SEND Services Improvement Officer

We value diverse perspectives and experiences and are striving to create a workplace culture that is inclusive, is accepting of all and is free from discrimination and bias.

We are excited and very pleased to be expanding the Coventry Statutory Assessment and Review Team (StART) to enable us to further develop and enhance the service provided to families, schools and young people living in this vibrant, diverse city. Our team is committed to working with families and partners to support and empower children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). We have responsibility for a range of important statutory educational work within Coventry and are committed to delivering the aspirational challenge set to us by young people with SEND and their families: ‘To Lift the Cloud of Limitation and enable them to enjoy an ordinary life’.

We value and welcome diverse perspectives and experiences as we strive to create an inclusive workplace culture which is accepting of all and is free from discrimination and bias.

In line with our One Coventry Values, we want to ensure that our communities are represented across our workforce. A vital part of this is ensuring we are a truly inclusive organisation that encourages diversity in all respects, including diversity of thinking. We particularly welcome applicants from minority ethnic, LGBT+, disabled and neurodiverse communities to make a real difference to our residents so that equity and respect remains at the heart of everything we do.

Our Values are:

• Open and fair: We are fair, open, and transparent.
• Nurture and develop: We help and encourage everyone to be their best and do their best.
• Engage and empower: We talk and listen to others, working together as one.
• Create and innovate: We embrace new ways of working to continuously improve.
• Own and be accountable: We work together to deliver the best services for our residents.
• Value and respect: We put diversity and inclusion at the heart of all we do.

This post is exempted under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and as such appointment to this post will be conditional upon the receipt of a satisfactory response to a check of police records via Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).

As the SEND Customer Experience and Improvement Officer, you will play a key role in ensuring that children, young people and families receive a positive, responsive and coordinated experience when raising concerns or complaints about SEND services.

You will act as a central point of contact for SEND-related complaints, ensuring that concerns are acknowledged, investigated and responded to appropriately and within agreed timescales. You will work closely with colleagues across the SEND service, schools, health partners and other agencies to establish the facts, coordinate information and support effective resolution.

The role will involve managing a varied caseload of complaints and customer enquiries, providing clear and empathetic communication to families and ensuring that their experiences are listened to and reflected in the service's approach to improvement.

You will also play an important role in identifying recurring themes, trends and areas of concern gathered from customer feedback, using this insight to support service development and help prevent issues from recurring.

This is an exciting opportunity for someone who is passionate about customer service, understands the importance of getting things right for children and young people with SEND, and wants to make a meaningful difference to the experience of families navigating the SEND system.

We're looking for a highly organised and customer-focused professional who can manage sensitive and sometimes complex complaints with professionalism, empathy and sound judgement. You will have a working knowledge of special educational needs and an understanding of the legal framework.

You will be confident communicating with families who may be frustrated or distressed and able to listen carefully, understand the issues being raised and provide clear, balanced and appropriate responses. You will be comfortable working across organisational boundaries and coordinating information from a range of professionals to ensure complaints are fully considered.

You will have strong written and verbal communication skills and be able to produce high-quality responses that are clear, evidence-based and proportionate. You will also be able to manage competing priorities, maintain accurate records and ensure that statutory and corporate complaints processes and timescales are followed.

If you're ready to play a key role in improving the experience of families, ensuring their concerns are heard and helping the SEND service learn from customer feedback, we'd love to hear from you.

All candidates must have the Right to Work in the UK. We are currently not offering sponsorship for this role.

If you need help or support to complete your application, please visit our accessibility page to see how we can assist you.

Guaranteed Interview Scheme - As part of our commitment to inclusion, we offer guaranteed interviews for specific groups of people. To qualify, you'll need to meet the minimum requirements for the role and identify with one of the below criteria:

• Members of the Armed Forces and veterans
• Are currently in care or have previously been in care
• If you consider yourself to be disabled or if you have a long-term health condition

For full details on the application process please read the attached document on our jobs page labelled 'Coventry City Council Application Process'. If there is any evidence of a candidate using AI to complete their application, then the application will be rejected unless the candidate can provide a justification which the Council considers to be reasonable.

Interview date(s): 5th & 6th of November

Coventry has a proud, innovative and creative spirit that throughout its history has seen communities come together to tackle problems and bring about real social change.

We are cutting-edge, challenging, youthful, vibrant and diverse.

At Coventry we are committed to excellence in everything we do. With around 5100 staff from a range of different backgrounds, our aim is to recruit and develop talented people who will focus on our customers, take responsibility, work together and find better ways of doing things.

To deliver the best services to our residents, we need the best people working for us to make a difference to our communities.

If you join us, we will provide a fantastic rewards and benefits package - to find out more please visit https://www.coventry.gov.uk/council-vacancies