Senior SEND Lead Worker

Job description

Job responsibilities

Specific duties and responsibilities include:

Act as a single point of regular and consistent contact for children, young people with SEND professionals, and their families with complex cases or where children and young people are considered vulnerable, and placement requires intensive/creative support in order for Children and young people to successfully engage in education.

Advise colleagues on Inclusive practice and support networks available including placements which are appropriately supportive maintained specialist, mainstream and universal settings.

To work in close partnership with SEND lead workers, securing best outcomes for children and young people with SEND. Be the link professional for a range of providers and stakeholders to ensure inclusive practice.

Coordinate practitioners and services around the child, young person, and their family. A key role of the Senior CME SEND lead worker will be to identify when specialist (Social workers, Educational Psychologists, Occupational Therapists, other professionals etc.) involvement is required, make the appropriate contacts, and ensure effective liaison with the specialists. Arrange person centred Team Around the Child meetings (Multidisciplinary and/or multiagency) as required.

Be proactive in promoting multi-agency partnership working as best practice. To be instrumental in developing pathways for joint working- including Every Child Matters and the National Service Framework. CA11-2715 Senior Children Missing from Education SEND Lead Worker Jul 24 Page 5 of 9

Co-ordinate and facilitate a joint Education, Health and Care Needs review process and single holistic person centred plan, for the more complex cases or those which are considered vulnerable, that focuses on the child or young persons educational, health and social care needs in line with the Education Act 2011 and when appropriate the NHS and Community Care Act 1990 and other legislation and organisational policy and reviews.

Ensure that each need identified is matched to an outcome in the plan. The plan will be agreed with young people and their families.

Ensure that the plan is reviewed as agreed.

Enable customers to identify and agree outcomes and how they can be achieved. It will be necessary at all times to work to the key operating principles of the service to ensure that the customer has choice and control, that the services provided are cost effective, and that any risks are clearly identified.

The Senior CME SEND lead worker will apply criteria and when appropriate, the Fair Access to Care Criteria in relation to the provision of services. The postholder will operate within and across the legislative frameworks for childrens services and adult social care.

Support children and young people to move between non-statutory and statutory support as required. When moving into statutory support they will be responsible for monitoring work progress to ensure that national indicators and legislative deadlines are met.

To take a lead on the quality and effectiveness of inclusive practice - to develop and deliver training in response to government initiatives and identified needs, for example in key working, working in partnership and person centred thinking.

Understand, and deliver on, departmental priorities for high quality services, aiming for good results in Key Performance Indicators.

Be responsible for collecting and recording relevant data that will inform strategic planning and commissioning, as requested.

Monitor attendance of learners in Independent Specialist Sector placements and hold the overview of this, intervening where children and young people are attending below expected levels.

Management of own caseload which will include priority cases including those who are CMOE (children missing from education), Military, under EMTAS and those at risk or are already missing education.

Providing solutions-focussed advice and guidance on caseload of SEND lead workers where children and young people are considered vulnerable or where placement is/maybe at risk or where such placement is being explored. Underpinning knowledge and understanding of the following will inform this work:

Statutory Responsibilities,

Inclusion practice in mainstream, maintained and independent specialist settings.

Preparation for adulthood (ensuring that young people approaching 16 have holistic plans in place that prepare for adulthood/life so for example ensure that plans are under discussion and in place in relation to housing, employment etc)

To carry out all tasks and responsibilities in accordance with legal requirements across education, health and social care.

Identify and support development opportunities for SEND lead workers.

To contribute to the development of the SEND service, to respond to operational needs by initiating, developing, and implementing innovate solutions. Eg SEND and Inclusion Strategy. CA11-2715 Senior Children Missing from Education SEND Lead Worker Jul 24 Page 6 of 9

May deputise for Education Officer (ISS)

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

• Some relevant professional experience post qualification in a similar work environment.
• Expert knowledge of relevant policy, systems, work practices, professional guidelines,
• legislation in the area of specialism.
• Excellent ICT skills including use of Microsoft applications and specialist systems.
• Experience of multi-disciplinary and partnership working, and awareness of the issues involved.
• Planning and workload management skills.
• Proven assessment and investigation skills appropriate to the scope of the role. Ability to carry
• out complex client assessments.
• Experience of using professional knowledge to work within referral systems according to
• established criteria.
• Proven ability to work with challenging client groups and situations.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• Proven ability to deliver training.
• Accurate record keeping and report writing.
• Good presentational skills.
• Knowledge of financial assessment processes.

Qualifications

Essential

• Knowledge of current and developing national policy in relation to childrens services e.g.,
• Children and Families Bill, Working Together 2013.
• Evidence of continuous professional development and/or training.
• Recognised qualification in early years, social care, health, or education to a minimum of level
• 4 or prepared to work towards one in the near future.
• Working knowledge of at least one of the following key areas (Statutory SEN, Inclusion in
• mainstream, maintained and independent specialist sector settings, or Preparation for
• Adulthood)
• Skills
• Experience of supporting complex children/young people/families with SEND
• Experience of co-ordinating multi professional meetings.
• Extensive experience of working in partnership with children, young people and their families,
• particularly those with complex SEND.
• Ability to establish a successful and trusting relationship with the child or young person and
• family.
• Ability to empower the child or young person and family to make decisions.
• Extensive experience of supporting and advising settings/other practitioners
• Experience of offering advice/guidance and establishing best practice in relation to either
• Statutory SEN, Inclusion in mainstream, maintained and independent specialist settings or
• preparing for adulthood.
• Willingness to supportively guide the work of others as an ISS Specialist.
• 3 years previous experience working in health, social care, or education environment.
• Enhancing capabilities
• Good team player who can also work on own initiative with ability to prioritise tasks.
• Good negotiator
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Knowledge of all relevant current legislation and frameworks
• Good IT skills, Word, databases, internet, email etc
• Qualifications:
• Degree or equivalent experience/skills.
• ITQ 2 or equivalent skill and ability demonstrating significant experience in IT systems.
• Professional qualification in area of specialism.
• Licence / certificate / qualification required for the role.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer details

Employer name

Wiltshire Council

Address

County Hall

Bythesea Rd

Trowbridge

Wiltshire

BA14 8JN

Employer's website

http://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)