SEN Keyworker (Case Manager)

Islington Council; Islington; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 30,000; Part time

Job summary

An exciting opportunity for a part-time SEND Keyworker in Islington to make a significant impact on the lives of children and young people with special educational needs. The role involves coordinating EHC needs assessments, providing parental support, and collaborating with schools to ensure suitable educational provisions. Ideal candidates will possess strong communication skills and a proactive approach to fostering positive outcomes for families.

Benefits

Up to 31 days leave per year

Flexible working arrangements

Learning and development opportunities

Competitive pay with London Living Wage

Excellent local government pension scheme

Cycle to Work scheme

Local discounts from various providers

Qualifications

• Prior experience in special educational needs is advantageous.
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills are essential.
• Motivation to support families with children with SEND.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate EHC needs assessment processes for children with complex needs.
• Act as the Keyworker for families, providing necessary information.
• Develop partnerships with schools to ensure appropriate support.

Skills

Communication

Problem Solving

Teamwork

Education

Experience in education or care environment

Job description

About The Role

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a part time (0.4) fixed term Special Educational Needs (SEND) Keyworkers in Pupil Services. The 0.4 post can be worked over 2 full days (Thursday and Friday) or 3/4 shorter days. To be an Islington SEND Keyworker (Case Officer) you will be passionate about making a positive difference to the lives of children and young people.

You will be working as a key part of the 0-25 SEND structure for Islington, supporting children and young people with an educational need and/or disability (SEND) who are applying for or have an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) and their families. There are opportunities in both the primary and secondary teams.

We are seeking motivated, and family focused SEND Keyworkers (Case Officers) to provide advice and support to parents and children aged 0-25 years with SEND. You will be working with families and professionals to ensure children and young people have the right provision specified in their EHCP, so they are able to successfully progress in education and make the next steps ultimately into adulthood. You will also play a crucial role in developing partnerships with our mainstream and specialist schools to ensure they can support our young people.

Main duties of the job

To act as Keyworker for children with special educational needs and their families. This will include:

• Coordinating EHC needs assessment processes for children and young people with complex needs and their annual reviews.

• Being responsible for the coproduction of Education Health and Care EHC needs assessment for children and young people with complex needs and their annual reviews ensuring provision is secured in line with the Children and Families Act 2014 and SEND Code of Practice.
• Ensuring the authority complies with the SEND Code of Practice including adhering to all statutory timeframes and processes for both new assessments and annual reviews of Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plans
• Writing and amending Education Health and Care (EHC) plans for children and young people with SEND

• Acting as a single point of regular and consistent contact for children, young people and their families, providing information in respect to education options and signposting towards sources of further support.
• Involvement in the Phase Transfer process for the Year 6 into Year 7 young people with EHCP’s.
• Supporting children and families through assessment and planning processes and empowering them to make informed decisions in respect to an appropriate school placements.
• Working in partnership with our mainstream and specialist schools and partner agencies to ensure children and young people have the appropriate provision to meet their needs to enable them to achieve their aspirations.
• Liaising with Education, Health, Social Care, and Voluntary Sector agencies.
• Coordinating different services, practitioners, and agencies, including organising, leading and participating in Team around the Child/Family meetings.
• Opportunities to be involved DfE’s change programme to test and refine national SEND and AP reforms.

Why work in Islington SEND Services?

• In December 2021 Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) conducted a joint inspection of the local area of Islington. Their report was exceptionally positive.
• The findings in the joint inspection identified that leaders are focused on continually improving services in Islington. The area’s joint commissioning arrangements put children and young people’s needs first. Strong, strategic leadership brings together well-established teams across education, health and social care. Working together, their focus is on ensuring children and young people quickly receive the services they need. One successful example of this is the area’s work to redesign services to support children and young people’s social, emotional and mental health.
• There are robust systems and scrutiny measures established which support staff, promote good practice and allow us to focus on positive outcomes for our children and young people.
• We continue to be a DFe SEND sector led improvement partner and have been selected as one of the 24 Local Authorities to deliver the DfE’s change programme to test and refine national SEND and AP reforms.

