SEND Implementation & Support Officer

Job Title: SEND Implementation & Support Officer
Location: Hertfordshire
Starting Salary: £35,745 with the opportunity to progress to £39,186 pa (pro rata for part-time)
Hours: 37 per week
Contract: Permanent

Diversity: We are an inclusive employer and value a diverse workforce

Things are changing in SEND for Hertfordshire County Council. We are making SEND everyone's business.

Do you want to make a positive impact and be part of that change? We’re investing in our statutory SEND workforce.

This is an exciting opportunity to be part of Hertfordshire’s New SEND Graduated Response Team. SEND Implementation Support Officers will play a vital role in shaping how Hertfordshire supports education settings to improve outcomes for children and young people.

What does the role involve?

You’ll be providing SENCos, families, children and young people confidence that their needs will be met. This includes leading on planning meetings with schools ensuring all of the provision is in place and identify any areas of support needed as well as access to resources.

You will be based in local areas and be part of a partnership with Integrated Services for Learning, Special School Outreach, Education Support Centres and our DSPLs (Delivering Special Provision Locally).

This role will suit someone who is: looking to be part of our frontline response, advising education settings on how they can use resources to work with their pupils and want to work with colleagues across Hertfordshire, to shape how we can have the most impact for children and young people.

We are looking for you to have the following essential criteria:

• An extensive understanding of the key challenges facing the children with SEND in 2024
• Knowledge of the SEND Code of Practice and the Children and Families Act 2014.
• Knowledge of inclusive strategies, reasonable adjustment, child development to develop a consultative model of working with schools
• Commitment to working with a strengths-based approach and being solution-focused
• Strong communication skills, demonstrating empathy, curiosity and relationship-based practice
• Ability to have reflective conversations (training will be provided)
• Ability to build positive networks maintaining relationships with a wide variety of stakeholders
• Take a proactive approach and support the team’s learning and insights. Sharing learning with SENCOs and colleagues
• Confident in the use of data and wider intelligence, using these to help shape the development of the service and drive improvement
• Good administrative skills, to record contacts, develop resources, creating documents to share learning
• Able to demonstrate experience and/or qualifications to make a real difference for children and young people with SEND

If you are passionate about supporting and encouraging our young people with SEND to reach their full potential, including living independently where possible then this could be the role for you.

What’s in it for you?
We will provide lots of support to help you be successful; from training and workshops on strengths-based practice and safeguarding, help in building a network of support across the relevant services, tools and weekly reflective practice sessions.

You’ll be part of an exciting new staff development initiative: the Hertfordshire SEND Academy. This will comprise of a top quality induction, ongoing learning and wellbeing programme, with the aim of building a highly skilled and confident workforce within a supportive work culture. This will help us to achieve our aim of a high level of job satisfaction alongside positive outcomes for children and young people with SEND.

This is a fantastic opportunity for someone looking for a new, developing role where they can be part of how we can make an impact early on in a child or young person’s journey through education.

Closing Date: 12th May 2024
Interview Date: 23rd May 2024