Casework Manager - School Age Stat SEND

Job Title: Casework Manager - School Age Stat SEND
Starting Salary: £53,806 progressing to £59,497 per annum
Hours: 37.0
Location: East, West and Countywide locations
Contract Type: Permanent & Fixed Term/Secondment (1 Year Maternity Cover)
Directorate: Childrens Services

We have 4 vacancies which are as follows:

• x1 East - Fixed Term/Secondment (1 Year Maternity Cover)
• x1 East - Permanent
• x1 West - Permanent
• x1 Countywide - Permanent

You will be able to select your preference in the application form.

About the team

We have some exciting opportunities for you to join the Statutory School Age SEND (SSAS) team in Hertfordshire. The SSAS team has recently expanded with additional investment in staffing and a renewed focus on co-production with families and working closely with schools and professionals. We are seeking passionate people with a comprehensive knowledge of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).

About the role

As a SEND Casework Manager, you will straddle both strategic and operational management, as operational lead for West Hertfordshire’s Statutory School Age SEND Reviews service. You will act as a point of escalation for complex operational matters as well as complaints. Maintaining an overview of reviews within your half of Hertfordshire with the support of both data and meetings with your team.

With direct line management responsibility for your areas Team Leads (who in turn, each line manage a team of Education, Health and Care (EHC) Coordinators and Review Officers) you will act as a point of leadership and guidance on SEND matters.

You will work in partnership with the other SEND Casework Managers under the leadership of the Service Manager to collectively lead a service of 100+ staff, responsible for 9,000+ children and young people of Statutory School Age who have an EHC Plan.

In addition, other elements of the role include, but are not limited to;

• Taking part in strategic meetings,
• Chairing triage and casework surgeries to discuss your teams cases,
• Undertaking periodic school visits,
• Overseeing the transfer of children and young people from one phase of education to another (e.g. primary to secondary)
• Deputise for the Service Manager in their absence.
• A key operational decision maker within the SSAS Team.

About you

Essential:

• Experienced Manager of both people & strategy
• Experience of working in SEND
• Ability to motivate and support a team to deliver towards a shared vision
• Excellent stakeholder management skills
• Demonstrate experience of partnership working with people from a range of backgrounds
• Excellent knowledge of part 3 of the Children & Families Act 2014, the Equalities Act
• Understanding of the operational realities of delivering statutory SEND processes at scale
• Valid full UK driving licence and regular access to a car are required for this role.

We welcome applications from candidates who currently reside in the UK with established proof of right to work documentation. We are not able to offer sponsorship at this time for this role.

This job role is within the Health and Social Care Services, level HSC13 job profile. Please locate this via: Job profiles - Health and social care

If you are ambitious for children and young people with SEND, you’re in the right place. This is an opportunity to change the lives and experiences of thousands of children and families, and support a new team to deliver high quality, child-centred work.

To hear more about this opportunity please contact Alistair Hines (alistair.hines@hertfordshire.gov.uk) for an informal discussion about the role.

Interview Dates:

• 1st Stage Interview: 20th August (via MS teams)
• 2nd Stage Interview (if taken forward from 1st stage): 27th August (Face to Face at our Apsley offices)

Benefits of working for us

How to apply

As part of your application, please upload your most recent CV. Ensure your CV is up to date with your employment history (including any employment gaps), and including any training/qualifications. We encourage you to include examples of where you have demonstrated the requirements/criteria in the advert / job profile to allow the panel to fully recognise your skills and abilities. You will have the opportunity to include a short covering paragraph within your application to give us a little more information about your skills, knowledge, and experiences.

Secondment
This position is open to secondments. If you work for HCC or any other Local Authority and would like to be considered as a Secondment contract, please ensure you complete the Secondment Form as part of your application. If you do not, your application will be considered as a Fixed Term Contract only.

Additional information

Disability Confident
We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer and guarantee an interview to anyone disclosing a disability whose application meets the minimum criteria for the post.

Safeguarding
This role has been identified as requiring a Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check.

Driving required
You’ll need to have the ability to drive and/or travel around Hertfordshire, either using your own mode of transport or a company car to travel to other locations.

English Fluency
The ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post (for those whose language is a signed language the provision of a sign language interpreter who speaks English to the necessary standard of fluency will be required). Further information about the legal requirement can be found here.