Job Introduction
Are you someone with a passion for ensuring children and young people with special educational needs and disability achieve their potential and aspirations into adulthood?
We are looking for a dynamic Head of SEND who can continue to drive forward our plans for SEND in Medway, working collaboratively with partners across health, care, the voluntary sector and parents/carers and children and young people, schools and education providers. You will ensure a high profile across partners in education, health and care and ensure strong communication and engagement with parents/carers and children and young people.
Our vision is to ensure children and young people aged 0-25 years are identified at the earliest stage and receive the right support to maximise their potential and achievements. You will ensure the local area is aspirational for children and young people with SEND and that lived experiences inform service development on an ongoing basis.
You will lead and manage a team of Hub Leads – Team Managers, ensuring that quality and practice is of high standard and case work is relational and child centred. You will work closely with associated teams across health and the local authority to ensure needs are identified early and appropriate provision is in place. You will contribute to sufficiency planning of services and education placements and preparation for adulthood priorities across the local areas.
This position offers a unique leadership role that will allow you to continue to develop and transform services based on feedback from all partners ensuring Medway is a highly acclaimed local authority, both regionally and nationally, for the work we do.
About you:
We are looking for a candidate with a comprehensive knowledge of the SEN Code of Practice, partnership approaches and a commitment to providing the best quality services for families and children. Senior leadership or managerial experience within Education or Children’s environment is essential. Most importantly, we are looking for someone who will be transformational to ensure that our SEND Services are robust for the future and meet the needs of children and young people.
In return for your hard work and dedication to our service, we can offer you the chance to be part of a strong and supportive team. You will also benefit from a variety of competitive employee rewards.
In return we offer you:
- Generous annual leave entitlement
- Generous local government pension scheme package
- Access to wider training and development qualifications
- Flexible working scheme
- Travel plan discounts
- Car Benefit Scheme from Tusker
- Access to CAREFIRST advice & counselling service
- Employee discount scheme for national and local retailers
- The Government has introduced new ways of supporting parents with childcare costs. Further details are available here: - https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/
We're committed to making Medway carbon neutral by 2050. We have developed an action plan to ensure we play our part in addressing the climate emergency. Our declaration fits into our Council Plan priority of making Medway a place to be proud of. The main outcome being a 'clean and green environment'. All Medway Council staff can access an additional day’s paid leave to undertake a volunteering activity which supports climate change.
Our organisation:
Medway is a unitary authority in the South East of England, made up of the towns of Strood, Rochester, Chatham, Gillingham and Rainham and more rural areas, including the Hoo Peninsula.
Situated in Kent in the South-East of England, the area has plenty of green spaces, excellent facilities and easy access to the national motorway and rail networks, facilitating superb transport links to London.
We provide all local Government services for a quarter of a million people, looking after education, environment, social care, housing, planning, business and much more - everything from frontline services such as rubbish collection and events like the Dickens Festival to work that goes on behind the scenes to ensure services in Medway run smoothly and cost effectively.
Working at Medway Council means that you get to be part of this journey working alongside talented, professional colleagues to drive forward change to transform the lives of our residents and the communities they live in.
If you would like to have an informal discussion with the recruiting manager, please call Joanna Mahadoo on 01634 332132.
Important Information-
Applicants must be able to demonstrate all essential requirements as listed in the job profile
Equal Opportunities Commitment Statement
Medway Council is committed to creating an inclusive work environment with a diverse workforce. All appropriately qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to gender, race, colour, ethnic or national origin, disability, marital status, family commitments, sexual orientation, age, HIV status, religious or political beliefs, social class or trade union activity or irrelevant spent conviction.
For further information please refer to the Medway information pack available as a download or to view online.
Please be advised that if you are not contacted within 3 weeks of the advert closing date then you have not been shortlisted. All recruitment correspondence, including interview letters and contracts of employment will usually be sent out via email.
Please visit http://www.mindfulemployer.net/ for information on how Medway Council put good practices in place to ensure employees and job applicants who declare mental health issues receive the right level of support.
We reserve the right to close this vacancy at any time prior to the closing date.
