Head of SEND - Improvement and Partnership

Job Description

• Suffolk County Council / NHS Norfolk and Suffolk Integrated Care Board
• Address: Endeavour House, Ipswich, IP1 2BX- Hybrid working
• Salary: £74,716 - £84,404 per annum
• Hours: 37 hours per week, flexible working options available
• Contract: Permanent

We’re looking for a Head of SEND Improvement and Partnership to provide strategic leadership across Suffolk’s SEND Local Area Partnership.

Working on behalf of Suffolk County Council and NHS Norfolk and Suffolk Integrated Care Board (ICB), you’ll lead our shared approach to SEND improvement across education, health and care. This is a partnership role at its heart - bringing colleagues and senior leaders together and strengthening how we work as one system. You’ll build the relationships, shared focus and accountability needed to deliver sustained improvement for children and young people with SEND.

Your role and responsibilities

You’ll provide strategic leadership for SEND improvement across the Local Area Partnership, working across organisational boundaries to turn shared priorities into sustained, system-wide improvement. You will:

• Lead delivery and oversight of the Local Area Inclusion Plan, making sure priorities translate into measurable progress.
• Build strong partnerships across the County Council, ICB, education providers and other partners, creating shared ownership of SEND improvement.
• Influence and challenge senior leaders across the system, building consensus, addressing barriers and strengthening collective accountability.
• Play a prominent role in the partnership approach to SEND inspection readiness, ensuring we have a clear and robust picture of progress and impact.
• Oversee SEND improvement governance, performance, risks and delivery, including the SEND Improvement Board.
• Connect SEND improvement activity with wider SEND reform and day-to-day delivery, helping create a joined-up approach across the system.

You will need

We’re looking for an experienced strategic leader who can operate confidently across a complex partnership.

You could bring experience from local government, health or another relevant part of the SEND system. What’s important is your ability to think strategically, build credible relationships across organisational boundaries and influence senior partners with different priorities and responsibilities.

You’ll need:

• Proven experience providing strategic leadership across complex, system-wide improvement.
• Strong SEND knowledge and understanding of the challenges facing the system.
• Excellent partnership-building and senior influencing skills.
• Confidence to challenge, build consensus and drive collective accountability.
• Highly developed analytical, reporting and communication capabilities.

SEND continues to evolve, with significant reform, changing priorities and a real expectation to deliver improvement. You’ll need resilience and persistence to bring people together, keep things moving and stay focused on what will make a difference. In return, you’ll have the opportunity to shape meaningful change for children, young people and families, working alongside supportive and committed people who want to make a difference too.

You can view a full list of requirements in the Job and Person Profile (JPP), which you can find in the ‘How to apply’ section towards the bottom of this advert.

If you believe you can succeed in this role, apply. Even if you don't meet all requirements, still apply. We would appreciate the opportunity to consider your application.

The team

You’ll work as part of Suffolk’s SEND Local Area Partnership, bringing together colleagues and senior leaders across Suffolk County Council, NHS Norfolk and Suffolk Integrated Care Board (ICB), education and other partners.

Our focus is on working as one system to deliver sustained improvement. You’ll play a central role in bringing that work together, supported by senior leadership across both the County Council and ICB.

Empowering Everyone

We’re big believers in potential, possibility and the power of different ideas. We’re always searching for ways to encourage, respect and enable everyone to be the best they can be. We want to represent the diverse communities we serve. We welcome applications from all individuals, especially those from groups that are currently underrepresented in the organisation, as shown in our Workforce Equality Report.

For more information

If you’d like to find out more about the role, please email cyp.pa.hub@suffolk.gov.uk and we’ll arrange an informal conversation with the Assistant Director for SEND and Inclusion.

How to apply

Step 1 - Read the Job and Person Profile (Word).

Step 2 - Click ‘Apply Now’ to start your online application.

Step 3 - Please upload the following to your application:

1. An up-to-date copy of your CV.
2. A supporting statement (maximum 500 words) explaining why you are interested in the role, what you would bring and how your skills, knowledge and experience make you suitable.
3. Case studies (up to two examples, maximum 250 words each) demonstrating where you have provided strategic leadership for complex, system-wide improvement. Please include the scale and complexity of the work, your personal role and accountability, how you worked across organisational boundaries, and the outcomes and impact achieved.

Please note: Without a supporting statement and CV, your interest will not be progressed. Any supporting documents must be in either PDF or MS Word format.

For guidance on completing your application, please see our How to Apply page.

Planning to use Artificial Intelligence (AI)? Please ensure your application still reflects your own skills, experience and ideas. If used inappropriately, your application may not be processed. Please read our guidance for using AI to understand what’s acceptable.

Do you need any reasonable adjustments to help you to apply? If you are disabled and/or have additional support needs, you can request reasonable adjustments. You can do this by contacting our Recruitment Team at recruitment@suffolk.gov.ukor 03456 014412. You can find examples of possible adjustments on our Reasonable Adjustment pages.

Closing date: 11.30pm, 11 October 2026.

Interview date: To be confirmed.

This authority is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checks or police vetting will be required for relevant posts. #LI-Hybrid

About us

As a modern and effective council, we offer a wide variety of careers to suit people with a range of skills, abilities and ambitions. We offer working options that flex to reflect the way people work today and take the time to understand and support your individual needs. We’re driven to make a positive difference to the world around us and encourage everyone with drive and focus to join us and build an influential and impactful career. Reimagine the possibilities.

In return, you’ll enjoy:

• up to 29 days annual leave entitlement (pro rata), plus UK bank holidays and two paid volunteering days
• membership of a competitive Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
• travel, lifestyle, health and wellbeing benefits
• performance-related annual pay progression, in addition to an annual cost-of-living pay increase
• training and encouragement to expand your knowledge
• a variety of career development opportunities across our organisation
• diverse and active staff networks
• flexible working options, with the right to request flexible working from your first day

If you want to know more about our benefits, values and equality commitments please visit our Suffolk County Council careers website (careers.Suffolk.gov.uk).