Job Description



Job Description

|Job Title: |SEND Monitoring Officer |

|Team/Service: |Special Educational Needs |

|Business Unit: |Education |

|Commissioning Area |Children’s Services |

|Responsible To: |Head of Service (SEND) / Advisory Teacher |

|Accountable To: |Head of Service (SEND) / Advisory Teacher |

|Salary Grade: |Grade K 36 - 39 |

|Key Purpose of Job |

|To provide high quality efficient and effective Special Educational needs and Disability (SEND) advice and services to the Council. |

|Responsible for ensuring annual reviews of Education, Health and Care Plans are carried out in a timely manner, in line with statutory requirements. |

|To provide oversight and ensure efficient use of resources and outcomes for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities |

|To ensure rigorous scrutiny and challenge to ensure High needs funding is appropriately used in schools, colleges and other providers. |

|To promote and encourage a culture of learning, knowledge sharing and excellence. |

|Anticipated Outcomes of Post |

|Successful educational outcomes for all children and young people in Torbay. |

|Discharging statutory duties in relation to special educational needs efficiently and effectively. |

|Clear oversight of use of high needs funding in schools, colleges and other providers. |

|Meeting the priorities of the Council and implementation of wider local and national policies & plans in relation to Special Educational Needs and Disability. |

|List Key Duties and accountabilities of the post |

|Responsible for ensuring that the statutory processes are compliant with SEN legislation. |

|Successfully manage the Education, Health and Care Plans for young people. This will include the co-ordination and drafting of Education Health and Care Plans, |

|and all this entails. |

|To identify cases where complex casework is required for students, and signposting these to the SEN Casework Officers. |

|To draft and amend Education, Health and Care Plans following receipt of the relevant paperwork from schools, colleges and other providers. |

|Take the lead in ensuring that the progress of young people with Education, Health and Care Plans is monitored and reviewed, via Annual Review processes, with |

|clear expectations of robust outcomes being set and achieved. Providing sufficient challenge to education and community on behalf of children and young people. |

|To work closely with partners ensuring the needs of the pupils are well met and appropriate planning occurs. Partners include mainstream schools, special |

|schools, colleges and other providers, Health, Adult Services and Children’s Social care Teams to ensure planning relating to the students and young people is |

|undertaken at the most effective and critical times. |

|To provide operational challenge, by holding the diverse educational community to account for delegated funds. |

|To provide training as required by the Head of Service (SEND) and Head of Education, Learning and Skills. |

|To actively participate in professionally relevant activities as directed by line manager, including supervision and personal professional development. |

|In conjunction with the Senior SEN Officer and Head of Service (SEND) monitor and input into the allocation of delegated budgets, ensuring that best value is |

|achieved. |

|To represent and participate in Funding Allocation Panels communicating outcomes to Educational providers, Parents and other professionals. |

|To provide data for the work of the Higher Needs Recovery Group. |

|Give examples of the typical types of problems and decisions the post will be required to make |

|The postholder receives a telephone call from the school saying that they can no longer meet the needs of the child and they are going to exclude. This will |

|require the post holder to call an interim review, facilitate meetings between the school, case work officer and parent to bring about a solution. This will |

|require critical questioning, negotiation skills, problem solving, challenge and decision making. These decisions will need to be taken in isolation and at a |

|fast pace. For this reason the post holder will have autonomy offer proposed resolutions. During this period the post holder would be working with parents, |

|schools and potentially young people that are likely to be highly anxious and potentially confrontational. It would be an expectation on the post holder that |

|they would be able to manage this with resilience. |

|Following the attendance at a review meeting a decision to reduce the resource allocation to an allocated individual is recommended to the Funding Allocation |

|Panel. The school feels reliant on this funding to meet the child’s needs. The post holder would be expected to visit the school, communicate the decision and |

|work with the school to ensure continuity of care. During this period the parents will need to be informed of a revision to the plan and become potentially |

|alarmed that the provision will no longer be available. The post holder will have to balance the support and challenge role carefully to bring about a positive|

|outcome for the child or young person. This is particularly challenging for those no longer to be provided with a bespoke or specialist service. To be |

