Interim Senior Sen Officer – Children’s Services

Full Job Title: Interim Senior Sen Officer - Children's Services

Reference no: Oxfordshire 5227624

Pay Rate: £23.58 per hour PAYE

Role Length: This opening assignment is for 4 - 5 months

Enhanced DBS disclosure is required for this role

Office based and includes working across the County.

To ensure that all Statutory processes are completed in the timeframes set out in the Code of Practice

To support the PfA Lead Officer to ensure that the strategic aims for young people with special educational needs are met within the legislative frameworks.

To take lead responsibility for advising parents, schools, colleges and providers in implementing SEND decisions, managing expectations, issues and arising disputes on these decisions.

To lead and manage the Tribunal process for all PfA cases to ensure that all deadline dates are met and that all case preparation is in line with Tribunal rules.

Duties to include:

• Managing and overseeing the whole assessment and placement process for young people Yr 9 and above, ensuring that each assessment is handled efficiently and within statutory deadlines, ensuring each EHC plan issued is of high quality
• Leading and attending Way Forward, Mediation and pre-Tribunal meetings as required. Being the LA representative at Tribunals, unless legal representation is required
• Providing professional support and advice (including training where required) to Headteachers, Principles of Colleges, SENCO’s, Governing bodies/Academy Trust, to ensure that they are compliant with the Code of Practice and Disability Discrimination Act
• Ensuring that the planning process for 14+ Transition is in place and reviewed with the PfA Lead Officer to ensure it is compliant with legislation. Monitoring placements, attending annual and transition reviews as necessary to ensure that the pupil’s needs are met, the Local Authority is receiving value for money and to take responsibility to involve other professionals. This may include acting as Lead Professional/Officer
• Ensuring that all records for students are maintained and up to date at all times. This will ensure that an audit trail of involvement is kept and is able to be produced if required
• Working with SEN officers to ensure that all paperwork produced for SEN Panels is accurate and contains up to date information required to ensure that decisions can be made swiftly
• Producing reports for PFA Lead Officer/Head of SEND as required to ensure that Senior Leaders are updated at all times
• Ensuring and maintaining effective communication with key statutory and voluntary sector partners. This to include attendance at case conference, planning meetings and child protection case conferences.
• Ensuring that you are always up to date on changes to Legislation, changes to policies and procedures and ensure that all staff are aware of these changes
• Maintaining confidentiality at all times.

“Specific Role Requirements” – to give yourself the maximum chance of success please try and ensure your CV addresses the following essential criteria:

• Educated to degree level or above (desirable)
• Knowledge and experience of the SEND Code of Practice and relevant Legislation
• Experience of working with Children & Young people with SEND, their families and professionals
• A high level of understanding of SEND processes and case management, to ensure that the timelines set out in the Code of practice are adhered to at all times
• Experience at working in a multi- professional environment and being able to coordinate responses as required
• Ability to lead and manage a team, ensuring that the team priorities are met at all times
• Excellent communication skills, in particular, writing letters, dealing with complaints, writing reports and undertaking difficult telephone calls
• In-depth Knowledge of the SEND Tribunal process, including the ability to write case statements and be the lead professional at Tribunal hearings
• Ability to travel across the County as required
• Knowledge and experience of using the Capita ONE system, including the use of all Microsoft applications
• Ability to work on your own initiative

NB: Please feel free to apply to us direct via [email protected] by quoting the job reference and job title exactly. SEE DETAILS AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS AD.

If you have previously applied to one of our vacancies and have already sent the required supporting documentation to us, please make this clear when you re-apply as this will help speed up your application.

To help speed up the process of uploading your CV to the client we would suggest that you send us your CV in Word format (or equivalent) if possible, rather than as a PDF.

If you are successful in securing this role, please note that for the entire duration of this contract, regardless of extension you will be working this role at the PAYE rate that has been advertised. For absolute clarity, we only work on a PAYE basis, rather than entertaining umbrella pay terms, we do not offer Ltd/umbrella or outside IR35 rates. If you wish to understand PAYE vs Umbrella more, please let us know and we can send you some additional information for clarity.