Please note that this job will be based in Basildon and both full and part time opportunities are available. Please state on your application which hours are preferred.

Interviews will be conducted in early October - successful candidate will be notified once adverts have closed.

Job Purpose

Essex County Council has embarked upon a programme of change for provision and services with the ambition to profoundly improve the outcomes and life experience of children and young people with SEND. Our vision is for a SEND system which identifies and assesses need at an earlier stage and which provides appropriate and impactful support without a high dependence on Essex County Council's statutory services.

The Senior SEND Operations Coordinator will manage and develop the SEND Operations Co-ordinators within a quadrant, according to the vision for SEND in Essex. Effectively delivering the council's statutory duties in relation to the assessment and review of children/young people with SEND.

With an RQF level 4 a thorough working knowledge of the SEND Code of Practice and experience of working with young people with special educational needs and disabilities.


Service/Functional Accountabilities

Lead a team of SEND Operations Co-ordinators and Assistants within a quadrant, co-ordinating induction, training and development programmes and the allocation of work.

Working with the SEND Operations Lead to develop best practice and provide quality assurance of Education, Health and Care plans (EHCP). Ensuring the team follow requirements in the SEND Code of Practice 2015, Essex Guidelines and maintain the CYP and their family at the heart of the process.

Deliver the assessment and review process for children and young people with SEND, for a dedicated caseload within a quadrant.

Responsible for securing appropriate educational provision (both within and out of the Authority) for all Essex CYP with an EHCP, within an agreed geographical area, in line with the SEND Code of Practice 2015 and legislative requirements.

Working collaboratively with partners in Health and Social Care to ensure their participation in the EHCP process and support direct individual work for the most complex situations.

Managing queries and complaints in collaboration with the Inclusion Partners and reporting upon progress, to ensure resolution in a timely, efficient and appropriate manner.

Progressing and resolving complex situations around CYP including mediation and refusal to assess meetings, with a particular emphasis on the needs of looked after children and children not accessing education. Preparing and presenting casework for submission to decision making panels.

Contribute to the preparation of papers for complaints, tribunal cases, Ombudsman enquiries and responses to letters from parents, MPs and Members to support senior managers.

Contribute to decision making processes within the quadrant, relating to initiation of EHCNAs, issuing of EHCPs and allocation of resources to EHCP.

Specific individual and shared targets and objectives are defined annually within the performance management framework.
* Educated to RQF level 4 or equivalent by experience.

* Evidence of excellent leadership and behavioural skills and management experience.

* Effective time management and prioritisation skills with the confidence to work autonomously and adapt quickly and effectively to changing circumstances/situations.

* Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to build strong working relationships which are collaborative and engender delivery.

* Experience of successful dispute resolution through effective mediation and negotiation.

* Demonstrate excellent interpersonal skills with an understanding of how to facilitate and mediate in situations which are perceived as challenging.

* Evidence of thorough knowledge of the Children and Families Act 2014 and the SEND Code of Practice 2015 and the authority's statutory responsibilities.

* Significant knowledge and experience of working with children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities and with their families including 'hard to reach' families.

* Significant experience of reviewing and quality assurance of Education, Health and Care plans (EHCP) for children and young people.


Qualification certificates should be brought to interview.

As part of employment with Essex County Council (ECC) should your role require a DBS check you will be required to register with the DBS update service. The DBS update service ensures all registered DBS certificates are kept up to date and allows authorised parties to view the status of your certificate. This is an annual subscription and you will be responsible for ensuring this is maintained. For further information on the DBS update service please go to https://www.gov.uk/dbs-update-service.

Essex County Council is proud to offer an excellent benefits package to all its employees. More information can be found on https://www.workingforessex.com/benefits

Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.

We seek the best talent from the widest pool of people as diversity is key to our success.

If you have any queries regarding this role, or require anything further, please contact the Essex Recruitment Team on 0333 013 5888.