About Us Join Oxfordshire County Council on an exciting journey towards Delivering the Future Together, our ambitious transformation programme which will enable us to be an employer, partner, and place shaper of choice. We’re seeking the right people who can help us get there while embracing our value of ‘daring to do it differently’, as we continue to strive to do better. In our Children, Education, & Families Directorate, we want every child to have the best possible education and with this goal in mind, we’ve set out to improve and transform our services. We are currently in the process of re-evaluating and restructuring our Specialist Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND) services, with the objective of advancing the educational outcomes for children and young people. About the Role We’ve transformed the way we help our communities to get the best outcomes possible for every child and family we work with. As part of this, we continue to invest in Special Educational Needs & Disabilities (SEND), with the growth of our four teams within the EHCP Casework Team: Assessment and Statutory Processes Team Early Years and Primary Team Secondary and Post 16 Team Tribunals, Resolutions and Compliance Team As Lead Officer, you will be responsible for directly managing a team of 2 Senior Officers. Additionally, you will lead the wider ‘Assessment and Statutory Processes’ Team which consists of a team of Assessment Officers who complete statutory assessments for children and young people across Oxfordshire. This is an interesting and varied role where you will have the opportunity to collaborate with key Senior Managers. Together, you’ll influence and guide the development of the Local Area Strategy for SEND where you’ll play a pivotal role in executing our post-Ofsted Transformation Programme, which aims to enhance services and promote the inclusion of vulnerable children and young people. Your contributions will be crucial in driving sustained enhancements in their achievements and outcomes. In this role, you will have strategic oversight of the Assessment and Statutory Processes Team. The purpose of the role is: To oversee all aspects of the Education Health and Needs Assessment (EHCNA) process, ensuring statutory compliance with a specific focus on meeting 20-week timeframes To ensure that other statutory processes, especially around Annual Reviews and Phase Transfers, are compliant To ensure that decision making processes are consistent, robust and transparent for children and their families To support wider transformation work around the quality of EHCPs To ensure that data is being used effectively to drive improvements across the team About you We would like to hear from you if you are… Always learning, confident and skilled in SEN Casework with an excellent knowledge of the SEND Code of Practice and relevant Legislation. Kind and caring, a skilled communicator with excellent leadership and line management skills. Willing to take responsibility and problem solve, working within statutory timeframes, dealing with complex casework and liaising with families and key agencies to ensure best provision and outcomes for our children and young people. Driven to do it differently to embark on a journey of continuous improvement in SEND. Advocating for equality and integrity in all you do. An experienced manager within SEND Casework, including managing processes around EHCNAs, Annual Reviews and Phase Transfer; chairing multi agency panels; delivering effective quality assurance processes; multi-agency working; managing and tracking complaints through agreed and formal processes; reviewing and suggesting best practice models for continuous team development and improvement; line managing and advising staff in relation to all of the above.