Specialist Outreach Manager

Job Title: Specialist Outreach Manager
Starting Salary: £49,817 per annum
Hours: 37
Location: Farnham House, Stevenage
Contract Type: Fixed Term or Secondment Opportunity for 2 years
Directorate: Childrens Services

About the team

SEND Provision Team

We lead the planning, development, and implementation of provision strategies and additional specialist places to support children and young people with the most significant special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) across the county. We oversee children with an EHCP who attend independent schools and independent special schools and support the ongoing educational oversight and monitoring of independent providers. We help resolve disputes relating to SEND provision and EHC plans through mediation and appeals through the First-Tier Tribunal.

About the role

This is a vital leadership role within our Experts at Hand model, responsible for leading and developing a specialist outreach service that supports children and young people with additional needs.

You will provide both strategic leadership and day-to-day oversight, ensuring schools, educational settings and partner organisations receive high-quality, consistent and effective support. The role focuses on driving service improvements, developing a skilled and effective workforce, and helping to achieve better outcomes for children and young people.

As part of Pillar 1 of the SEND Provision Plan, the Specialist Outreach Service plays an important role in helping the Local Authority meet its statutory responsibilities and ensure that children and young people receive the support they need to thrive.

Key responsibilities:

• Lead the strategic development, planning and delivery of the specialist outreach service.
• Establish and embed clear service models, standards and pathways to ensure equitable access and consistent practice.
• Act as the recognised professional and technical lead, providing expert advice and guidance on complex cases.
• Lead multi-agency partnerships and represent the service at strategic forums and partnership boards.
• Oversee quality assurance, monitoring performance against agreed outcomes, key performance indicators and quality standards, seeking continuous improvement and taking corrective action as required.
• Hold accountability for service resources, financial planning, budget monitoring and value-for-money decisions.

About you

Essential

• Experience working in a leadership role within SEND, inclusion, specialist support or outreach services.
• Strong understanding of SEND legislation, statutory guidance and best practice, with the ability to apply this knowledge to improve services and outcomes for children and young people.
• Experience of leading and developing services, managing change, and working effectively within a complex organisation or partnership environment.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills, with the ability to analyse information, influence others and work collaboratively with a wide range of stakeholders.

Desirable

• A recognised professional qualification in teaching, SEND, therapy, leadership or equivalent.

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 Level 12. Please locate the job profile here:

Job profiles - Health and social care

To hear more about this opportunity please contact pamela.radford@hertfordshire.gov.uk or Dan.Hardy@hertfordshire.gov.uk for an informal discussion about the role.

Interview Date: 20 or 22 October 2026

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 role is open to secondments for eligible employees who work for HCC. If you wish to apply on a secondment basis, you must have your line manager’s approval before submitting your application. You will be asked to confirm this within your application form. If you are not eligible for a secondment (e.g., you are currently on a fixed‑term contract that would end before this positions ends) or you indicate that your manager cannot support a secondment, your application will be considered on a fixed‑term contract basis instead.

Additional information
We are changing
Hertfordshire County Council is undergoing Local Government Reorganisation (LGR). If you are employed by Hertfordshire County on 1 April 2028, it is expected that most roles will transfer to the newly-created unitary councils on existing terms and conditions under TUPE (Transfer of Undertakings – Protection of Employment) principles.

LGR is one of the biggest changes we will face in a generation. It will reshape how we work and how services are organised and gives us a real opportunity to build something better. To find out more, visit https://www.hertfordshire-lgr.co.uk/

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.

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.