SEND Reform Implementation Lead

EMEA3 Recruitment; Chichester; On-site; GBP 72,000 - 76,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Local government pension

30 days holiday (plus buy extra)

Flexible working options

Training and development opportunities

Job summary

West Sussex County Council is seeking a SEND Reform Implementation Lead to shape and deliver the SEND Reform and Transformation Programme at a county level. You will drive cross‑agency collaboration across education, health and care, to create proactive and inclusive services for children and families.

You will lead strategic change, balance statutory requirements with capacity and budget sustainability, and influence decision-making at senior levels within a complex public sector environment.

Qualifications

• Knowledge of statutory responsibilities of the Local Authority regarding The Children and Families Act 2014, and SEND Code of Practice, 'Every Child Achieving and Thriving' (2026) and associated guidance.
• Experience at a strategic level within a school, local authority or public body with demonstrable positive impact.
• Experience of working with statutory partners to develop and delivery strategic responses to systemic issues.
• Experience of working with schools and settings; data and budget management experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead the delivery of long-term change programmes, balancing statutory compliance, service capacity and financial sustainability.
• Provide expert advice, build strong relationships and influence decision-making across organisational boundaries.
• Align your work with wider Council priorities to drive improvements for children and families.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic leadership

Policy translation

Effective communication

Negotiation

Influencing

Education

Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) - Desirable

Job description

Salary: Hay D -£71,847 to £76,352 per annum
Contract Type: Fixed Term Contract until March 2028

Working Pattern: Full time – 37 hours per week
Location: Based at County Hall, Chichester

Interviews: 7th October 2026

Internal candidates wishing to apply for this role will be considered for a secondment position. Please can you therefore discuss and agree this with your manager before applying for this position.

An opportunity has arisen for you to join West Sussex County Council as the SEND Reform Implementation Lead

This is a unique and exciting opportunity to play a central role in shaping the future of SEND across West Sussex. As we deliver our ambitious SEND Reform and Transformation Programme, we are redesigning how support is provided to children, young people and families through our developing Experts at Hand (locality inclusion networks) model. This approach brings together expertise from across education, health and care to create a system that is proactive, preventative and rooted in strong relationships with children, young people and their families.

As a key member of the SEND & Inclusion Service, you will be at the forefront of driving meaningful change. Your work will directly influence how effectively we identify needs earlier, intervene sooner and ensure that children and young people receive the right support at the right time. Through your leadership, expertise and collaboration, you will help create the conditions for children and young people to thrive, achieve their potential and experience greater inclusion within their local communities.

Working within a locally coordinated, multi-agency model, you will collaborate with professionals from across education, health and care to strengthen early intervention, build capacity within mainstream schools and settings, and improve access to specialist support where it is needed most. Your contribution will be critical in helping schools and practitioners develop the confidence, skills and knowledge required to meet a wide range of needs effectively.

This is more than a role within a service. It is an opportunity to be part of a fundamental shift in how SEND support is delivered across West Sussex. You will help shape a more inclusive, sustainable and responsive system, ensuring that every decision we make is focused on improving outcomes, reducing barriers and enabling children and young people to lead fulfilling and successful lives.

If you are passionate about inclusion, committed to improving outcomes and motivated by the opportunity to lead transformational change, we would love to hear from you.

The Opportunity

This is a strategic leadership role that offers the opportunity to shape and deliver a key element of our education strategy, improving outcomes for children and young people. Working in a complex and evolving environment, you will use sound professional judgement to analyse ambiguous and often incomplete information, developing sustainable solutions that support the transition from current statutory frameworks to new legislative requirements.

You will lead the delivery of long-term change programmes, balancing statutory compliance, service capacity and financial sustainability through phased implementation. Working closely with colleagues, partners and senior leaders, you will provide expert advice, build strong relationships and influence decision-making across organisational boundaries.

