EHCP Lead

EHCP Lead

SCP 27-32 £35,745 - £40,221 (depending on experience)

Full time: 37 hours per week and year round

Permanent contract

Location: across multiple sites and hybrid working

Due to a period of continued growth, we are looking to recruit an enthusiastic, flexible and qualified EHCP Lead to join our growing school team, to work within our multi-site setting. Sandgate is a special school for children and young people between the ages of 3-19 years, currently on two sites based in Kendal, but with a new build school nearing completion.

Our school has a large catchment area and accepts students with severe, profound and complex needs. Our students are diverse in terms of their abilities, interests, strengths and sense of humour and therefore, our staff team have a range of experience.

Our growth as a school shows that we are very forward thinking and enjoy working with partners to ensure that we are meeting the growing needs of our students in school and countywide.

Sandgate offers staff a range of benefits. As well as being an integral member of a reputable and trail blazing school, you will have access to:

· Ongoing professional development opportunities

· Mentoring from colleagues within your team

· Variety of students working within a vast array of curriculums and styles of learning to diversify your educational knowledge

· An internal HR and Pay advisory service

· Employee benefits including self-referral for occupational health support including mental health and physical health as well as physiotherapy

· Cycle to work scheme

· Vouchers and discounts for supermarkets, cinema tickets, high street and online retailers as well as much more

· A great pension scheme with high employer contributions

Job Purpose:

To ensure the EHCP process for all Sandgate Students runs to a high standard and effectively while keeping to schedule.

To be the lead officer for a designated number of complex SEND cases including:

1. To manage, facilitate and co-ordinate statutory Education, Health and Care (EHC) assessments and Short Break assessments for children and young people with SEND at Sandgate School

2. To draft statutory Education Health and Care Plans (EHCP) for children and young people with special educational needs

3. To facilitate and co-coordinate the statutory annual review process for EHCP’s and surrounding professional meetings where needed

4. To ensure that children and young people have appropriate support, resources and placements in schools or other educational settings, to enable them to achieve positive learning and identified developmental outcomes.

5. To engage in partnership working in order to find ways of meeting the needs of children and young people with SEND in a creative outcome focused way.

Key responsibilities

1. To manage a defined caseload of EHC assessments, facilitating and coordinating the EHC assessment process for children and young people of Sandgate School within statutory timescales; including where appropriate, the planning for a young person’s transition to adult life. This may include complex cases where there are profound and multiple disabilities or where children are subject to child protection proceedings or are looked after by the local authority.

2. To work in partnership with children, young people, families and professional agencies from education, health, social care and the third sector, to construct, draft and write final needs led EHCP’s, to achieve stated objectives, outcomes and aspirations.

3. As part of the review process, agree amendments to plans against evidenced changes and, where indicated, identify if a plan should be discontinued.

4. Ensure assessments, provision and documents adheres to the principle and statutory processes under the Children’s Act 2004, Education Act 1996, Children and Family Act 2014, SEN Code of Practice 2015, and Equality Act 2010, ensuring that the local authority’s statutory responsibilities and duties are met.

5. Work in partnership with parents and ensure that children, young people and their families are fully involved in the assessment and decision making process and ensure that information, advice and support on EHCP and short break procedures, assessments and provisions is available.

6. Undertake on-going coordination, monitoring and review of EHC plans to ensure that the appropriate level of support is in place and that appropriate progress is being made towards achieving the outcomes specified in the plan.

7. Chair and attend identified meetings as required such as Annual Reviews, Placement at Risk Meetings, Next Steps Meetings, and multi-agency meetings. This may include challenging organisations and senior staff in school, health and social care settings about the provision and quality of services.

8. Engage in partnership working to find ways of meeting the needs of children and young people in a creative, outcome focused way whilst ensuring the principles of value for money.

9. Remain well informed and knowledgeable regarding services available on the Local Offer to support families to make informed decisions.

10. Liaise with educational settings, training providers and other health and care providers to ensure the appropriate support and provision is in place and monitored for children and young people with complex needs.

11. Ensure all records, reports and computer systems are maintained and updated in line with WaF council policies, procedures, and performance standards.

12. To manage the child’s, young person’s and family’s expectations of service provision, mediating problems and issues as they arise.

Sandgate School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare and safety of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Appointment will be subject to (1) satisfactory health checks, (2) references, (3) an Enhanced DBS check and (4) satisfactory completion of a staff suitability declaration form and (5) a self-declaration form will be required from all shortlisted candidates. Online searches are recommended by Keeping Children Safe in Education 2022. The recruitment team will carry out the online search and this is part of due diligence and carried out on any shortlisted candidates. Searches are done in line with GDPR UK/ DPA 2018 as a regulatory requirement. The school is an Equal Opportunities Employer.

Those wishing to apply:

The closing date for applications is Friday 31st May 2024.

We will aim to inform successful Candidates in the following week.

Interviews: 10th June 2024

Role start date: to be discussed at interview.

Complete an application pack, which can be found either on our school website

http://www.sandgateschool.org.uk/information/job-vacancies/ or by emailing cbroom@sandgateschool.org.uk

You may alternatively wish to print out and complete your application form by hand and post this directly to school, to address: Sandgate School, Sandylands Road, Kendal, LA9 6JG

Please label your envelope clearly with: EHCP Lead