SEND Operations Lead

Dyddiad hysbysebu:	03 Mawrth 2026
Cyflog:	£48,841.00 i £50,307.00 bob blwyddyn
Oriau:	Llawn Amser
Dyddiad cau:	17 Mawrth 2026
Lleoliad:	Harlow, Essex, CM20 2ET
Cwmni:	Essex County Council
Math o swydd:	Cytundeb
Cyfeirnod swydd:	req21819_1772544822

Crynodeb

SEND Operations Lead

Secondment, Full Time

£48,841 to £50,307 per annum

Location: Harlow

Closing Date: 17th March 2026

Please note this vacancy is available as a fixed term contract or secondment opportunity for up to 2 years.

This position has been classed as an anywhere worker role but has an expectation that the successful candidate will attend the office, in Harlow, 1 day per week, with the remaining time allowing for remote working if desired, in line with the organisation's needs.

To read more about our business area, please visit Education

The Opportunity

This is a secondment opportunity for up to two years at an exciting moment of change with AI solutions and transformation initiatives shaping new ways of working within the statutory SEND Operations team.

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 Lead will manage and develop the SEND Operations service, working collaboratively across the quadrant Education leadership team, central Education services and with health and social care teams. Leading the effective delivery of Essex County Council's (ECC) statutory duties, regarding the assessment and review process for pupils with SEND, in one of four quadrants.

Accountabilities

• Lead the SEND Operations team to ensure efficient and effective delivery of the council's statutory duties in relation to the assessment and review process for children and young people (CYP) with SEND, within a quadrant.
• Responsible for the admission process for pre-school, school age and post 16 pupils with an EHCP, into appropriate placements, whilst ensuring effective use of public resources.
• Responsible for the execution of ECC's statutory duties in relation to processes and placements of CYP with EHCPs, including those who are not in a school placement, supporting the transition plans between key stages, and where placement breakdown necessitates, a change of provision.
• Influencing key partners including Health, Social Care and educational settings, to ensure their contribution to the EHCP process and the co-production of associated paperwork, taking into account the views and ambitions of parents, carers and CYP.
• Ensuring delivery of the future vision for School/Setting led SEND.
• Responsible for analysing trend data to inform and influence decisions relating to EHCP assessments, reviews and future provision development, including resource allocation.
• Responsible for the complaints procedure within a quadrant; representing the Council in communications with head teachers, governors, elected members, MPs, other agencies and parents.
• Responsible for ensuring casework, including mediation, is efficiently and effectively managed, resolving sensitive and contentious individual cases, e.g. following up letters of complaint by the Ombudsman, DfES, Judicial Reviews and Child Protection matters. Ensure continuous improvement as a result of lessons learned.
• Responsible for preparatory work, writing case statements, negotiation and liaison with parents and schools regarding SEND Tribunals, seeking wherever possible to de-escalate cases. Work in partnership with the SEND Tribunal team and legal representatives to make recommendations to senior leaders regarding possible case outcomes.
• Specific individual and shared targets and objectives are defined annually within the performance management framework.

The Experience You Will Bring

• Educated to RFQ Level 6 (Bachelor's degree) or equivalent by experience and possesses Level 4 of the SEN awards.
• Evidence of continuing professional development and expert knowledge of the Children and Families Act 2014, SEND Code of Practice 2015 and the local authority's statutory responsibilities in relation to assessment and review of CYP with SEND.
• Evidence of successful management of SEND services, statutory assessment and review processes.
• Evidence of forging effective working relationships with external partners including schools, settings, health and social care colleagues, as well as parents and parental representatives.
• Evidence of effectively and sensitively dealing with a wide range of people regarding difficult and complex issues, including the use of effective negotiation and providing successful challenge and support to educational settings and other agencies.
• Excellent leadership and behavioural skills with the ability to build and lead a diverse team and work collaboratively across a leadership team to achieve shared goals.
• Significant experience in undertaking quality assurance, review and evaluation procedures, including the effective use of data to determine improvement.