Southend-on-Sea City Council is a Unitary local authority, providing vital services to meet the needs of the local community. We employ around 1,800 staff who are working alongside our partners and local communities to deliver the city vision and make lives better for the people of Southend.  

Working for Southend-on-Sea City Council offers a challenging and rewarding career in local government within a collaborative and innovate environment, with the benefit of flexible working practices to support a positive work-life balance. As a Unitary Authority we are responsible for all local government functions ranging from social services, transport, public health and parks to planning, trading standards, community safety and education, so we offer a wide range of career opportunities. The diversity of our economy and communities and investment in a number of exciting regeneration projects makes our Council a great place to work, learn and make a difference.

Lead with purpose – Make a difference in the lives of Children and Young People with SEND. 

This is an exciting time to be joining Southend’s SEND Services. Southend-on-Sea City council has invested significantly in services to support schools, children, young people and their families and has successfully developed and implemented a new specialist teaching team to provide direct support to schools in meeting the needs of children with special education needs. In addition, we have made rapid improvements to performance regarding statutory timelines for SEND assessments and have grown the expertise of our Education Psychology team to beyond statutory delivery with a new EP Wellbeing Team and traded service for non-statutory interventions.

Southend-On-Sea city council is seeking a leader who is driven and experienced to take on a pivotal role of Senior Lead of Statutory SEND services. This is a unique opportunity to shape high quality, inclusive support for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), ensuring their rights are upheld and their potential is realised. This post is one of the most senior specialist SEND roles within the council with delegated responsibilities of the Head of SEND Assessment, Access and Inclusion for the SEND Statutory duties. This contract is offered on a full time and permanent basis with hybrid and flexible working pattern.

As a senior lead of statutory SEND service delivery, you will provide strategic leadership and operational management of the SEND Assessment and Review Team. You will be joining at a time of growth in this team and pivotal in the design and development of team structures and permanent appointments.

You will lead a high-performing team to deliver timely, person-centred services that support positive outcomes for children, young people and their families. You will be responsible for leading, supervising and managing the end-to-end Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal (SENDIST) process. In doing so, they will lead and oversee the representation of the Council at SEND Tribunal which attracts a high level of national scrutiny from stakeholders.

In addition to strategic service planning and delivery, you will lead the operational management and service performance of the SEND assessment, plans and reviews. You will be the delegated lead and manage the relevant areas of the SEND service budget on behalf of the Head of SEND Assessment, Access and Inclusion ensuring compliance with commissioning agreements. You will be the be the main point of contact for all SEND related enquiries from elected councilors and members of parliament, providing responses in line with the required council process.

Although this role is offered on a hybrid basis (blend of working from home and office), to meet the demands of this role, the successful candidate will be expected to be in the office at least 3 days a week with attendance at evening meetings as necessary.

To be successful in this role, you must have proven experience of working at a senior level in an SEND related role. You must have in-depth knowledge of SEND legislation, statutory frameworks, and best practice. It is essential that you have proven leadership experience within education, children’s services, or local authority settings. You must have strong track record in managing complex systems and delivering service improvements. It is vital that you can build effective relationship, trust and credibility with a wide range of stakeholders, including schools, professionals and partners e.g. Health/Social Care, parents, carers and children with SEND and coproducing with these groups. You must have experience in in SEND Casework and SEND legal processes.

Your application will not be considered if you are not educated to degree level. Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) will be highly desirable but not essential.

When joining the council, you can enjoy a range of benefits including: 25 days annual leave, flexible working and excellent training and development opportunities. They are committed to ensuring that you are supported in this varied and challenging role with the appropriate level of training. A full list of benefits provided by Southend Council can be viewed on the "Why Work For Us?" tab.

If you're interested in this role, click 'apply now' to forward an up-to-date copy of your CV.

Please note: Applications for this vacancy may close prior to the date advertised above so you are advised to apply as soon as you are able to.

If you would like a copy of the Job Description, please click here 

The Council is an equal opportunities employer. We welcome applications, regardless of race, sex, disability, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marital or civil partner status, pregnancy or maternity, age or religion or belief.