SEN Officer

Are you passionate about improving outcomes for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)?

Wakefield Council is seeking a motivated and experienced SEN Officer to join our dedicated Special Educational Needs Assessment and Review Team (SENART). This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in ensuring children and young people receive the support they need to achieve their potential.

As a SEN Officer, you will be responsible for managing complex casework and ensuring the Local Authority fulfils its statutory responsibilities under the Children and Families Act 2014 and the SEND Code of Practice. You will work closely with families, schools, health professionals and other agencies to secure appropriate educational provision and positive outcomes for children and young people with SEND.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage Education, Health and Care Needs Assessments and Annual Reviews, ensuring statutory compliance and timescales are met.
• Lead on complex SEND casework, providing advice and guidance to colleagues and partner agencies.
• Prepare high-quality Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), ensuring they accurately reflect assessed needs and provision.Review the issues under appeal, scrutinise the evidence and advise on the strengths, risks and legal basis of the Local Authority’s position.
• Liaise with families, young people, educational settings, professionals, witnesses, legal colleagues and other agencies to obtain relevant, current and reliable evidence.
• Represent the Local Authority at SEND Tribunal hearings where appropriate and authorised, presenting the Local Authority’s position clearly, professionally and fairly.
• Lead or represent the Local Authority at mediation meetings within the authority delegated to the postholder, exploring constructive and lawful opportunities to resolve disagreements.
• Take the lead on an allocated portfolio of SEND Tribunal appeals and mediation cases, maintaining clear oversight from initial notification through to resolution or final hearing.
• Provide day-to-day supervision, guidance and professional direction to allocated caseworkers and other staff within your area or cluster.
• Work collaboratively with schools, families and professionals to identify and secure suitable educational provision.
• Ensure decisions are child-centred, evidence-based and legally compliant.
• Contribute to continuous improvement and quality assurance across the service.

What can I expect?

• A competitive salary
• Generous holiday entitlement with the option to buy up to 10 extra days of annual leave
• Hybrid working (subject to role suitability)
• Access to high-quality training programs to advance your career to the next level.
• We are committed to supporting the wellbeing of our staff. We recognise that resilient teams need good work life balance as well as supportive leadership.
• Discounted and subsidised public transport (Arriva Bus Annual Travel Ticket, Northern Trains Limited (NTL), MetroCard).
• Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) and a Shared Cost Additional Voluntary Contributions (AVC) scheme providing a tax efficient way to increase our pension.
• Great range of benefits including an Employee Assistant Programme, discounted membership to our excellent leisure facilities with free 12 weeks exercise program, discounts for a range of retail, entertainment, health and leisure providers, a cycle to work scheme, and many more

Want to know more?

If you would like to know more about the role, the recruitment process or working for Wakefield Council, feel free to contact.

Name: Sam Kitchingman

Tel: 01924 302465

E-mail: sengroup@wakefield.gov.uk

Join us and make a real impact in the community. Apply today to become a valued member of our team!

Safeguarding

Wakefield Council is wholly committed to ensuring children and vulnerable adults are fully supported and safe. We are dedicated to the safeguarding of all children and vulnerable adults whilst promoting their welfare. We expect all staff and volunteers to share this responsibility.

DBS (Disclosure & Barring Service)

The successful applicant will be required to complete a Disclosure Application Form and to provide criminal conviction information.

Probation

In accordance with the Council Probation Procedure, this post is subject to a 6-month Probationary Period.

Fluency Duty

To comply with Part 7 of the Immigration Act 2016 (Fluency Duty), public facing roles will be subject to the Fluency Duty.

Diversity

Having a diverse workforce that is reflective of the communities we serve helps us to achieve the best outcomes for all. We encourage applications from everyone and actively seek to ensure that everyone feels included in the workplace so that we can make the most of our differences.

Why Wakefield

To find out more about the benefits of working at Wakefield Council, click here.