teams, SEN managers, and associated professionals across Local Authorities.
• Act as a primary point of contact for placement discussions and referral coordination.
• Attend Local Authority meetings, commissioning discussions, consultations, and networking events where appropriate.
• Build long‑term strategic relationships with boroughs to support sustainable referral pathways.

Referral & Placement Coordination

• Oversee the end‑to‑end referral pipeline across the group’s schools.
• Ensure referrals are responded to promptly and professionally.
• Coordinate assessments, school visits, parent meetings, and transition planning.
• Liaise with school leadership teams regarding suitability and placement decisions.
• Track all referrals from enquiry through to placement outcome.
• Ensure accurate records and reporting are maintained.

Family & Stakeholder Liaison

• Support families throughout the consultation and admissions process.
• Coordinate communication between parents, schools, and Local Authorities.
• Ensure families feel informed, supported, and confident during transition planning.
• Assist in resolving concerns or barriers affecting placements.

Data, Reporting & Analysis

• Monitor referral trends, conversion rates, occupancy forecasting, and commissioning activity.
• Produce regular management reports covering referral numbers, conversion rates, placement outcomes, reasons for lost placements, borough activity, fee sensitivity trends, and transport/distance challenges.
• Identify operational or strategic improvements to enhance placement conversion and occupancy levels.

Commercial & Strategic Support

• Work with leadership teams to identify opportunities for improved Local Authority engagement.
• Support discussions around placement structures and fee positioning where appropriate.
• Assist with market intelligence relating to SEND commissioning trends and local demand.
• Contribute to strategic occupancy planning across the school group.

Transition & Placement Quality

• Ensure placements are suitable, realistic, and aligned with the school’s specialist provision.
• Coordinate smooth pupil transitions into school settings.
• Support strong communication between education, therapy, pastoral, and family stakeholders.
• Promote long‑term placement stability and positive outcomes for pupils.

Person Specification – Essential Experience

• Experience working within SEND education, Local Authority SEND services, commissioning, or school admissions.
• Strong understanding of EHCP processes and SEND placement pathways.
• Experience liaising with Local Authorities and multi‑agency professionals.
• Excellent organisational and communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple referrals and priorities simultaneously.
• Strong relationship‑building capability.
• High levels of professionalism, discretion, and emotional intelligence.

Desirable Experience

• Previous experience within Local Authority SEND teams, independent specialist schools, SEND commissioning, SEN case management, or school leadership/SENCO roles.
• Knowledge of London borough commissioning processes.
• Experience using CRM or referral tracking systems.
• Understanding of occupancy management and school growth planning.

Personal Qualities

• Relationship‑driven rather than sales‑driven.
• Calm, credible, and solutions‑focused.
• Highly organised and detail‑oriented.
• Professional and collaborative approach.
• Able to build trust with Local Authorities and families alike.
• Ethical and child‑centred in decision‑making.
• Commercially aware without compromising educational integrity.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Referral response times
• Referral‑to‑assessment conversion rate
• Assessment‑to‑placement conversion rate
• Occupancy levels across schools
• Parent and Local Authority feedback
• Placement stability and retention
• Accuracy and quality of reporting data
• Growth in repeat Local Authority referrals

Salary and Benefits

Competitive salary dependent on experience, plus potential performance‑related bonus structure linked to occupancy and placement outcomes.

Application Deadline

31 August 2026