SEND Officer

Rutland County Council; Oakham; On-site; GBP 38,000 - 52,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Generous annual leave

Local Government Pension Scheme

Health and wellbeing focus

Job summary

Rutland County Council seeks a Senior SEND Officer to lead improvements across the SEND Reform Programme, driving inclusion and better outcomes for children and families. You will work with education, health and care partners to embed best practice, support mediation and tribunals, and promote a culture of continuous improvement across the SEND service.

The role requires strong SEND expertise, leadership and a collaborative approach to transform services while ensuring a high-quality,

Qualifications

• Significant experience within SEND services and knowledge of SEND legislation and codes of practice.
• Experience supporting mediation and tribunal activity to drive learning and improvements.
• Excellent relationship-building with families, schools, colleagues and partners.
• A proactive, innovative approach to service transformation and continuous improvement.
• Experience coaching colleagues and promoting confidence, consistency and best practice.
• Commitment to co-production and inclusion across services.

Responsibilities

• Lead improvement activity across SEND reforms and ensure practice strengthens inclusion.
• Coordinate local authority responses to mediation, tribunal and complaint activity.
• Implement quality assurance processes and embed learning into service improvements.
• Provide leadership, coaching and professional support to colleagues.
• Collaborate with education, health and care partners to shape strategy.

Skills

SEND expertise

Mediation/tribunal experience

Relationship-building

Co-production and inclusion

Coaching and leadership

Service transformation

Job description

As a Senior SEND Officer you will play a key role in delivering Rutland's ambitious SEND Reform Programme, helping to drive system-wide improvements that strengthen inclusion, improve outcomes and ensure SEND services are responsive, effective and centred on the needs of children, young people and their families. Working within the SEND and Inclusion team, you will support the implementation of local and national SEND reforms, leading improvement activity that enhances practice, strengthens quality assurance processes and promotes greater consistency across the SEND system. You will work closely with colleagues across education, health and social care, as well as children, young people and families, to develop and embed approaches that deliver meaningful and sustainable change. The role includes coordinating and supporting the local authority's response to mediation, tribunal and complaint activity, ensuring that learning is identified, shared and translated into service improvements. Using insight from feedback, dispute resolution processes and quality assurance activity, you will help strengthen decision-making, improve experiences for families and contribute to improved outcomes for children and young people with SEND. As a senior member of the team, you will also provide leadership, coaching and professional support to colleagues, helping to develop confidence, capability and consistency across the service. This is an excellent opportunity for someone who enjoys supporting others to grow, influencing practice and fostering a culture of continuous improvement. You will work alongside managers and partners to champion innovation, share best practice and help shape the future direction of SEND services in Rutland, ensuring reform is translated into real and lasting improvements for children, young people and families. Additional Requirements The successful candidate will be required to undertake an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. Costs for the DBS are covered by Rutland County Council. Please note that you will need a full driving licence to enable you to travel across the county.

We're looking for someone who is passionate about improving outcomes for children and young people with SENDand who can combine strong SEND expertise with a drive for service improvement. You will bring:

• Significant experience within SEND services, including casework and a strong understanding of SEND legislation, the SEND Code of Practice and statutory processes.
• Experience of supporting mediation and tribunal activity, with the ability to identify learning and use this to improve practice and outcomes.
• Excellent relationship-building skills, with the ability to work collaboratively with families, schools, colleagues and partner agencies.
• A positive and innovative approach, with the confidence to challenge constructively, think creatively and contribute to service transformation.
• Experience of supporting and coaching colleagues, helping to build confidence, consistency and best practice across teams.
• A commitment to co-production and inclusion, ensuring the voices of children, young people and families help shape and improve services., Our values - Passionate,Ambitious, WorkTogether, and Make a Difference - guide everything we do. We're looking for people who share these values and want to contribute to strong

At Rutland County Council, we are seeking enthusiastic, talented and committed professionals to join our growing SEND and Inclusion team as we deliver an ambitious programme of local and national SEND reform. This is a unique opportunity to play a leading role in shaping a more inclusive education system that puts children, young people and families at the heart of everything we do. Our SEND Reform Programme is focused on strengthening inclusion in mainstream education, improving partnership working across education, health and care, embedding meaningful co-production with families, and ensuring children and young people receive the right

• Competitive salary
• Generous annual leave entitlement
• Local Government Pension Scheme
• A strong focus on health, wellbeing, and work-life balance