Designated Social Care Officer for SEND

Designated Social Care Officer for SEND

Children’s Social Care | Grade L9

Help shape a stronger, more joined-up SEND system for children, young people and families across Devon.

We are looking for an experienced and influential leader to join Children’s Social Care as our Designated Social Care Officer for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). This is a high-profile strategic role with the opportunity to strengthen the social care contribution to Devon’s SEND system and improve outcomes for children and young people.

About the Role

As Devon’s lead social care professional for SEND, you will work across social care, education and health to provide strategic leadership, oversight, expert advice and constructive challenge, ensuring that social care fulfils its statutory SEND responsibilities. You will retain operational oversight of key SEND processes, including the quality of social care advice within Education, Health and Care needs assessments and plan reviews, decision-making forums, performance frameworks and quality assurance activity, while ensuring that children, young people and families remain at the heart of service development.

What you’ll be responsible for

• Leading the development and delivery of the social care element of Devon’s SEND Strategy and embedding SEND reforms across policy and practice.
• Providing assurance that social care meets its statutory duties under relevant SEND legislation and guidance.
• Acting as the principal social care advisor on SEND to senior leaders and elected members.
• Strengthening partnership working across social care, education, health and the voluntary sector.
• Overseeing practice quality, performance measures and improvement activity, including social care contributions to Education, Health and Care processes.
• Supporting meaningful co-production and ensuring children, young people, parents and carers can influence the quality and development of services.
• Leading the development of the social care Local Offer and using data and insight to inform service design and commissioning.
• Building capability and confidence across the workforce through professional leadership, advice, tools and development planning.
• Providing professional line management for up to four staff with specific SEND responsibilities.

About you

You will be a credible, collaborative and resilient leader who can navigate complexity, interpret evidence and influence decisions across a multi-agency system. You will combine strategic thinking with a clear understanding of frontline practice and be confident offering both support and challenge.

You will bring:

• A recognised Social Work qualification with Social Work England registration, or an equivalent degree-level professional qualification relevant to the role.
• Significant management experience within a statutory social work setting, including complex and high-risk work.
• Strong knowledge of SEND legislation, statutory guidance and children’s social care practice.
• Experience of leading services for vulnerable children and families, with particular relevance to SEND.
• A proven record of improving performance, quality and outcomes.
• Substantial senior-level partnership experience and the ability to negotiate, influence and build effective relationships.
• Experience of leading, supervising and developing staff through organisational and practice change.
• A clear commitment to inclusive, anti-discriminatory and child- and family-centred practice.
• Evidence of ongoing professional development.

Why join us?

This is an opportunity to make a lasting difference at system level. You will help shape the quality, visibility and impact of social care within SEND, working with committed colleagues and partners to create more integrated, responsive and sustainable support for children, young people and families across Devon.

We also offer a strong package of benefits that recognises your contribution and supports your career and wellbeing:

• Generous annual leave, and the ability to purchase additional annual leave.
• Free onsite parking.
• Ongoing learning and development opportunities through our Social Work Academy.
• Employee Assistance for the times you may need support & a variety of employee well-being services.
• We promote a healthy work-life balance and offer flexible working arrangements wherever possible.
• Discounts at over 900 national & local high street retailers through our benefits platform.
• Membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme.
• Cycle to work scheme.
• Electric Vehicle salary sacrifice scheme.

For more information about Working for Devon County Council please visit our Working for Devon page.

For any queries or an informal discussion about this role, please contact Carrie Grant, carrie.grant@devon.gov.uk

If you have the expertise, leadership and ambition to strengthen SEND social care practice and improve outcomes across Devon, we would welcome your application.

Closing date is 1st November 2026.

How to apply

Please ensure when completing your application form that you provide a supporting statement which demonstrates how you meet the essential and desirable criteria as described in the person specification of the job description. Applications may not be taken forwards if the supporting statement is not adequately completed.

Internal Applicants, please note: If you are an existing DCC employee, please use your iTrent Employee Self Service (ESS) details to log in and apply.

Please click here to see the Job Description

Additional Information

• DCC embraces the positive benefits of a diverse workforce and is committed to providing an environment that is inclusive and safe. We welcome applications from people who share our commitment to stop discrimination, challenge inequality and promote diversity across Devon. More information can be found on our Equality and Diversity webpages.
• For details on the use of AI in applications and Devon County Council’s use of AI in Recruitment please see Use of AI in Our Recruitment Processes - Working for Devon | Devon County Council
• Happy to Talk Flexible Working - The Council offers flexible working arrangements in terms of when and where people work e.g. hybrid working, part-time, condensed hours etc.
• We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
• This role requires the ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence and fluency in English.
• Personal data we collect from you will be processed in accordance with the Applicant privacy notice.
• For more information about Working for Devon please visit our Working for Devon page.
• This role requires a DBS disclosure.

REQ010740 - Children’s Social Care