Service Manager - Send Operations

Blackpool Council; Lancashire; On-site; GBP 68,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Blackpool Council in Lancashire is recruiting a Service Manager - SEND Operations to lead and develop key areas of the SEND service, ensuring statutory duties are met while driving our Reform Programme.

You will provide strategic and operational leadership across quality assurance, performance, tribunals, sufficiency planning and multi‑agency improvement, aiming to secure the very best outcomes for children and families.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop key areas of the SEND service, ensuring statutory responsibilities are met while driving forward the SEND Reform Programme.
• Provide strategic and operational leadership across quality assurance, performance, tribunals, sufficiency planning and multi-agency improvement.

Job description

Contract Type: Permanent

Contract Hours: 37 per week

Salary: Grade H6 SCP 53-59 £67,958 - £74,958 per annum

Closing Date: 28th September 2026 at 23:59pm

Lead Improvement. Strengthen Inclusion. Transform Outcomes.

Blackpool is a place of ambition, resilience and opportunity.

We are committed to ensuring that every child and young person with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) can live a happy, healthy and fulfilling life, achieve their aspirations and be fully included within their community.

This is an exciting opportunity to play a leading role in shaping the future of SEND services in Blackpool and making a real difference to the lives of children, young people and their families.

As Service Manager - SEND Operations, you will lead and develop key areas of our SEND service, ensuring statutory responsibilities are met while driving forward our ambitious SEND Reform Programme. Working at the heart of Children's Services, you will provide strategic and operational leadership across quality assurance, performance, tribunals, sufficiency planning, inspection readiness and multi-agency improvement activity.

We are looking for a skilled and inspirational leader who is passionate about inclusion and committed to securing the very best outcomes for children and young people with SEND. You will bring substantial experience of SEND leadership, a strong understanding of statutory responsibilities and the ability to build effective partnerships across education, health and social care.

This role offers the opportunity to influence service transformation at a strategic level, lead complex improvement programmes and help shape a responsive, high-quality SEND system that puts children, young people and families at its centre.

If you are an experienced leader who thrives on challenge, can inspire improvement and wants to be part of Blackpool's journey to deliver excellent SEND services, we would love to hear from you. Together, we can ensure that every child and young person with SEND has the opportunity to achieve, thrive and reach their full potential.

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Charlotte Baron, Head of Service - Children's Services on 07917554305. We look forward to hearing how your leadership, vision and expertise can help shape the future of SEND services in Blackpool.

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We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children/vulnerable adults. This post is subject to satisfactory reference history of at least two years, Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check, medical clearance, evidence of any essential qualifications and proof of Right to Work in the UK in accordance with the Asylum and Immigration Act 1996.

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act and amendments to the exemptions order, which mean that certain offences are 'protected' and do not need to be disclosed, guidance on the "filtering" of offences can be found at New filtering rules for DBS certificates (from 28 November 2020 onwards) - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)