SEND Operations Coordinator - 12-Month FTC

Working for Essex; Chelmsford; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

Essex County Council is seeking a SEND Operations Coordinator on a fixed-term basis in Chelmsford to manage the EHC assessment process and coordinate school placement requests for children moving into Essex with an EHCP. This role is a 12-month contract, full-time, offering salary of £29,512 to £34,720 per annum, and requires knowledge of SEND Code of Practice 2015 and Children and Families Act 2014.

Applicants must have the right to work in the UK and be prepared to work in a fixed-base

Qualifications

• Educated to RQF level 3 (A level) as a minimum, or equivalent by experience.
• Evidence of continuing professional development and expert knowledge in relevant professional area.
• Knowledge or experience of working with young people with special educational needs and disabilities and with their families including families that services find hard to reach.
• Thorough working knowledge of SEND Code of Practice 2015 and the Children and Families Act 2014.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to communicate with a varied audience including professionals and parents/carers who may have additional needs.
• Effective time management and prioritisation skills with the ability to manage own workload and adapt quickly and effectively to changing circumstances/situations.
• Ability to chair meetings and liaise with other professionals within Education, Health, and Social Care.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate EHC assessments and EHCP review processes, efficiently and effectively, in line with the Children and Families Act 2014, the SEND Code of Practice 2015 and Essex local authority (LA) procedures. Ensuring all legal documents produced are of a sufficiently high quality to reduce the risk of legal challenge within Tribunal and High Court arenas.
• Act as the LA representative at formal and informal dispute resolution meetings relating to requests for EHC assessments.
• Maintain existing EHCPs to ensure compliance with statutory processes and continued delivery of special educational provision in accordance with Children and Young People’s (CYP) EHCPs. Taking account of Annual Review timescales to appropriately prioritise work and attend priority Annual Reviews were necessary.
• Act as a single point of contact for families and partners during the EHC assessment process providing advice and information throughout the assessment. Ensure children, young people and their families are fully involved in the assessment and/or review process.
• Responsible for requesting and collating required statutory advice, advising on statutory process and timelines.
• Receive and interpret reports and advice, to draft and amend EHCPs which are accessible, and outcome focused and of sufficiently high quality to reduce the risk of legal challenge and comply with the requirements of the legislation and SEND Code of Practice. Identify indicative budgets for the Operations Lead.
• Responsible for organising, chairing, and preparing paperwork for Statutory Annual Review Meetings for home educated children, ensuring that the young person and their family and relevant professionals are fully included.
• Responsible for ensuring data is accurately recorded, in a timely manner to enable the Council to report to stakeholders on a range of subjects including statutory timescales, out-of-authority placements and CYP with alternative education offers. The data will also be used to monitoring and track pupil records.

Job description

Essex County Council is seeking a SEND Operations Coordinator on a fixed-term basis in Chelmsford to manage the EHC assessment process and coordinate school placement requests for children moving into Essex with an EHCP. This role is a 12-month contract, full-time, offering salary of £29,512 to £34,720 per annum, and requires knowledge of SEND Code of Practice 2015 and Children and Families Act 2014.

Applicants must have the right to work in the UK and be prepared to work in a fixed-base