|effective the post holder will need to resolve conflicting viewpoints, employ conflict resolution and mediation skills to reach a decision. |

|The post holder will be required to make decisions on approximately 500 education, health and care plans per year. Working in partnership with Health, Schools, |

|Social Care and Families they will be responsible for revising and re-issuing legal documents. If this is not conducted in line with due process the |

|consequences for the council could lead to ombudsman, mediation or tribunal procedures. Given the volume and complexity of this work the post holder will be |

|responsible for their own quality control and it is highly likely that controversial issues will only be raised when in the public domain. |

|The post holder reads an Education Health and Care Plan review and notes that not all actions have been undertaken by the school. The post holder would be |

|responsible for attending the school, checking on the provision provided and feeding this back to the headteacher. On some occasions this challenge may not be |

|received positively or followed up. At this point the post holder would need to meet with the SEN governor and Chair of Governors to raise concerns. The |

|information gathered through this process could be used as part of the evidence provided to the Regional Schools Commissioner Officer or Education Funding |

|Agency to ask for a direction into a school. |

|The post holder attends the SEND panel and disagrees with a decision made regarding threshold of need, either through education, health or social care. The post|

|holder would need to have the necessary knowledge of both process and content to challenge the decision and escalate to bring about a sound solution. This |

|process could also be tested through judicial system. |

|Budgetary / Financial Responsibilities of the post |

|Responsibility to oversee High Needs funding allocations within schools and other providers, in accordance with financial regulations. |

|Supervision / Line Management Responsibilities of the post ( Please show / provide organisation structure as an appendices, showing official reporting lines |

|Full line management of up to 5 members of staff.EHCP. |

|Working Environment & Conditions of the post |

|Normal working environment. |

|Physical Demands of the post |

|Normal office base and visiting other provisions (i.e. educational providers) |

|The transportation and use of mobile technology necessary for completing assessments and monitoring of provisions. |

|Specific Resources used by the post |

|None |

|Key Contacts and Relationships |

|External: Schools & Colleges(Heads, SENCo’ s, Class Teachers, TAs), Careers,Health (CAMHS, Paediatricians, Speech Therapists), Social Services (Children & |

|Adults) Voluntary Bodies and parents/carers. |

|Internal: SEN Section, Advisory Support Teachers, Educational Psychologists, LA Officers & Advisers, Parent Partnership, LA Social Care staff and staff in the|

|LA's off-site provisions. |

|The postholder will represent the Council and be responsible for influencing and negotiating with others on possible contentious matters in circumstances where |

|relationships between contacts and the matters in question may be complex and may involve difficult situations requiring tact and sensitivity. |

|Other Duties |

|As required, to undertake additional duties as appropriate to the role of a SEND Monitoring Officer /or commensurate with the level of the position, to ensure|

|the effective operation of the Service and the achievement of the LA’s aims and priorities. |

|Other Information |

|All staff must commit to Equal Opportunities and Anti-Discriminatory Practice. |

|The Council operates a Smoke-Free Policy and the post-holder is prohibited from smoking in any of the Council's buildings (including Council owned and Council |

|leased buildings, but excluding designated areas in residential schemes), enclosed spaces within the curtilage of buildings, and Council vehicles. The Council |

|does not permit smoking breaks within work time, however, in services where the flexi-scheme is in operation, employees may take reasonable break times outside |

|of core hours, in accordance with flexi-time arrangements. Employees should follow the flexi-scheme procedure for agreeing time away from their duties in the |

|normal manner with their immediate colleagues and line manager, with break start and finish times being recorded, as with any other break-time arrangement. |

| |

|The post-holder is expected to familiarise themselves with and adhere to all relevant Council Policies and Procedures. |

| |

|The post-holder must comply with the Council’s Health and Safety requirements as outlined in the H&S policy appropriate to the role. |

| |

|This post is based at Electric House, Torquay but the post holder may be required to move their base to any other location within the Council at a future date. |

| |

|As this post meets the requirements in respect of exempted questions under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, all applicants who are offered employment |

|will be subject to a criminal record check (Disclosure) from the Disclosure & Barring Service before the appointment is confirmed. This will include details of|

|ALL cautions, reprimands or final warnings as well as convictions, whether “spent” or “unspent”. Criminal convictions will only be taken into account when |

|they are relevant to the post. |

|Torbay Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and applicants must be willing to undergo the checks appropriate to the post |

|applied for. |

April 2018

Person Specification

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|Note for Candidate |

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|All Candidates |

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|The supporting statement on your application form will be used to assess ability to meet the essential requirements of the role, so you should explain how you meet each of the numbered essential requirements within your |

|supporting statement. |

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|In a competitive situation, the desirable criteria may be taken into consideration, so you are encouraged to show how you also meet each of the desirable criteria. |

