Service Manager - SEND

Southampton City Council; Southampton; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Excellent local government pension

Generous holiday

Flexible working options

Employee volunteering scheme

Job summary

Southampton City Council's SEND Service invites applications for a Service Manager - SEND to provide senior operational and strategic leadership across SEND, delivering reform, leading service improvement, driving inclusion and ensuring high-quality support for children, young people and families.

You will work with Heads of Service to ensure delivery of statutory and non-statutory SEND services, lead transformation across the wider SEND system, and collaborate with education settings, health

Qualifications

• Extensive leadership experience in SEND services and education systems.
• Proven ability to lead complex transformation and service improvement.
• Strong collaboration across education, health and social care to secure outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Lead statutory SEND services and EHCP processes.
• Drive quality assurance, performance and service improvement.
• Oversee Southampton 360 model and inclusive practice initiatives.
• Coordinate cluster-based SEND support and funding arrangements.
• Provide workforce development and leadership for managers and practitioners.

Skills

SEND leadership

Team leadership

Partnership working

Data-driven improvement

Change management

Inclusion commitment

Job description

We have an exciting opportunity for a Service Manager - SEN to join Southampton City Council's SEND Service.

About the team

Southampton City Council is seeking an experienced SEND leader to provide senior operational and strategic leadership across our SEND service. This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in delivering our ambitious SEND reform programme, leading service improvement, driving inclusion, and ensuring high-quality support for children, young people and their families. The role sits at the heart of our commitment to creating a more inclusive education system and improving outcomes for children and young people with SEND across the city.

You will join a committed SEND leadership team that is driving transformation across Southampton's SEND system. Working closely with education settings, health partners, social care colleagues, parent carers and children and young people, the team is leading developments including the Southampton 360 model, cluster-based approaches to SEND support, workforce development, quality assurance and service improvement. We are passionate about co-production, inclusion and early intervention, and are looking for a leader who shares our ambition to deliver excellent services while shaping sustainable long-term change for children, young people and families.

About the role

As Service Manager - SEND, you will work closely with the Heads of Service to ensure the effective delivery of statutory and non-statutory SEND services, while leading transformational change across the wider SEND system. The role combines operational leadership with strategic development, ensuring services are compliant, responsive and focused on achieving the best possible outcomes for children and young people.

You will provide leadership across key areas including:

• Statutory SEND services and EHCP processes.
• Quality assurance, performance and service improvement.
• Southampton 360 model and inclusive practice initiatives.
• Cluster-based SEND support and funding arrangements.
• Multi-agency partnership working across education, health and social care.
• Workforce development and leadership of managers and practitioners.

The post also has a significant role in supporting Southampton's vision for inclusion, strengthening mainstream provision, improving outcomes, and ensuring children and young people receive the right support at the right time

About you

We are looking for a highly motivated leader with substantial experience of delivering and improving SEND services within a complex environment.

You will bring:

• Extensive knowledge of SEND legislation, the Children and Families Act 2014 and the SEND Code of Practice.
• Experience of leading teams and managing service performance.
• Strong partnership working skills and the ability to influence across organisational boundaries.
• Experience of using data, quality assurance and stakeholder feedback to drive improvement.
• The ability to lead through change and transformation while maintaining a focus on high-quality service delivery.
• A commitment to inclusion, co‑production and improving outcomes for children and young people with SEND.
• Drive improvement, influence change and support innovation across complex systems.

Above all, we are looking for someone who shares our commitment to inclusion, co‑production and delivering positive outcomes for children, young people and families.

What we can offer you

Here at SCC we have a range of different benefits, a few examples can be found below.

• Excellent local government pension with 15.2% employer contribution
• Death in service benefit of x3 salary, and optional salary sacrifice shared cost AVC (additional voluntary contribution)
• Generous holiday 25–31 days, based on role and service
• Flexible working options (role-dependent)
• Family‑friendly policies - Maternity, Paternity, Adoption, Shared/Unpaid Parental Leave, Time off for Dependents
• Training and development, including coaching and mentoring
• Health and wellbeing support - Employee Assistance Programme, Menopause Pledge, Mental Health First Aiders and access to a variety of staff networks
• Veteran‑friendly employer with the Armed Forces Covenant
• Retail discounts and savings through the Southampton City Council benefits platform
• Discounted memberships at local sports and fitness centres
• Sustainable travel benefits - low emission car scheme, cycle to work, season ticket loans
• Employee volunteering scheme with 2 paid days leave to volunteer

For further information on our benefits package please visit: Employee benefits (southampton.gov.uk)

Contact details for informal discussion: For further information and details regarding the Service Manager SEN please contact Daniel Beck (Head of Strategic SEND) at [e-mail] or Lara Jordan (Head of Statutory SEND) at [e-mail]

Interview Information: Please note that interviews are scheduled for Thursday 5th November 2026.