Senior SEND Consultant - RISE

The Methodist Church in Britain; Normanton on Trent; On-site; GBP 54,000 - 86,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual leave 25–33 days

Flexible working

LGPS pension

Life assurance 3x salary

On-site nursery

Season ticket loan

Lease car scheme

Modern working environment

Job summary

Reading Borough Council is seeking a Senior SEND Consultant to provide leadership across the Reading Inclusion Support in Education (RISE) service. The role oversees SEND Consultants and Specialist Practitioners, coordinating across school clusters and SENCo networks to advance inclusive provision and the borough's Ordinarily Available Provision framework.

The post requires a postgraduate SEND qualification and extensive knowledge of SEND legislation, with strong communication and autonomous

Qualifications

• Postgraduate qualification in a SEND-related field.
• Degree-level qualification.

Responsibilities

• Provide day-to-day leadership, supervision and support to SEND Consultants and SEND Specialist Practitioners.
• Monitor workloads and deploy resources across the service.
• Quality assure SEND advice, reports and school communications.
• Lead SENCo networks and forums on local and national SEND developments.
• Chair operational panels and meetings; ensure actions progress.
• Deliver advice, guidance and training to schools to strengthen inclusive practice.
• Support EHCP assessment requests and provide feedback on unsuccessful applications.
• Build relationships with school leaders, SENCos and partner agencies across allocated clusters.
• Support development of Reading's Ordinarily Available Provision and Graduated Response framework.
• Work with colleagues, schools, families and external partners to shape Reading's SEND offer.
• Drive service improvement and champion high-quality SEND practice across Reading.

Skills

Extensive knowledge of SEND legisl

Inclusive practice

Excellent communication

Professional judgement/autonomy

Education

Postgraduate qualification in SEND-related field

Degree-level qualification

Job description

This Senior SEND Consultant post sits within the Reading Inclusion Support in Education (RISE) service, part of the council's SEND team. The role provides operational leadership across the service, supporting schools to deliver inclusive provision and leading a team of SEND Consultants and Specialist Practitioners. Post-holders work across allocated school clusters, lead SENCo networks and help develop the borough's Ordinarily Available Provision framework. A postgraduate qualification in a SEND-related field and extensive knowledge of SEND legislation are required.

What the job involves

• Provide day-to-day leadership, supervision and support to SEND Consultants and SEND Specialist Practitioners
• Monitor workloads and service demand, deploying resources effectively across the service
• Quality assure SEND advice, reports and school-facing communications, giving professional challenge
• Lead SENCo networks and forums on local and national SEND developments
• Chair operational panels and meetings, ensuring actions progress and outcomes are delivered
• Deliver advice, guidance and training to schools to strengthen inclusive practice
• Support better quality EHCP assessment requests and give feedback on unsuccessful applications
• Build relationships with school leaders, SENCos and partner agencies across allocated school clusters
• Support development of Reading's Ordinarily Available Provision and Graduated Response framework
• Work with colleagues, schools, families and external partners to shape Reading's SEND offer
• Drive service improvement and champion high-quality SEND practice across Reading

What’s required

Qualifications

• Postgraduate qualification in a SEND-related field
• Degree-level qualification

Experience

• Significant experience of SEND advice, consultancy and support in educational settings
• Leading or coordinating SEND provision across multiple schools or services
• Supervising, mentoring or line managing SEND professionals
• Delivering training, coaching or professional development

Skills & knowledge

• Extensive knowledge of SEND legislation, policy and statutory processes
• Strong understanding of inclusive practice and the challenges facing children and young people with SEND
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, able to influence and build relationships
• Sound professional judgement, managing competing priorities and working with a high degree of autonomy

Other

• Commitment to continuous improvement, partnership working and positive outcomes for children and young people with SEND

What’s offered

• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays, rising to 33 days with service, with the option to buy additional leave
• Flexible working opportunities
• Local Government Pension Scheme
• Life assurance of three times annual salary (LGPS members)
• On-site day nursery at Kennet Day Nursery, rated outstanding by Ofsted
• Season ticket loan for rail or bus travel to and from work
• Lease car salary sacrifice scheme for a three-year lease, including insurance, servicing and road tax
• Modern working environment at the Civic Offices in central Reading