Senior Officer Quality Assurance SEND

Manchester City Council; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 42,000 - 58,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Casual car user allowance

Flexible working options

Job summary

Manchester City Council is seeking two outstanding leaders to join our School Quality Assurance and SEND Service as Senior SEND Quality Assurance Officers. You will lead on implementing Manchester's SEND Reform Programme across schools, settings and partner agencies, driving inclusive practice and improving outcomes for children with SEND.

You will work with schools, families and partners to deliver reform priorities, contribute to the Experts at Hand programme, and support early intervention

Qualifications

• Significant leadership experience in education, SEND, inclusion or school improvement.
• Qualified Teacher Status or equivalent professional qualification is required.
• Strong understanding of SEND Code of Practice and current reforms.
• Experience leading improvement and achieving positive SEND outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Lead SEND quality assurance reviews across schools, early years settings and alternative provision.
• Support implementation of the SEND Reform Plan and Inclusion Strategy.
• Provide support and challenge to schools to improve SEND outcomes.
• Coordinate workstreams within the Experts at Hand programme.
• Develop early intervention and inclusive practice across the city.
• Collaborate with SENDCOs, school leaders and governing bodies to drive sustainable improvement.
• Analyse performance, attendance and SEND data to identify priorities for action.
• Contribute to development of Manchester's inclusion dashboard and QA frameworks.

Skills

Leadership experience

SEND inclusion/education

Qualified Teacher Status

Quality assurance

Stakeholder engagement

Data analysis

Education

Qualified Teacher Status

Job description

Previous unsuccessful applicants need not apply

• Working Hours: 35 Hours per week
• Contract Type: Full time / Permanent
• Working Style: Hybrid - Employees split their time between working remotely (e.g., from home) and working on-site (e.g., in an office).
• Additional Payments: Casual car user allowance
• Closing Date: 11.59pm, 30 September 2026
• Interview Method: In Person

This role is subject to:

• Legal right to Work: In accordance with Home Office guidance, successful candidates must evidence their right to work in the UK before commencement of employment.
• 2 References: where possible we require 3 years' history.
• Qualification: Qualified Teachers StatusQualification
• 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 license and provide your own car for use at work, as well as provide all the appropriate documentation. You will receive an allowance per mile for business use.
• DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) clearance: this post is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (amended in 2013). Appointable candidates will be required to apply 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 which can be viewed here. We have a policy on the Employment of Ex-Offenders, and it is available upon request.

Help Deliver the Future of SEND Inclusion in Manchester

Manchester is transforming the way children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) are supported.

As a UNICEF Child Friendly City and an Outstanding Children's Services authority, Manchester has led the Northwest SEND and Alternative Provision Change Programme on behalf of the Department for Education, helping to test and shape national SEND reforms. We are now entering an exciting phase as we implement our ambitious Local SEND Reform Plan and continue to build a more inclusive education system for children, young people and families.

We are seeking two outstanding leaders to join our School Quality Assurance and SEND Service as a Senior SEND Quality Assurance Officers. You will be part of a highly respected and innovative team that is helping to shape local and national SEND practice. Working alongside schools, families and partners, you will contribute directly to reforms that will improve outcomes and experiences for thousands of children and young people.

This is a rare opportunity to work at the forefront of SEND transformation, supporting schools, settings and partners to deliver meaningful improvements that ensure children and young people receive support that is: Early. Local. Fair. Effective. Shared.

Manchester's vision is:

"For children to live in a place they call home, with people and things they love, in communities that look out for them, doing things that matter."

Through our Local SEND Reform Plan, we are building an inclusive 0-25 system where:

Children and young people receive support earlier.

Mainstream settings are increasingly confident and inclusive.

Families are partners in decision making.

Specialist expertise is available through our innovative Experts at Hand model.

More children can have their needs met successfully in their local communities.

