Head of Special Educational Needs & Disability (SEND)

Wirral is home to vibrant, energetic and engaged communities, people who take real ownership of their local area and are passionate about making Wirral a better place. The council and its partners have pledged to #BeTheDifference

We’ve got ambitious targets to meet by 2025. To achieve everything we have promised to our residents, we need people who are driven and ready to deliver the very best for our communities - #BeTheDifference.

Now is an exciting time to join Wirral Children's Services. Our ambition is to #bethedifference for children and young people and we want you to help us achieve it.

Wirral Children’s Services has an ambition to create a sustainable, forward thinking inclusive education offer that grows ambition and underpins prosperity and success in adulthood. Our vision, as set out in our Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Strategy, is for children with special educational needs and disabilities to achieve in early years, school and in college, and lead happy and fulfilled lives.

We are looking to recruit a Head of SEND with drive and ambition to help us deliver on our strategic priorities, place children and young people’s voice at the heart of everything we do and continue to build a model that is integrated and responsive to needs, ensuring children and young people are given the best possible opportunities to achieve their ambitions and reach their potential.

As one of key strategic leaders for education in the Council, in this role, you will be responsible for:

· Providing specialist strategic leadership in the development and maintenance of Special Educational Needs service for the Council including planning and review and compliance with the SEND Code of Practice.

· Leading on the positive engagement and full participation of all relevant service areas, including Health and inhouse commissioners, to develop effective joint commissioning arrangements which effectively meet the needs of children and young people.

· Leading on the strategic implementation, co-ordination and delivery of the integrated assessment, and Education, Health and Care Plans for children and young people up to 25 years.

· Developing, monitoring and maintaining quality assurance processes including the use of information and intelligence activity in the system to influence and contribute to the SEND strategy, with a clear focus on outcomes for children and young people.

· Strategically reviewing special educational needs provision in early years settings, special schools, mainstream schools and post 16 provision to ensure sufficiency of places appropriate to meeting outcomes for all children and young people and to propose and lead change where appropriate.

We are looking for candidates with extensive experience in the field, able to think strategically and to translate the vision for the local area through collaboration and partnership.

You will have good leadership skills that encourage commitment from others and promote a positive, motivated workplace culture.

You will have experience of managing a range of people and teams with different specialisms and develop and create high-performing teams with a culture of achievement and support, focussed on achieving the best outcomes for children and young people.

We are looking for professionals with a sound knowledge of SEN related legislation particularly the Children and Families Act 2014 and its code of practice and experience of commissioning of services and specialist providers both from health and other partners based on local need and demand.

Ultimately, we want committed professionals able to clearly articulate a passion for creating inclusive communities in which children and young people with specific education needs and disabilities can reach their full potential and succeed in adult life.

Further information about the role is provided via the job description and person specification. For an informal discussion, please contact James Backhouse, AD:Education @jamesbackhouse@wirral.gov.uk.

Interviews are expected to take place w/c 17 May 2021.

Do you want to #BeTheDifference?

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The successful applicant must have the ability to converse with members of the public and provide advice in accurate, spoken English

This post is subject to Enhanced Level DBS check.

Please note that in accordance with the Council’s policy, employees who are in a formal redeployment situation will be considered in the first instance for all vacancies.

Applications will be accepted until midnight on the closing date.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy earlier than the specified date should we receive sufficient applications.

Applications can only be accepted through the Jobs page following registration. Forms received via the post will not be processed.

All applicants invited to interview must evidence their right to work in the UK. Details of required documents can be found by clicking the link at the bottom of the Jobs page.

The job description and other supporting documents will not be accessible once the vacancy closing date has passed so if a copy is required you should download it now.

HOW TO APPLY

Please apply online by clicking the link below

https://ats-wirraljobs.jgp.co.uk/vacancies/148241?ga_client_id=a1411270-6bdf-4baf-96db-bafd6dee85a9&type=list