SENDIASS Advisor

Manchester City Council; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 19,000 - 28,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Up to 26 days annual leave

Buy up to two extra weeks' leave

Volunteering leave

35-hour week for full-time roles

Pension scheme

Employee discounts

Job summary

Manchester City Council invites applications for a SENDIASS Advisor. You will provide impartial information and guidance to families of children and young people with SEND, working within statutory SENDIASS frameworks and collaborating with schools, health, and social care teams.

The role emphasizes co-production with families to shape service development. You will support families via a dedicated helpline and face-to-face sessions, ensuring up-to-date knowledge of SEND legislation and practice,

Qualifications

• Experience providing information, advice and support to parents and carers within the SEND system.
• Ability to manage complex caseloads sensitively whilst maintaining confidentiality and impartiality.
• Evidence of developing partnership working with education, health and care providers to promote positive outcomes for children and their families.

Responsibilities

• Provide impartial information and advice to parents/carers of children and young people with SEND within statutory SENDIASS requirements.
• Support families via helpline and face-to-face sessions in community settings.
• Keep up to date with SEND legislation and SEND Code of Practice.
• Collaborate with parents, schools/settings, Family Hub teams, Social Care and Health colleagues and partners.
• Work with families and schools/settings to ensure children receive needed support to achieve outcomes.

Skills

SEND knowledge

Partnership working

Confidentiality

Education

Level 3 IPSEA SEND Law

Job description

Working Hours: 17.5 hours

Contract Type: Part time / Temporary (3 Years)

Working style: Hybrid - Employees split their time between working remotely (e.g., from home) and working on-site (e.g., in an office)

Closing date: 11.59, 17 November 2026

Interview Method: In Person (Face to Face)

Skilled Worker Sponsorship

You must already have a valid right to work in the UK documentation, as we cannot offer visa sponsorship for this role.

As a SENDIASS Advisor, you’ll be part of a small, dedicated team providing free, confidential and impartial information, advice and support to families of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

You’ll work closely with families and partners across education, health and care, building positive relationships with settings, schools and post-16 providers. Co-production will be central to your role, ensuring families are supported, heard and able to influence service development.

Your work will contribute to Manchester’s ambition for children and young people to live fulfilling lives within supportive communities.

In This Role You Will

• Provide impartial information and advice to parents carers of children and young people with SEND about their education working within the statutory requirements for SENDIASS Services.
• Support families through a dedicated helpline and offer face to face sessions in community settings and family hubs
• Keep up to date with current SEND legislation and the SEND Code of Practice
• Work with Our network of parents and carers, Schools and settings, Family Hub teams, Social Care and Health colleagues as well as voluntary and community sector partners.
• This is a varied role which involves working with families and schools/settings to ensure children and young people are receiving the support they need to achieve their outcomes, this includes supporting families directly and working closely with partners to achieve this.

For queries about the role, please contact the hiring manager, Maureen Howell, at [e-mail]. to arrange a convenient time to discuss the role.

Pre-employment checks

• Qualification - Level 3 IPSEA SEND Law qualification, this must be achieved within 12 months of starting in the post.
• DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) clearance- The post is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (amended in 2013). Appointable candidates will be required to apply for an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. Information provided by you or the DBS will be dealt with in a confidential manner and in accordance with the DBS Code of Practice . We have a policy on the secure handling, storage and use of DBS information, as well as a policy on the recruitment and employment of ex-offenders. Both policies are available on request.
• If you have lived or worked abroad for 3 months or more in the last 5 years or 12 months or more (whether continuously or in total) in the last 10 years whilst aged 18 or over, please refer to GOV UK for details for how to obtain your Police check or Certificates of Good Character.
• Casual Car Documentation- The successful candidate will be a designated Casual Car User which means that car journeys may be necessary on an occasional basis, but are not essential to the role. If you do drive, you must always hold a full valid driving licence and provide your own car for use at work, as well as provide all the appropriate documentation. You will receive an allowance per mile of business use.
• Satisfactory references and other pre-employment checks where applicable.

For more information on these checks, please visit checks page.

This is an exciting opportunity to join a small team supporting the delivery of the SEND Reforms. You’ll be passionate about improving outcomes for children and young people with SEND, with good knowledge of the SEND system, experience in education and a strong commitment to inclusion.

We’ll Use The Following Essential Criteria To Decide Which Candidates To Invite To Assessment. Use Your Personal Statement To Provide Evidence Of How You Meet Each One, Supported By Relevant Examples

• Demonstrable experience of providing information, advice and support to parents and carers within the special educational needs system and the ability to provide complex legal information in an accessible way.
• Ability to manage complex caseloads sensitively using a solution focussed approach whilst maintaining confidentiality and impartiality.
• Demonstrable evidence of developing partnership working with education, health and care providers to promote positive outcomes for children, young people and there families

If you’re invited to assessment, we’ll look at a wider range of the role requirements. For more detail, please see the role profile.

Use of AI

You may use AI to support your application, but all examples must be your own and based on real experience. Applications may be withdrawn if content is misleading or presents someone else's experience as your own. Internal candidates may also face disciplinary action.

Guaranteed Assessment Scheme

We guarantee progression to the assessment stage for applicants who meet the essential criteria used for shortlisting and are eligible under the scheme. Learn more

Support and Adjustments

If you're successful in securing a role, we'll make every effort to provide the support, equipment and reasonable adjustments you need to carry out your duties. Where needed, we'll consider adapting aspects of the role. Learn more

Working for Manchester City Council is a chance to make a real difference in a diverse city. You’ll help improve lives and support our local communities. Working together, we can create better public services for everyone.

Benefits we offer

• Up to 26 days’ annual leave, rising to 31 days after five years’ service
• Buy up to two extra weeks’ leave
• Up to 3 days’ volunteering leave
• A 35-hour work week for full-time roles
• We review pay each year and recognise three trade unions
• A defined benefit pension scheme
• Enhanced parental and carers leave
• Employee discounts and perks

Learn more at Careers - Manchester City Council

Our commitment to inclusion

At Manchester City Council, we're dedicated to creating a workplace that fully reflects the diversity of our local communities. We actively encourage applications from people of all ages and backgrounds and are particularly keen to hear from applicants from ethnic minority communities and disabled people, who remain underrepresented in parts of our workforce.

GM Elevate Programme

If you have completed the GM Elevate (Leadership Development) Programme, please indicate this within the 'Personal Statement' section or 'Supporting Statement' section of your application.

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