Special Education Needs Team Manager

Reading Borough Council; Reading; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous holiday entitlement

Flexible working opportunities

Modern civic offices

Life Assurance - LGPS

On-site day nursery Kennet Day nursery

Season Ticket Loan

Lease car salary sacrifice

Job summary

Reading Borough Council is seeking an experienced SEND Team Manager to lead the SEND service (Assessments and Primary) and ensure statutory duties are delivered to a high standard, with a child-centred focus.

In this role you will line-manage SEN Officers, oversee assessments, plans and reviews, chair SEND panels, and work closely with families, schools and multi-agency partners to improve outcomes for children and young people.

Qualifications

• Significant experience within SEND.
• Strong knowledge of relevant legislation.
• Ability to lead and develop teams.
• Excellent communication and decision-making skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the SEND team to deliver statutory duties.
• Ensure assessments, plans and reviews meet deadlines and quality standards.
• Oversee complex cases and provide escalation guidance.
• Drive partnership working with families, schools and professionals.
• Chair SEND panels and contribute to funding and placement decisions.
• Represent the service at meetings and tribunals when required.
• Monitor performance and data to drive continuous improvement.
• Work with multi-agency partners including social care.

Skills

SEND expertise

Leadership

Legislation knowledge

Communication

Decision making

Partnership working

Job description

The job requirements are detailed below. Where applicable the skills, qualifications and memberships required for this job have also been included.

We’re looking for an experienced and driven SEND Team Manager to lead a high-performing Special Educational Needs Service that makes a real difference, focusing on Assessments and the Primary phase.

Our focus is improving outcomes for children, young people and families. In this key leadership role, you’ll take responsibility for the operational management of the SEND team, ensuring statutory duties are delivered to a high standard while championing a genuinely child-centred approach.

This is a fantastic opportunity for someone who combines strong legislative knowledge with confident leadership and a passion for delivering meaningful outcomes.

We seek the best talent from the widest pool of people as diversity and inclusion is the key to our success. Reading Borough Council is a Disability Confident Employer and is committed to the recruitment and continued employment of people with disabilities.

About the role

You’ll lead the effective delivery of SEND services (Assessments and Primary), ensuring statutory duties are met and outcomes for children and young people are improved.

In this role, you will:

• Lead and support a team of SEN Officers to deliver high-quality processes
• Ensure assessments, plans and reviews meet statutory deadlines and quality standards
• Oversee complex cases and provide guidance on escalations
• Drive strong partnership working with families, schools and professionals
• Chair SEND panels and contribute to funding and placement decisions
• Represent the service at meetings and tribunals where required
• Monitor performance, data and service delivery to ensure continuous improvement
• Work closely with multi-agency partners, including social care

About you

You’ll be an experienced SEND professional with strong leadership skills and a passion for improving outcomes.

We’re looking for someone who:

• Has significant experience within SEND and a strong knowledge of relevant legislation
• Is confident working with families and partners in a person-centred way
• Can manage complex situations and make sound, evidence-based decisions
• Excellent communication and leadership skills
• The ability to prioritise and meet statutory deadlines
• A proactive, resilient and collaborative approach

You’ll be part of a team that relies on each individual to play their part to the best of their ability. As well as the colleagues that you work closely with every day, you’ll also be part of Team Reading, playing your personal part in making Reading a successful and vibrant place. Our vision is to ensure that Reading realises its potential as a great place to live, work and play, and that everyone shares the benefits of this success. Our values and behaviours guide how we will achieve this:

Work Together as one team - champion and inspire a culture which ensures that all employees across the organisation work together to provide excellent outcomes for Reading

Drive Efficiency - create an environment in which resources are used efficiently and employees’ skills are developed and used effectively

Be Ambitious - aspire to deliver excellence and inspire and support others to reach their potential

Make a Difference to Reading - inspire a culture in which the customer is the focus and where change is welcomed as an opportunity

Our offer

We offer a supportive environment to grow and develop your career with the opportunity to put your ideas across. Innovation and ambition is strongly encouraged, and you’ll get a great feel for that working in our friendly and collaborative environment.

A competitive salary alongside a range of benefits including:

• Generous holiday entitlement - 25 days holiday each year plus bank holidays - rising to 30 days after 5 years’ service and 33 days after 10 years' service, with the option to buy additional leave
• A wide range of flexible working opportunities
• Modern working environment at the Civic Offices in the heart of Reading
• Life Assurance - three times your annual salary (for members of the LGPS)
• On-site day nursery (Kennet Day nursery) rated outstanding by Ofsted
• Season Ticket Loan - a loan to help with the cost of your rail or bus journey, to and from work
• Lease car salary sacrifice scheme allowing you to lease a brand new, greener car for three years. The monthly fee includes insurance, servicing and road tax

Closing Date: Sunday 20th September 2026 Interview Date: To be confirmed
Interview Process: To be confirmed