SEND Quality Assurance Lead - Hybrid, Impact & Improvement

Local Government South East; Reading; Hybrid; GBP 52,000 - 55,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

LGPS

Life Assurance - three times your annu

On-site day nursery (Kennet Day)

Season Ticket Loan

Lease car salary sacrifice

Job summary

Reading Borough Council invites an experienced SEND Quality Assurance Lead to strengthen quality, consistency and impact across SEND services. You will lead audits, embed a QA framework, and drive improvements with EHCPs, annual reviews and statutory processes.

You will work with education, health and social care partners, focusing on lived experience, inclusion, and inspection preparation, while supporting staff and shaping a child-centred improvement agenda.

Qualifications

• A degree-level qualification or equivalent professional experience in education, SEND, quality assurance, social care, health or a related field.
• Strong working knowledge of SEND legislation, the SEND Code of Practice, EHCP processes and statutory review requirements.
• Experience of auditing, reviewing or quality assuring EHCPs, annual reviews or other statutory SEND processes.
• The ability to analyse complex information, identify themes and risks, and translate findings into practical recommendations.
• Experience of contributing to inspection preparation, self-evaluation, assurance reporting or service improvement.
• Strong report-writing skills, with the ability to present evidence, progress and impact clearly to a range of audiences.
• Experience of working collaboratively across education, health and social care, building relationships and influencing colleagues across organisational boundaries.
• The ability to engage meaningfully with children, young people, parents and carers, ensuring their experiences shape service development.
• Experience of supporting, supervising or managing staff and promoting high standards of practice.
• Above all, you will be curious, analytical and improvement-focused, with the confidence to constructively challenge practice, influence change and bring people together around a shared ambition for children and young people.
• You’ll be part of a team that relies on each individual to play their part to the best of their ability. As well as the colleagues that you work closely with every day, you'll also be part of Team Reading, playing your personal part in making Reading a successful and vibrant place.

Responsibilities

• Leading audits, dip samples, thematic reviews and moderation of EHCPs, annual reviews and statutory SEND processes.
• Developing and embedding our SEND Quality Assurance Framework, ensuring findings translate into meaningful learning and improvement.
• Supporting inspection readiness, coordinating evidence and developing position statements, impact reports and self-evaluation materials.
• Working with SEND leaders, practitioners and multi-agency partners to identify areas for improvement and monitor the impact of change.
• Strengthening the involvement of children, young people and families in shaping service development, including working with Reading Families Forum and Reading IASS.
• Ensuring lived experience and community feedback inform our improvement priorities, particularly for families who may be less likely to engage through traditional consultation.
• Evaluating the impact of key SEND projects and initiatives, including Experts at Hand, RISE and SEND Transport transformation.
• Using data, audit findings and feedback to identify inequalities, improve practice and demonstrate better outcomes.
• Supporting the development of a children and young people's participation strategy, ensuring their voices influence decisions and service design.
• Providing effective line management, supervision and development to Case Officers and/or Assistant Case Officers.

Job description

Reading Borough Council invites an experienced SEND Quality Assurance Lead to strengthen quality, consistency and impact across SEND services. You will lead audits, embed a QA framework, and drive improvements with EHCPs, annual reviews and statutory processes.

You will work with education, health and social care partners, focusing on lived experience, inclusion, and inspection preparation, while supporting staff and shaping a child-centred improvement agenda.