Description Job Title: SEND Operational Lead Salary: £45,624 - £52,038 per annum Grade: F Contract Type: Permanent Working Hours: 37 hours per week About the Department Thurrock SEND plays a vital role in supporting children and young people with special educational needs (EHCPs). The team are central to ensuring that statutory processes are delivered to a high standard, within legal timeframes, and with a strong focus on quality, consistency and positive outcomes for families. The SEND Operational Lead will lead and manage the operational delivery of the team, the SEND statutory functions, including EHCP processes and associated pathways. About the Role As a SEND Operational Lead you will be responsible for ensuring compliance with SEND legislation, statutory timescales, and the SEND Code of Practice. In addition to: Line management and supporting Senior EHCP Coordinators and coordinators, promoting consistent high quality practice. Overseeing workload management, performance monitoring, and quality assuring outcomes. Acting as an escalation point for complex cases and complaints. Supporting service improvement through data analysis, audit activity and action planning. Contributing to inspection readiness and respond to audit, QA or review findings. Promoting a culture of continuous improvement, accountability, and child-focused decision-making. This role makes a real difference by ensuring SEND services run effectively and families receive timely, high quality support. Through strong operational leadership, the post holder helps reduce delay, improve consistency, and support better outcomes for children and young people with SEND. What we are looking for We’re looking for someone who can evidence impact, support improvement, and ensure services are robust, responsive and compliant. Essential qualifications: Experience of working within a SEND statutory service, with a strong understanding of EHCP processes and statutory duties. Experience of operational leadership or management including supporting staff and managing competing priorities. Experience of driving improvement and embedding consistent practice. Benefits of Working with Us At Thurrock Council, we value our employees and offer a comprehensive benefits package, including: Generous annual leave entitlement Local Government Pension Scheme Flexible and hybrid working opportunities (where applicable) Ongoing training and professional development Employee assistance programme and wellbeing support Staff discounts and local offers A supportive and inclusive working environment Important Dates Closing Date (Redeployment Only): 12th March 2026 Closing Date (Internal & External): 22nd March 2026 Interview Date: To Be Confirmed To view the Job Profile and Person Specification, please follow the link below: Download Job Profile (PDF Document)