SEN Caseworker

The Service

The SEN Team is a specialist team within Education's Inclusion Service with links and positive working relationships with many other teams across the council. We are an established team with a strong commitment and drive to support children, young people and their families in the city. We strive to work in partnership with our schools, early years settings and colleges and other agencies. Our approach is needs-led to ensure all children and young people are supported. The council has been selected by the DfE to lead on the SEND and AP Change Programme for the South-East which provides a unique opportunity until July 2025 to shape the future of special educational needs and alternative provision. The SEN Team will have an important role to play in the delivery of this programme. If this sounds like a team you would like to be part of, we would welcome your application to join us.

The Role

This role is office based and does not involve direct contact with children.

The role of SEN Caseworker is busy, challenging and requires the successful candidate to demonstrate and develop a wide range of skills, knowledge and abilities including the capacity to work under sustained periods of pressure.

The SEN Caseworker will support the SEN Team through undertaking the administration of the statutory process in identifying, assessing, issuing and reviewing the education, health & care planning arrangements of children and young people's special educational needs and disabilities. The SEN Caseworker will routinely request, receive and distribute reports from education, health and social care professionals. These tasks require the SEN Caseworker to have an excellent grasp of written and spoken English, have a keen eye for detail and be confident in their administrative skills, knowledge and abilities.

Attendance requirements to the designated workplace for the role in line with the Hybrid Working -

You will be required to work a minimum of 2 days in the office per week.

The ideal candidate

You will need to have /be

• Higher level administrative experience of statutory or time bound processes, including dealing with customer's (e.g., schools) and clients (e.g., parents) enquiries through various methods of communication i.e., in writing, by phone or in person.
• A knowledge of Special Educational Needs and Disability legislation and an understanding of the role of the Local Authority in relation to Special Educational Needs & Disability.
• Experience of working in a professional setting directly related to supporting work with children and families (e.g., in a school, a local authority such as an education or social care department, a hospital or community health setting etc). Experience of working with senior staff (such as Headteachers or Heads of Service)
• A demonstrable ability to work inclusively and in a people-focused way with people in challenging and / or sensitive circumstances. The ability to ability to show respect and empathy.
• Excellent communication skills – clear and effective oral communication, and written skills – demonstrated and developed in a workplace. Has good attention to detail ensuring accuracy when recording decisions and data onto a database and accurately maintaining pupil records. The ability to communicate difficult messages, with the integrity to hold to difficult or unpopular decisions. An understanding and proven ability in working to the bounds of confidentiality, as you will be dealing with records of children and their families.
• Proven ability to successfully work to tight deadlines and to use a range of techniques in order to effectively manage competing priorities when under pressure. Demonstrable ability to use and work on own initiative. Demonstrable ability and willingness to collaborate well as part of a team, including working to support the team and business needs (i.e., being flexible)

Please see the Job profile for the full details and expectations of this role

Application process

We anonymise applications during application & shortlisting to ensure only relevant information is considered.

As part of your application we ask that you complete apersonal statement, this statement is crucial and is where you must demonstrate how you meet the requirements of the job against each of the points described in the 'Who is the Person'points on the Job Profile using examples from your experience or transferable skills.This might be through qualifications or descriptive examples from your work / personal experience.

Interview date:3rd July 2025

We are a disability confident employer and Armed Forces Covenant gold standard. More information can be found at Equality, diversity and inclusion - Careers portal

We are committed to offering an interview to all those candidates that qualify under our commitments and meet the minimum criteria, however, for roles that receive a large number of applications, we will select the candidates that best meet the minimum criteria.

You will need to demonstrate that you have the Right to Work in the UK. No post will be offered without it.

We are committed to our values of respect, integrity, collaboration, inclusivity and being people-focussed. These values set out how we can contribute to the success of the council and our own success as individuals. Learn more about our values and behaviours.

About Portsmouth City Council

What we can offer you:

Portsmouth City Council is a unique organisation, committed to making a difference, and is guided by core values that set who we are as people, what we stand for, and how we act.

Read more about working at Portsmouth City Council and our benefits on our careers portal homepage: Careers Portal - Find jobs with Portsmouth City Council

Portsmouth City Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, and young people, and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

DBS Disclosure at Enhanced level will be required prior to any offer of employment and this post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.

Every post is subject to PCC and Portsmouth Safeguarding Children Partnership safer recruitment procedures.

Should you require any support in completing the application form please contact recruit@portsmouthcc.gov.uk. or call the recruitment team on 023 92 616800