Hours: 37 per week

Contract Type: Permanent

Service Area: Education Inclusion

Department: Special Education Needs Team

The SEN Team wish to recruit a dynamic person who has knowledge and experience of statutory special educational needs and who shares our passion for helping children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) to achieve their full potential. The SEN Team is a busy and supportive team which leads on statutory assessments, issuing person centred Education, Health and Care Plans and actioning the reviews of the plans.

This is an exciting opportunity to shape the way we plan for children and young people and help more young people to achieve the lives they aspire to as they reach adulthood.

You will coordinate statutory assessments and Education, Health and Care plans for children and young people up to 25 with special educational needs and to draw up, maintain and review Education, Health and Care Plans.

The post involves enabling young people and their families to identify and agree outcomes and how they can be achieved including discussing the option of a personal budget. Taking responsibility for agreeing the plan with young people and their families, consulting schools and others involved in the plan.

You will need to be able to establish effective team working between schools, education, care, health and other services to provide holistic care and support in delivering EHC plans, ensuring the identification of the most appropriate lead professional and agree review arrangements.

As well as being passionate about improving the life chances of young people with SEND you will have:

• ‘A’ levels or equivalent level qualifications as a minimum. NVQ3 level qualifications or above in early years, social care, health or education are desirable
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills are essential as well as good IT skills
• Experience of working with children and young people and their families in early years, education, health or social care is essential, ideally including some experience of supporting disabled children or young people and/or those with SEN
• Good working knowledge of the legal framework for supporting children and young people with SEND and their families

Your main place of work will be the award-winning, modern Civic Centre in Keynsham, halfway between Bath and Bristol, easily accessible via car or public transport, with a train station 5 minutes’ walk away.

Why B&NES Council?

We offer a wide range of benefits, to ensure that you are paid fairly for your work, have the flexibility to enjoy a great work/life balance, and have the support you need. These include:

• A competitive salary package
• A range of flexible working and hybrid working options, including flexi-time, four regional offices and home-working, dependent on service requirements
• A generous holiday allowance and special leave provisions
• The Local Government Pension Scheme
• A comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme – whatever life throws at you; we are committed to supporting you and your well-being at work and home
• Professional and personal development including in-house training and accredited qualifications including Aspiring Manager and Leadership Development
• Discount scheme including the VECTIS card that offers numerous local discounts including cycle to work and free entry to numerous local attractions with B&NES

Interested to find out more?

If you are interested in this post and require more details after reading the job description or just to chat through the role and what’s involved, please contact Claire Hopkinson on 01225 394305 or email [email protected]

To apply

Please use the online application facility.

For further information on applying please see “Application Form Help” page on the Jobs website.

Bath & North East Somerset Council has one overriding purpose – to improve people’s lives. We have four core values which shape every aspect of our working life and how we look to the future. These values are to be Bold, Empowered, Supportive and Transparent.

Please explain in your application how you could incorporate these values into the role you are applying for.

As an equal opportunities employer, Bath & North East Somerset Council is committed to the equal treatment of all current and prospective employees and is opposed to discrimination on the basis of age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, gender reassignment, or marriage and civil partnership.

We aspire to have a diverse and inclusive workplace and strongly encourage suitably qualified applicants from a wide range of backgrounds to apply and join us.

Interview Date: Monday 25th September 2023.

Safeguarding Statement:

The Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable groups and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment. As part of this commitment anyone working in a post with children or vulnerable groups will be expected to undertake an Enhanced DBS check with/without barred list checks.

As this post involves working within one of these groups, we will require a Disclosure & Barring Service check and/or subscription to the DBS online service. The suitability of all prospective employees or volunteers will be assessed during the recruitment process in line with this commitment.

Please note the Council operates a policy of prior consideration for roles for any individual on the Council’s at-risk register. This means should a redeployee express an interest in this role, providing they meet the essential criteria for the role, they will be interviewed before any shortlisting or interviewing of external candidates.