The role requires strong strategic leadership, excellent negotiation skills and a proven ability to manage resources effectively while ensuring high-quality service delivery. As part of a large and ambitious organisation, you will align your work with wider Council priorities, identifying opportunities to contribute to corporate objectives and drive positive change across services. This is an exciting opportunity for an ambitious leader who is passionate about delivering meaningful and lasting improvements for children, young people and families.

What you will bring to the role:

To be successful in this role you will have:

Knowledge and Experience:

• Knowledge of the statutory responsibilities of the Local Authority in relation to The Children and Families Act 2014, and SEND Code of Practice, 'Every Child Achieving and Thriving' (2026) and associated guidance, Provision and support for children with SEND.
• Experience of working at a strategic level within a school, local authority or public body with demonstratable positive impact.
• Experience of working with statutory partners to develop and delivery strategic responses to systemic issues.
• Experience of working with schools and settings.
• Experience of managing data and budgets.
• Experience of reporting on performance for large-scale programmes.

Key Skills:

• Leadership skills, with the ability to develop and implement new strategies and initiatives.
• Ability to translate local and national policy into practice.
• Ability to communicate effectively with a range of people in a clear, concise and accurate manner, changing messages to suit different audiences, including negotiation and influencing skills.
• Ability to demonstrate adaptability and resilience, when working under pressure.
• Ability to foster a culture that is tolerant of risk and prioritises outcomes for the education of children.
• Ability to manage and motivate teams of specialist staff and create a culture of best practice and development.
• Ability to influence outcomes outside of own sphere of direct control.
• Ability to demonstrate how the travel requirements of the role will be met.
• Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) - Desirable

For more information on the Key Skills as well as the Qualifications and/or experience required, please refer to the Job Description attached.

About Us and What We Offer You

Here at West Sussex County Council, we are ambitious for our children and our workforce. We are committed to improving our services for the children and families in West Sussex we support. You will join us as at a key time on our improvement journey.The work we have started includes establishing a new and experienced senior leadership team and driving forward our 'Families First' improvement plan. You will be trained in motivational interviewing, to support our strengths-based approach to working with families and creating lasting change for children.

We don't underestimate the work that still needs to be undertaken and the challenge ahead, we are confident in our approach and excited about the changes occurring. That's why we need professionals, like you, who really want to be part of the positive change that is happening for children. Be part of an ambitious improvement plan and make a significant difference to children and families in West Sussex. There has never been a more rewarding time to join.

As an employer we recognise that it is our employees that are central to everything we do. We aim to create a supportive and dynamic working environment where employees can achieve their full potential, achieve a healthy work-life balance and are rewarded for the work they do. Upon joining us you will have access to a range of benefits including:

• an excellent local government pension scheme
• generous holiday entitlement of 30 days (plus opportunity to buy additional leave)
• a range of flexible working options, depending on your job role
• maternity, paternity, dependency and adoption leave
• volunteering opportunities
• training and development opportunities, including coaching and mentoring
• a range of discounts giving our staff access to hundreds of offers; groceries, travel, cinema tickets, days out, leisure activities, high street retailers and the opportunity to save over £1,000 a year through our West Sussex Choices benefits platform
• health and wellbeing benefits including access to our Employee Assistance Programme, Mental Health First Aiders and Voluntary Health Cash Plans

For a full list this can be found at our Rewards and Benefits page.

Further information

The reference number for this role is CAFHE06525.

For an informal conversation or for further information regarding the role, please contact Jack Jones (Head of SEND and Inclusion) at [e-mail]. For issues or queries regarding your application please contact [e-mail].

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check, 5 years referencing and a health check.

Equity, inclusion and accessibility is very important to West Sussex County Council. We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, as this helps us build a diverse and talented workforce, that reflects the communities we serve. We ensure our approach to recruitment is flexible and supportive to enable all applicants to be at their best and to ensure they have the best possible chance of success.

We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants that have a disability, are a veteran or are a care leaver. More information can be found on our application help page.