SEND Operations Assistant
| Posting date: | 03 July 2025 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £25,081.00 to £26,679.00 per year |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 13 July 2025 |
| Location: | Chelmsford, Essex, CM1 1QH |
| Company: | Essex County Council |
| Job type: | Contract |
| Job reference: | req20024_1751528030 |
Summary
SEND Operations Assistant
Fixed Term, Full Time
£25,081 to £26,679 per annum
Location: Chelmsford
Closing Date: 13th July 2025
Please note this vacancy is available as a fixed term contract or secondment opportunity for up to 12 months
This position has been classed as an anywhere worker role but has an expectation that the successful candidate will attend the office, in Chelmsford 2-3 days per month, with the remaining time for remote working if desired, in line with the organisation's needs
The Opportunity
Essex County Council has embarked upon a programme of change for provision and services with the ambition to profoundly improve the outcomes and life experience of children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). Our vision is for a SEND system which identifies and assesses need at an earlier stage and which provides appropriate and impactful support without such high dependence on Essex County Council's statutory services.
The SEND Operations Assistant provides administration and support to the statutory SEND processes such as the Annual Review Process, in particular at phase transfer, as well as providing a triage service for all contacts received by the SEND Operations Team. Support will also be provided to the Inclusion Team in relation to health referrals.
With an RQF level 2 and thorough knowledge of the SEND Code of Practice 2015 and knowledge or experience of working with young people with SEND
Accountabilities
- Receive, log and co-ordinate responses to incoming Section 23 and 24 notifications from Health Colleagues regarding children with SEND. Liaise with Senior Inclusion Partners to ensure effective monitoring, provision development and signposting systems are in place.
- Receive, log and co-ordinate all incoming post-16 requests for assessment, liaising with schools, settings and other key stakeholders, including the Preparing for Adulthood Team.
- Support the preparation of papers for and coordination of the Annual Review process, ensuring that schools and settings are informed of pupils for whom Annual Reviews should be held for, during each academic term and appropriate people are invited to attend.
- Triage all incoming contacts to the SEND Operations team, acting as the first contact for parents/carers, CYP, schools, settings and other partner agencies. Signposting service users to relevant teams and responding to queries wherever possible.
- Provide administrative Support to SEND Operations Coordinators by sending formal consultations to schools and settings, as part of the EHC Assessment Process and coordinating responses.
- Receive, log and direct inward transfer notifications, liaising with SEND Operations Partners and SEND Operations Coordinators, to ensure statutory processes and timescales are fully complied with.
- Responsible for maintaining tracking systems for all students at the point of phase transfer each year, providing support to SEND Operations Partners and SEND Operations Coordinators to ensure statutory processes and timescales are fully complied with and, where appropriate, EHCP's are ceased in a timely manner.
- Responsible for ensuring data is recorded accurately and in a timely manner to enable the Council to report to stakeholders on a range of subjects including statutory timescales, out-of-authority placements and CYP with alternative education offers. The data will also be used monitor and track pupil records.
- Specific individual and shared targets and objectives are defined annually within the performance management framework.
The Experience You Will Bring
- Educated to RQF level 2 (GCSE) or equivalent by experience.
- Evidence of continuing professional development and expert knowledge in relevant professional area.
- Thorough working knowledge of SEND Code of Practice 2015.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
- Effective time management and prioritisation skills with the ability to manage own workload and adapt quickly and effectively to changing circumstances/situations.