SEND Team Manager

 

SEND (Special Education Needs Department) Team Manager 

Brighter Futures for Children

Full time, permanent post
Salary: £54,971 - £58,788 per annum

About us
Brighter Futures for Children is a not-for-profit company, owned by, but independent of, Reading Borough Council. Although we are independent, we are very much part of the Reading Family. Our people enjoy all of benefits as other Council employees including membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme and continuous service. 

We work closely with partners in the local community and key organisations including Reading Borough Council, policy, public health and voluntary groups. We are responsible for the delivery of children’s social care, early help & prevention, education services (including SEND). This also includes fostering and adoption, the Youth Offending Service and traded services with schools. 

Our main aim is to protect and enhance the lives of the children of Reading. We help families find long-term solutions to ensure children lead happy, healthy and successful lives.

About the role
We have an exciting opportunity for you to join our SEND team. This role is a key post which will be responsible for overseeing and driving forward the performance within SEND Team. Delivering on Brighter Futures for Children’s Key Performance Indicators to provide outcomes for children through effective decision making and management of managers. Ensuring children and young people with SEND are provided with an initial assessment process that identifies needs, outcomes and provision according to legislation and statutory guidelines, and robustly monitor and review Annual Reviews to ensure EHCP’s remain relevant and accurate. To provide oversight of specialist school placements, Alternative Provision and Enhanced Resource Provisions. To provide management across the SEND system sharing knowledge and experience to deliver timely permanence for all children and young people.
•    To provide direction and performance management, assisting the Head of Service, across all designated services. Delivering on the strategic values and vision for Brighter Futures for Children’s. Strategic responsibility for developing and implementing evidenced based practice taken from research that reflects current good practice and achieves best outcomes for children, young people and families. Promote the continuing professional development of all staff in the service and create a sustainable and effective workforce. Authority to implement decisions for service delivery in line with statutory and legal regulations to ensure good outcomes for children and families.
•    Providing confident and evidence-based leadership. To lead, supervise, appraisal, develop and manage direct reports responsible for the delivery of services to children and young people provided by the Local Authority. Decision making in relation to meeting the Council’s and Service areas strategic aims and objectives in accordance with legislative, statutory and procedural requirements. To problem solve and effectively prioritise need and ensure that the most vulnerable children and young people are provided with a consistent, robust and proportionate response.
•    Management responsibilities including financial management decision making. Provide leadership and direction for budget planning within services to ensure value for money within the service, to report on Higher Needs Block and adjustments to funding for Schools forum and other reporting mechanisms. Quality assurance and Performance Management on a daily and weekly basis to address immediate service core activity across a variety of key social care areas of delivery.

 
Role responsibilities:
•    Responsible for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children at all times.
•    The post holder will be required to deputise for the Head of Service and provide appropriate cover.
•    Accountable for the performance of the teams and drive the delivery of improved outcomes as measured by an agreed set of indicators.
•    Responsible for the effective leadership and management of a minimum of 3 Team managers including regular supervision, recruitment, motivation, development, performance management, absence management, resolution of conflict and implementation of change in line with council employment procedures and policies of the managers and their teams.
•    Provide caseload management and individual practice support to the team managers and to other staff across the service in line with professional standards. Making effective decisions and recommendations, taking person responsibility for any decisions made.
•    To comply and manage the Quality Assurance for SEND within the team, including the audit and review of case files to ensure that high professional standards are being met or exceeded, and that best practice complies with legislation and guidance. Take action as necessary to address under performance.
•    Lead the application of research and best practice evidence via learning and development, individual supervision and team and service meetings.
•    Be accountable for the performance of the teams and drive the delivery of improved outcomes as measured by an agreed set of indicators within various data collection sets. Engender a performance culture within the teams on a weekly basis that is inquisitive but is also rigorous in offering challenge so that improvements can be made.
•    Ensure that the inputting and updating of electronic client records by staff is both appropriate and timely in line with Practice standards.
•    Make budget decisions so that Financial Regulations are complied with and best value principles adopted.
•    Sustain and improve the overall reputation of the Council and act in the best interest of the Authority through effective representations regionally and nationally.
•    Chair multi-agency meetings and informal and formal mediations as required helping determine service delivery.
•    Act on behalf of the service in providing management representation at Tribunal and in statutory process, i.e. safeguarding. 
•    Work in partnership across the system and foster positive working relationships with colleagues within social care, corporate services, partner agencies and universal providers. 

For more information about the role, please read the job description and person specification. 

Our offer
We offer a supportive environment to grow and develop your career with the opportunity to put your ideas across. Innovation and ambition are strongly encouraged, and you’ll get a great feel for that working in our friendly and collaborative environment.

A competitive salary alongside a range of benefits including:
•    Local Government Pension Scheme with generous employer contribution
•    Incremental holidays starting with 26 days plus public holidays (rising to 33 after 10 years’ service)
•    Discounted Child Care (on site nursery)
•    Cycle to work scheme.
•    Season train ticket loans
•    Salary Sacrifice Car Lease Scheme
•    A range of local shopping discounts

 Inclusion and Diversity
We want Brighter Futures for Children to be a great place to work and to ensure that our children, young people and families are represented in leadership roles and positions of power. 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 applications from Black, Asian and those of Other Ethnicities, LGBT+, disabled and neurodiverse communities to make a real difference to our children, young people and families so that equalities and justice remains at the heart of everything we do.

Asking for Adjustments
Brighter Futures for Children is committed to making our recruitment practices barrier-free and as accessible as possible for everyone. This includes making adjustments or changes for disabled people, neurodiverse people or people with long-term health conditions.
If you would like us to do anything differently during the application, interview or assessment process, including providing information in an alternative format, please let us know.

Closing date: 25 May 2025
Interview date: To be confirmed

We look forward to hearing from you!