The SEND Team in Islington are committed to delivering the best service possible to children and young people with SEND and their families and want to work closely with our educational settings and partner agencies to ensure special educational needs and disabilities are well supported. Prior experience is not mandatory but exceptional verbal and written communication skills are. Along this you should have experience within an education or care environment, be proactive, resilient and want to make a difference to our families.

Indicative Recruitment Timeline:

Closing date:Sunday 20th July 2025 at 23:59

Interview date: Week commencing Monday 28^th July 2025

The interview will consist of the following:

1. Unseen task or presentation.
2. Panel Interview questions
3. Questions by Candidate

If you would like to find out more about these exciting roles, please contact:

Julia Foxcroft (SEND Operations Manager) [e-mail] or [e-mail] (Deputy SEND Operations Manager) for an informal discussion.

Working for the team, service and our organisation

Islington is a place rich with diversity and culture. As a council our sense of purpose couldn’t beclearer: we serve. It’s in the logo. We are committed to challenging inequality in the boroughand as one of the largest employers we know that to look after the place and the planet, wehave to look after our people. Together we can change the future.

We are determined to create a more equal Islington, where everyone who lives here has an equal chance to thrive.

To do this, everyone who works at Islington Council lives by a set of values which guide us in everything that we do: collaborative, ambitious, resourceful, and empowering. They spell out ‘CARE’, which is what we think public service is all about.

Our offer to you

We are committed to challenging inequality in the borough and as one of the largest employers we know that to look after the place and the planet, we have to look after our people. Our staff benefits include:

• Up to 31 days leave per year, increasing to 36 days after five years of local government service
• A range of flexible working arrangements to maintain a healthy work-life balance, as well as a 35-hour working week
• Learning and development opportunities to maximise your potential
• Competitive pay and a commitment to paying all staff the London Living Wage at minimum
• Excellent local government pension scheme
• Cycle to Work scheme and discounted gym memberships
• Local discounts from restaurants, shops, health and beauty therapists, and more!

Please note: Priority will be given to those at risk of redundancy within Islington Council. Current employees who are part of the redeployment pool must meet the essential criteria for shortlisting to be prioritised.

Workforce Equality, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Statement

We are dedicated to creating an inclusive and equitable workforce, where everyone is treated with dignity and respect. Our workforce strategy places equality, equity, diversity, and inclusion at the heart of everything we do, reaffirming our commitment to fostering a culture of inclusion. We strive to create an environment where all colleagues feel they belong and can safely express their thoughts, ideas, and challenges, without fear of judgement or discrimination.

We maintain a zero-tolerance approach to any unlawful discrimination, harassment, or victimisation on the grounds of any protected characteristics under the 2010 Equality Act, including but not limited to race, disability, sexual orientation, sex, religion and belief, age, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy, and maternity. Any incidents of discrimination will be promptly investigated and addressed in line with our HR policies to ensure a safe and inclusive environment for all colleagues.

We use data to identify and address disparities, ensuring that our policies and practices are transparent and impactful in promoting a diverse representation of backgrounds and perspectives at all levels of the organisation. We look at inequality through an intersectional lens, recognising that different aspects of someone’s identity can combine to create unique experiences of discrimination and disadvantage.

We know that advancing diversity and inclusion is a continuous journey, and we must listen to our colleagues and learn where we can further improve. We work closely with our Colleague Forums and Trade Unions, supported by active allies from our Corporate Management Team, to monitor and evaluate our practices, identify barriers, and empower colleagues to promote equality and inclusion in the workplace.

Every one of us has a role to play in making Islington Council a truly inclusive workplace. By living out our CARE (collaborative, ambitious, resourceful, and empowering) values every day and embedding the principles of equality, equity, diversity, and inclusion in our work, we can all actively contribute to empowering people and creating a more equal Islington.

Safeguarding

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults, and expects all staff, and volunteers to share this commitment. Some posts are subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

The post is subject toa basic DBS check, qualifications check and 3/5 years referencing.

Disability Confident Scheme

Islington Council operates a guaranteed interview scheme for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum criteria and we are committed to providing support to applicants who request reasonable adjustments to be made during the recruitment process and throughout their career with us.