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|Candidates who consider that they have a disability |

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|Reasonable adjustments will be made to the job, job requirements or recruitment process for candidates with a disability. |

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|If you consider yourself to have a disability you should indicate this on your application form, providing any information you would like us to take into account with regard to your disability in order to offer a fair |

|selection interview. |

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|Where ever possible and reasonable we will make adjustments and offer alternatives to help you through the application and selection process. |

| |

|If you have indicated that you have a disability on your application form you will be guaranteed an interview if you clearly demonstrate in your supporting evidence how you broadly meet the essential requirements of the |

|role. |

Person Specification

|Job Title: |SEND Monitoring Officer |

|Highly effective communication and interpersonal skills. | |

|Significant decision making skills – the ability to analyse information, draw conclusions and effect | |

|judgements based on outcomes and risk. | |

|Proven problem solving skills – the ability to identify causes, make objective and informed judgements that| |

|demonstrates emotional resilience and balance. | |

|Ability to give clear and accurate advice relating to SEND legislation and expectations. | |

|Ability to deal with difficult and challenging situations with tact and sensitivity. | |

|Ability to work effectively with colleagues and partners both internally and across agency boundaries. | |

|Ability to challenge decision making to bring about the best outcomes. | |

|Ability to build and maintain positive working relationships. | |

|Effective presentation skills. | |

|Ability to prioritise work, meet deadlines and utilise resources appropriately, being thorough, organised | |

|and methodical in approach to work. | |

|Excellent literacy skills in producing succinct and effective documentation. | |

|Ability to command respect and authority with those persons the post holder is required to influence, | |

|support and advise. | |

|Ability to work on own initiative. | |

|Essential Knowledge: |Desirable Knowledge: |

|A thorough understanding of current legislation and DfE guidance and developments in special educational | |

|needs and disability. | |

|A detailed understanding of issues surrounding general developments in educational assessment and | |

|intervention | |

|Knowledge of working with schools as systems and understand the expectations of key levels of management | |

|within the school | |

|A good knowledge of legislation and procedures relating to assessment and provision for children with | |

|special educational needs. | |

|A thorough understanding of the implications of the emerging changes to legislation relating to special | |

|educational needs. | |

|Working knowledge of curriculum design and expectations. | |

| | |

|Essential Experience/Achievements: |Desirable Experience/Achievements: |

|Experience of work in relation to young people and children with special educational needs | |

|Experience of working in schools. |Experience of working at a senior leadership level. |

|Experience of working with school governors/trustees. |Experience of working in more than one professional area. |

|Commitment to evidence of applying an evidenced informed practice approach. |Experience of Person Centred Planning methodology. |

|Experience of working under pressure and making robust evidenced informed decisions. |Experience of working across educational phases |

|Evidence of having delivered improved outcomes and impact for children and young people. |Experience of using Capita One |

|Management or supervision experience. |Experience of commissioning services/provisions |

|Able to devise, prepare and deliver training. | |

|Experience of using a variety of ICT packages and electronic databases. | |

|Experience of employing conflict resolution and mediation skills to reach a conclusion. | |

|Essential Qualifications/Professional Memberships: |Desirable Qualifications/Professional Memberships: |

| | |

|Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) qualification o.r degree level |SENCO qualification. |

|Evidence of continued professional development. | |

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|Essential – Other requirements of the job role |

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|Ability to carry out the physical requirements of the role (i.e. manual handling) |

|Ability to travel efficiently around the Bay/South West/UK in order to carry out duties |

|Ability to accommodate occasional home working. |

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