Senior SEND Consultant - RISE

Reading Borough Council is seeking an experienced and strategic Senior SEND Consultant to join our innovative Reading Inclusion Support in Education (RISE) service.

This is a key leadership role within our SEND team, offering the opportunity to shape and influence inclusive practice across Reading's schools while leading a team of SEND professionals. Working closely with schools, senior leaders, educational psychologists and wider partners, you will help ensure children and young people with SEND receive timely, effective and sustainable support.

As a senior operational lead, you will support the development of Reading's Ordinarily Available Provision and Graduated Response, champion high-quality SEND practice, and contribute to the continued success of the RISE service.

We seek the best talent from the widest pool of people as diversity and inclusion is the key to our success. Reading Borough Council is a Disability Confident Employer and is committed to the recruitment and continued employment of people with disabilities.

About the role

As Senior SEND Consultant, you will play a pivotal role in the success of Reading Inclusion Support in Education (RISE), providing operational leadership across the service while supporting schools to deliver high-quality, inclusive provision for children and young people with SEND. Working across allocated school clusters, you will build strong relationships with school leaders, SENCos and partner agencies, ensuring that support is delivered consistently, effectively and in line with Reading's Ordinarily Available Provision and Graduated Response framework.

You will also lead, develop and support a team of SEND Consultants and SEND Specialist Practitioners, ensuring high standards of practice and driving service improvement across Reading.

Key responsibilities include:

• Providing day-to-day leadership, supervision and support to SEND Consultants and SEND Specialist Practitioners.
• Monitoring workloads and service demands, ensuring resources are deployed effectively across the service.
• Quality assuring SEND advice, reports and school-facing communications, providing professional challenge where required.
• Leading SENCo networks and forums, ensuring schools are informed about local and national SEND developments.
• Chairing operational panels and meetings, ensuring actions are progressed and outcomes delivered.
• Delivering advice, guidance and training to schools to strengthen inclusive practice and improve outcomes for children and young people with SEND.
• Supporting improvements in the quality of EHCP assessment requests and providing feedback where applications are unsuccessful.
• Working collaboratively with colleagues, schools, families and external partners to shape and develop Reading's SEND offer.

About you

We're looking for an experienced SEND professional who is passionate about inclusion and committed to helping children and young people achieve the best possible outcomes. You'll bring strong leadership skills, excellent knowledge of SEND legislation and a collaborative approach to working with schools and stakeholders.

You will be confident in providing both support and challenge, building credibility with school leaders and professionals while driving continuous improvement in SEND practice across the borough.

You'll bring:

• A postgraduate qualification in a SEND-related field and a degree-level qualification.
• Significant experience providing SEND advice, consultancy and support within educational settings.
• Experience of leading or coordinating SEND provision across multiple schools or services.
• Experience of supervising, mentoring or line managing SEND professionals.
• Extensive knowledge of SEND legislation, policy and statutory processes.
• A strong understanding of inclusive practice and the challenges facing children and young people with SEND.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to influence and build effective relationships.
• The ability to make sound professional judgements, manage competing priorities and work with a high degree of autonomy.
• Experience of delivering training, coaching or professional development opportunities.
• A commitment to continuous improvement, partnership working and delivering positive outcomes for children and young people with SEND.

This is an excellent opportunity to help shape SEND provision across Reading while leading a dedicated team focused on improving inclusion and outcomes for children and young people.

You’ll be part of a team that relies on each individual to play their part to the best of their ability. As well as the colleagues that you work closely with every day, you’ll also be part of Team Reading, playing your personal part in making Reading a successful and vibrant place.

Our vision is to ensure that Reading realises its potential as a great place to live, work and play, and that everyone shares the benefits of this success. Our values and behaviours guide how we will achieve this:

Work Together as one team - champion and inspire a culture which ensures that all employees across the organisation work together to provide excellent outcomes for Reading

Drive Efficiency - create an environment in which resources are used efficiently and employees’ skills are developed and used effectively

Be Ambitious - aspire to deliver excellence and inspire and support others to reach their potential 

Make a Difference to Reading - inspire a culture in which the customer is the focus and where change is welcomed as an opportunity

Our offer

We offer a supportive environment to grow and develop your career with the opportunity to put your ideas across. Innovation and ambition is strongly encouraged, and you’ll get a great feel for that working in our friendly and collaborative environment.

A competitive salary alongside a range of benefits including:

• Generous holiday entitlement - 25 days holiday each year plus bank holidays - rising to 30 days after 5 years’ service and 33 days after 10 years' service, with the option to buy additional leave
• A wide range of flexible working opportunities
• Modern working environment at the Civic Offices in the heart of Reading
• Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
• Life Assurance - three times your annual salary (for members of the LGPS)
• On-site day nursery (Kennet Day nursery) rated outstanding by Ofsted
• Season Ticket Loan - a loan to help with the cost of your rail or bus journey, to and from work
• Lease car salary sacrifice scheme allowing you to lease a brand new, greener car for three years. The monthly fee includes insurance, servicing and road tax

To arrange a confidential discussion on this position please contact Alec.desausmarez@reading.gov.uk

Closing Date: Sunday 8th November 2026
Interview Date: To be confirmed
Interview Process: To be confirmed