SEN Development Lead - Local Authority

Role: SEN Development Lead

Location: West London

MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

- To further the development and operationalisation of SEN processes and procedures following the review of these
- To actively contribute to the development and management of the new SEN processes, to include the overall workload, staffing, financial and other resources, whilst ensuring the most effective use of those resources and being consistent with Council policy, priorities and decisions on levels of services utilising relevant legislation.
- In particular to:
- Set, co-ordinate and manage the achievement of service targets in terms of new business processes, and ensure they link coherently with any existing processes
- Monitor the progress of work regarding these and related processes, including preparation and evaluation of management information
- Assist in managing the Business Support and Case Officer teams in the operation of SEN business processes, including their professional development and performance, ensuring the highest levels of performance of staff in line with Council values
- Hold regular review meetings with individuals and the team as a whole in order to further the operationalisation of SEN processes and procedures
- To be responsible for investigating, making recommendations for, implementing and sustaining effective business systems to ensure best practice in so far as they may improve the provision of the service.
- To be responsible for ensuring that all members of the SEN Service are familiar with, and operate to, the newly agreed standards of performance in respect of the business processes and procedures for handling incoming mail, telephone enquiries, complaints, personal callers, as well as other SEN business processes
- To take the lead in training and development of team members in these procedures
- To be responsible for ensuring that effective systems operate for recording on to authorised SEN business and management systems, contributing to corporate reporting systems as appropriate.
- To assist in managing corporate and departmental processes in relation to responding to Councillors and MPs enquiries, ensuring that agreed deadlines are observed, and that performance information is available for the Management Team as necessary. To assist in effective liaison by the SEN Service with MPs, Councillors and senior representatives of partner agencies in both the public and private sector on matters relating to the SEN service.
- On behalf of the Head of Service, ensure that t he SEN Service carries out effective investigative information gathering exercises on specific issues, and produces reports and/or briefings as required.
- On behalf of the Head of Service, ensure that the SEN Service effectively maintains electronic appointment diaries; that appropriate prioritisation of meetings is taken into account, and that all documents required for business processes are available in a timely way.
- On behalf of the Head of Service, oversee co-ordination of incoming mail (both electronic and hard copy), including highly confidential material, ensuring it is redirected as necessary within and outside the SEN service; to prioritise in terms of urgency; to ensure that the SEN service responds on routine matters and ensure that appropriate tracking/logging systems are in place and kept up to date.
- To act as the lead co-coordinator for SEN management team meetings, ensuring that agendas/papers are circulated in advance, a high standard of minutes is produced and circulated, together with an Action Sheet, and ensuring that follow up action is undertaken as appropriate.
- To maintain an effective communication network with the SEN management team members.
- To be well organised, methodical and accurate, with attention to detail, with the ability to revise plans as priorities change locally' and council wide.
- To carry out any other related duties commensurate with the general level of responsibility of the post.

GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES

- The post holder will be required to support the development of the SEN Service, further developing the skills, knowledge and adaptability necessary to support their personal development.
- The post holder will be assessed at competency level as detailed in the person specification.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS

- Civil and Other Emergencies: To support the Council's role in planning for and responding to civil and council emergencies using skills/expertise of the post holder, and in accordance with council emergency procedures. To provide emergency contact details for the purposes of emergency and service continuity plans.
- IT: To use the Council's office-based and mobile IT services for the input, access and transmission of information using the appropriate level of information security and classification through the use of electronic mail, diaries, word-processing, spreadsheets and databases as well as any specific job-related applications as required to carry out the duties of the post.
- Information Management: To comply with information rights legislation and the Council's data quality standards by applying information management related policies. To report instances of non-compliance, errors, omissions or inadequacies in procedures to the business unit manager.
- Equal Opportunities: To know and adhere to the Council's equal opportunities policy and equalities legislation and implement in relation to job responsibilities in employment and service delivery.
- Health and Safety: To take reasonable care for his/her own health and safety and any other person(s) who may be affected by his/her acts or omissions at work, in accordance with the Health & Safety legislation. To co-operate with the Council in so far as is necessary to enable it to comply with its duties under relevant health and safety legislation.
- Safeguarding of Children, Young People and Vulnerable Adults (for all front line staff in Children's and Community Services). To be aware of and work in accordance with the councils child protection policies and procedures in order to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and to raise any concerns relating to such procedures which may be noted during the course of duty. You will be required to have a valid Enhanced CRB disclosure and be re-checked every 3 years as per council policy.