Strategic SEND Place Planning Lead

Lancashire County Council; Preston; Hybrid; GBP 53,000 - 57,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Local Government Pension Scheme

Excellent annual leave

Job summary

Lancashire County Council is recruiting for a School Place Planning Sufficiency Principal (SEND) to lead the strategic SEND provision across Lancashire. This senior role focuses on forecasting demand, shaping provision, and ensuring statutory duties are met.

You will oversee demand forecasting, capital investment planning, SEND place commissioning and future provision requirements, collaborating with schools, trusts, dioceses and senior officers to sustain a robust SEND estate.

Qualifications

• Degree-level qualification or equivalent relevant experience.
• Significant experience of working within SEND, education, school organisation, sufficiency planning or a related field.
• Detailed understanding of SEND legislation, including the Children and Families Act 2014 and SEND Code of Practice.
• Experience of analysing complex data and presenting findings to a variety of audiences.
• Experience of managing projects and programmes of work.
• Experience of leading, coaching or managing staff.
• Excellent report-writing, stakeholder engagement and communication skills. Project Management qualification. Experience of education capital programmes, commissioning or school place planning.
• Knowledge of planning policy, infrastructure planning and developer contributions.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development, review and implementation of Lancashire's SEND sufficiency strategy.
• Analyse demand, trends, demographic change and housing growth to identify future SEND place requirements.
• Lead on the annual review of SEND sufficiency and contribute to statutory returns, including the School Capacity Survey (SCAP).
• Work closely with colleagues to develop and deliver the SEND Capital Programme.
• Commission additional SEND places through school expansions, specialist units, resource provisions and new schools.
• Contribute to Local Plan consultations and infrastructure planning across Lancashire's districts.
• Develop approaches to securing developer contributions towards future SEND provision.
• Prepare reports, briefings, business cases and recommendations for senior leadership, Cabinet and elected members.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with schools, trusts, dioceses, partners and communities.
• Lead, support and develop staff within the SEND sufficiency function.

Skills

SEND planning

Data analysis

Stakeholder engagement

Education

Degree-level qualification

Job description

Lancashire County Council is recruiting for a School Place Planning Sufficiency Principal (SEND) to lead the strategic SEND provision across Lancashire. This senior role focuses on forecasting demand, shaping provision, and ensuring statutory duties are met.

You will oversee demand forecasting, capital investment planning, SEND place commissioning and future provision requirements, collaborating with schools, trusts, dioceses and senior officers to sustain a robust SEND estate.