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 through 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.

We are seeking an Assistant EHC Coordinator to join our team, providing essential support to the statutory Education, Health and Care (EHC) needs assessment and review process. This contract is offered on a fulltime and temporary basis (3 months). You will contribute to the delivery of statutory processes within required timescales, ensuring all requests for EHC assessments and annual reviews are logged and responded to promptly.

Your responsibilities will include participating in the initial triage of assessment and review requests, ensuring all documentation is complete, and processing annual reviews efficiently when no changes are required. You will also manage a designated area of new EHC assessments and reviews, updating database systems and monitoring timelines to maintain compliance with statutory deadlines, including six-week assessment decisions and four-week review completions.

To thrive in this role, you’ll need a strong understanding of the SEND Code of Practice (0–25), EHC plans, and SEN systems in schools, as well as knowledge of GDPR requirements and the diverse needs of pupils with Special Educational Needs. Excellent IT and administrative skills are essential, along with the ability to analyse data and produce clear reports.

You must be highly organised, able to prioritise and meet deadlines, and communicate professionally with families, headteachers, and partner agencies both in writing and verbally. Empathy and a commitment to providing supportive, customer-focused service to families are key to success in this role.

If you're interested in this role, click 'apply now' to forward an up-to-date copy of your CV including a supporting letter outlining your suitability for the role.

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.

Southend-on-Sea city council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment. All applicants for this role will require an enhanced DBS check.