- Experience of and evidence of success in leading improvements in local SEND systems.
- Knowledge of SEND Code of Practice and related local authority statutory responsibilities.
- Experience of working with schools and settings.
- Senior leadership experience within a local authority setting and/or experience of leading multi-disciplinary teams.
- Knowledge and understanding of the current financial pressures faced by education settings and local authorities.
- Excellent analytical skills including creating detailed reports. Ability to think strategically, problem solve and provide innovative solutions at pace.
- Excellent interpersonal, communication and presentation skills, with proven ability to communicate effectively to a wide range of audiences both horizontally and vertically, financial and non-financial, throughout the organisation. Ability to quickly build rapport and trust with clients and colleagues.
- Responsible for the effective management and development of the SEND team in the provision of identification of needs, capacity of needs across the city, and in development of reducing demand/answering the demand on specialist sufficiency places.
- Has a key role in supporting access to and availability of appropriate education provision for a range of children and young people with special needs and will provide SEND expertise and input into service improvement projects.
- Collate and report on the number of children and young people awaiting specialist places. Scrutinise the data, ensuring it is accurate, and useful for use in operational and strategic reporting and discussions concerning sufficiency for SEND.
- Leadership of the SEND team in line with the SEND strategic priorities (Bristol SEND and Inclusion Strategy)
- Delivery of changes to and formalisation of new practice development.
- Implementation of standard operating procedures and management of team managers to ensure data accuracy and financial compliance.
- Other appropriate deliverables to be determined following outcome of reviews.
- Support the improvement in the KPI set both corporate and DfE.
- Work to build and develop the partnerships with all stakeholders.