SEN Officer

Wakefield Council; Wrenthorpe; Hybrid; GBP 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

LGPS pension

Staff wellbeing & development

Job summary

Wakefield Council is seeking a motivated SEN Officer to join the SEND Assessment and Review Team (SENART). You will manage complex casework and ensure statutory responsibilities under the Children and Families Act 2014 and the SEND Code of Practice are met, working with families, schools and health professionals to secure suitable provision.

Responsibilities include leading on EHCPs and appeals, advising on evidence and legal bases, liaising with partners, representing the LA at SEND Tribunal

Qualifications

• Experience managing Education, Health and Care Needs Assessments and Annual Reviews.
• Knowledge of SEND Code of Practice and Children and Families Act 2014.

Responsibilities

• Manage Education, Health and Care Needs Assessments and Annual Reviews, ensuring statutory compliance and timescales.
• Lead on complex SEND casework, providing advice to colleagues and partner agencies.
• Prepare EHCPs reflecting assessed needs and provision; review issues under appeal and advise on evidence and legal bases.
• Liaise with families, schools, health professionals and other agencies to obtain evidence.
• Represent the Local Authority at SEND Tribunal hearings where appropriate.
• Lead or represent mediation meetings to resolve disagreements.
• Oversee allocated SEND Tribunal appeals and mediation cases from notification to final hearing.
• Provide day-to-day supervision to allocated staff and caseworkers.
• Collaborate with schools, families and professionals to secure suitable provision.
• Ensure decisions are child-centred, evidence-based and legally compliant.
• Contribute to service quality assurance and improvement.

Skills

Case management

SEND knowledge

Stakeholder engagement

Legal/compliance

Tribunal representation

Job description

Are you passionate about improving outcomes for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)? Wakefield Council is seeking a motivated and experienced SEN Officer to join our dedicated Special Educational Needs Assessment and Review Team (SENART). This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in ensuring children and young people receive the support they need to achieve their potential. As a SEN Officer, you will be responsible for managing complex casework and ensuring the Local Authority fulfils its statutory responsibilities under the Children and Families Act 2014 and the SEND Code of Practice. You will work closely with families, schools, health professionals and other agencies to secure appropriate educational provision and positive outcomes for children and young people with SEND.,

• Manage Education, Health and Care Needs Assessments and Annual Reviews, ensuring statutory compliance and timescales are met.
• Lead on complex SEND casework, providing advice and guidance to colleagues and partner agencies.
• Prepare high-quality Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), ensuring they accurately reflect assessed needs and provision.Review the issues under appeal, scrutinise the evidence and advise on the strengths, risks and legal basis of the Local Authority's position.
• Liaise with families, young people, educational settings, professionals, witnesses, legal colleagues and other agencies to obtain relevant, current and reliable evidence.
• Represent the Local Authority at SEND Tribunal hearings where appropriate and authorised, presenting the Local Authority's position clearly, professionally and fairly.
• Lead or represent the Local Authority at mediation meetings within the authority delegated to the postholder, exploring constructive and lawful opportunities to resolve disagreements.
• Take the lead on an allocated portfolio of SEND Tribunal appeals and mediation cases, maintaining clear oversight from initial notification through to resolution or final hearing.
• Provide day-to-day supervision, guidance and professional direction to allocated caseworkers and other staff within your area or cluster.
• Work collaboratively with schools, families and professionals to identify and secure suitable educational provision.
• Ensure decisions are child-centred, evidence-based and legally compliant.

• Contribute to continuous improvement and quality assurance across the service.
• Wakefield Council is wholly committed to ensuring children and vulnerable adults are fully supported and safe. We are dedicated to the safeguarding of all children and vulnerable adults whilst promoting their welfare. We expect all staff and volunteers to share this responsibility.

• DBS (Disclosure & Barring Service) The successful applicant will be required to complete a Disclosure Application Form and to provide criminal conviction information.
• Probation In accordance with the Council Probation Procedure, this post is subject to a 6-month Probationary Period.
• Fluency Duty To comply with Part 7 of the Immigration Act 2016 (Fluency Duty), public facing roles will be subject to the Fluency Duty.
• Diversity Having a diverse workforce that is reflective of the communities we serve helps us to achieve the best outcomes for all. We encourage applications from everyone and actively seek to ensure that everyone feels included in the workplace so that we can make the most of our differences.

Why Wakefield To find out more about the benefits of working at Wakefield Council, click .

• A competitive salary
• Generous holiday entitlement with the option to buy up to 10 extra days of annual leave
• Hybrid working (subject to role suitability)
• Access to high-quality training programs to advance your career to the next level.
• We are committed to supporting the wellbeing of our staff. We recognise that resilient teams need good work life balance as well as supportive leadership.
• Discounted and subsidised public transport (Arriva Bus Annual Travel Ticket, Northern Trains Limited (NTL), MetroCard).
• Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) and a Shared Cost Additional Voluntary Contributions (AVC) scheme providing a tax efficient way to increase our pension.
• Great range of benefits including an Employee Assistant Programme, discounted membership to our excellent leisure facilities with free 12 weeks exercise program, discounts for a range of retail, entertainment, health and leisure providers, a cycle to work scheme, and many more