Service Manager

Service Manager Apply Now

School Age Statutory SEND

Job Number

HCC27793

Location

Stevenage

Directorate

Childrens Services

Salary Range

£59,537 + £7,105 annual market enhanced payment) progressing to £66,642 (+£6,459 annual market enhanced payment)per annum

Contract Type

Permanent

Full Time/Part Time

Full Time

Closing date

22-Jun-2025

Job Title: Service Manager
Starting Salary: £59,537 + £7,105 annual market enhanced payment) progressing to £66,642 (+£6,459 annual market enhanced payment)per annum pay award pending
Hours: 37 per week
Base Location: Farnham House, Stevenage with countywide travel required.
Contract Type: Permanent
Directorate: Childrens Services

About the team

The School Age Statutory SEND Services was formed in 2024 as part of the councils "Making SEND Everyone’s Business Programme" and now consists of approx. 100 staff.

Our service oversees the annual review of these EHCP’s and the associated casework that sits alongside this, including placement sourcing, funding allocations and engagement with parents/carers and education settings.

About the role

The post of Service Manager is responsible for half of the School Age Statutory SEND Service (East or West) with your counterpart responsible for the other half. The School Age Statutory SEND Service is responsible for 9,000+ (May 2025) children and young people with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) who are of statutory school age.

A key post that acts as the link between operational managers and the strategic Head of Service, a role the Service Manager also deputises for. You will line manage Casework Managers (who each manage a quadrant of Hertfordshire). 

The service manager School Age Statutory SEND reports to the Head of School Age Statutory SEND, taking the lead on delivering Hertfordshire’s statutory duties around EHC plan reviews and provision in a way that supports positive outcomes for children, young people and families through effective coproduction and multi-agency working.

This role will involve frequent contact with other HCC services as well as external contacts too. Examples of these include Headteachers, SENCo’s, Social Workers, Health commissioners, other Statutory SEND Services and families.

This role will see the post holder:

• Lead on high quality practice for statutory EHCP reviews, aligning to the strategic objectives set for the service, with a particular focus on quality and timeliness.
• Be a subject matter expert and point of escalation within the service for matters relating to SEND.
  
  
• Advocate for the interests and wellbeing of children and young people at all times and have clear oversight and understanding of front-line practice, service delivery, systems and feedback from children and families.
• Oversee brokerage activity and top up funding related to EHC plans, including management of related budgets, to ensure effective use of public funds.
  
  
• Responsible for effective recruitment, retention, management and development of high quality staff to support annual review processes, ensuring quality and coproduction at every stage of a review.
  
  
• Be responsible for building partnership networks with commissioners, partners in social care including the 0 – 25 team and the Virtual School; and therapy services on behalf of school age statutory SEND.
  
  
• Ensure high quality arrangements for individual coproduction with families and young people in reviews.
• Support the Head of Service with strategic projects relating to Statutory SEND and act as deputy in their absence.
• Be an accountable member of the SEND leadership team to ensure that high quality service is delivered in a changing landscape.

About you

Essential:

• Educated to degree level or equivalent
• Senior leadership experience in a school or local authority
• In depth knowledge of SEND statutory legislation and frameworks, to a skill level that will enable you to advise other managers on matters related to SEND
• Full UK driving licence and regular access to own vehicle

 We welcome applications from candidates who currently reside in the UK with established proof of right to work documentation. We are not able to offer sponsorship at this time for this role.

This job role is within the Health and Social Care Services, level HSC14 job profile. Please locate this via: Job profiles - Health and social care

This is a role within a developing service, with a mixture of new and experienced staff, including those with lived experience of SEND. The service is on a journey of improvement following our Ofsted visit in 2023 and has made huge strides in achieving our objectives.

The role will be instrumental in leading our journey of continuous improvement and have opportunities to lead projects, innovate new ways of working with your fellow managers and develop your leadership and management skills as you oversee a team of approx. 50 indirect reports. 

To hear more about this opportunity please contact Alistair Hines for an informal discussion about the role.

Interview Date: 4th July

Benefits of working for us

How to apply

As part of your application, please upload your most recent CV. Ensure your CV is up to date with your employment history (including any employment gaps), and including any training/qualifications. We encourage you to include examples of where you have demonstrated the requirements/criteria in the advert / job profile to allow the panel to fully recognise your skills and abilities. You will have the opportunity to include a short covering paragraph within your application to give us a little more information about your skills, knowledge, and experiences.

Additional information

Disability Confident
We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer and guarantee an interview to anyone disclosing a disability whose application meets the minimum criteria for the post.

Safeguarding
This role has been identified as requiring a Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check.

Driving required
You’ll need to have the ability to drive and/or travel around Hertfordshire, either using your own mode of transport or a company car to travel to other locations.

English Fluency
The ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post (for those whose language is a signed language the provision of a sign language interpreter who speaks English to the necessary standard of fluency will be required). Further information about the legal requirement can be found here.