About the Role

• Reporting to the Senior School Quality Assurance Officer (SEND Inclusion Lead) or the Senior School Quality Assurance Officer (SEMH Inclusion Lead) depending on your expertise, you will play a leading role in implementing Manchester's SEND Reform Programme across schools, settings and partner agencies.
• You will support the development of inclusive practice across the city, lead quality assurance activity, and work directly with education leaders to strengthen outcomes for children and young people with SEND.

Key responsibilities include:

• Leading SEND quality assurance reviews across schools, early years settings and alternative provision.
• Supporting implementation of Manchester's SEND Reform Plan and Inclusion Strategy.
• Delivering support and challenge to schools to improve outcomes for children and young people with SEND.
• Leading key workstreams within the Experts at Hand programme.
• Supporting schools to strengthen early intervention, ordinarily available provision and inclusive practice.
• Working with SENDCOs, school leaders, trusts and governing bodies to develop sustainable improvement.
• Analysing performance, attendance, exclusion, attainment and SEND data to identify priorities for action.
• Contributing to the development of Manchester's inclusion dashboard and quality assurance frameworks.
• Working collaboratively with health, social care, family hubs, educational psychology and other specialist services to deliver reform priorities.
• Supporting the development of training, networks and professional learning opportunities for school leaders and SENDCOs.

If you are passionate about inclusion, school improvement and delivering real change for children and young people with SEND, we would love to hear from you.

The appointable candidate will be required to start on 1st January 2027 but start date can be negotiated.

Provisional Interview Date: Week commencing 12th October

We’re the local government authority for Manchester, and have teams across the city helping to make this a great place to live for everyone. We’re proud to do local government differently, in a city with an international reputation for diversity, creativity, culture and passion.

We are looking for an enthusiastic and highly credible professional who:

• Has significant leadership experience within education, SEND, inclusion or school improvement.
• Holds Qualified Teacher Status or an equivalent professional qualification.
• Has a strong understanding of the SEND Code of Practice and current SEND reforms.
• Has experience of leading improvement and achieving positive outcomes for children and young people with SEND.
• Understands how inclusive practice can improve attendance, participation and achievement.
• Has experience of quality assurance, monitoring and evaluation.
• Builds positive relationships whilst providing effective support and challenge.
• Is committed to co-production and the participation of children, young people and families
• The successful candidate will be passionate about inclusive practice in mainstream education.
• They will be able to demonstrate significant impact improving both the experience and outcomes for children with SEND in a mainstream setting.
• The role holder will lead on ensuring all Manchester schools are meeting inclusive mainstream standards, undertaking effective support for our schools and working with external partners to implement our strategic vision for inclusion.

Creating an inclusive team at Manchester City Council

At Manchester City Council, we strive to create a fair and inclusive workplace that is as diverse as the communities we serve. We want to further increase the diversity of our workforce, in particular the number of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic staff and disabled staff at all levels of the Council. This advert is open to all applicants, and we would particularly encourage applications from candidates identifying with one or both of those characteristics.

Guaranteed Interview Scheme

As part of our commitment to inclusion, we offer guaranteed interviews for specific groups of people. To qualify, you'll need to meet the minimum requirements for the role, and identify with one of the below criteria:

• Members of the Armed Forces and veterans
• Are currently in care, or have previously been in care
• If you consider yourself to be disabled or if you have a long-term health condition

Accessibility

As a Disability Confident Employer, we provide support for employees with physical or mental-health conditions, a disability or neurodiversity. Our workplaces are accessible by design, and we make workplace adjustments including providing aids, adaptations and equipment. These, combined with our flexible working policies such as disability-related leave, enable our employees to perform their role, thrive and be their authentic selves in work.

When you join us

We want everyone to be able to be themselves at work and give their best. If you need additional support to undertake the duties of the role, we’ll make every effort to source any necessary aids, adaptations or equipment. If, however, any task proves to be unachievable, we will look at redesigning parts of the role.

Other relevant information

Greater Manchester Continuous Service Commitment
Who we are - Manchester City Council
Privacy Notice