About the role:
Slough Borough Council is committed to improving outcomes for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). To achieve meaningful and lasting change, improvement activity and accountability must be shared across this complex partnership, with key priorities delivered at pace and with clear evidence of impact on the outcomes and experiences of children, young people, and families.
We are seeking an experienced and dynamic Interim Head of SEND Improvements (Strategic Programme Manager) to provide senior leadership capacity and strategic programme oversight. The role will focus on delivering the Priority Improvement Action Plan, driving transformation across SEND services, enabling rapid operational change, strengthening partnership working, and ensuring cost-effective service delivery.
Key priorities for the Interim Head of SEND Improvements (Strategic Programme Manager):
* Translate multiple interdependent improvement plans (including data, ICT, and co-production workstreams) into a single, coherent strategic action and resource plan.
* Bridge the gap between current ("as-is") outcomes and future ("to-be") goals through realistic, evidence-based planning and resource allocation.
* Ensure all activities are aligned, prioritised, and resourced against a single source of truth, with clear accountability and defined cause-and-effect between actions and outcomes.
* Accelerate data cleansing and dashboard development to ensure a shared, accurate understanding of SEND provision and quality, enabling targeted and effective decision-making.
* Review governance and quality assurance arrangements to ensure strong oversight of programme delivery, service performance, and compliance with regulatory standards.
* Develop a clear and coherent narrative for decision-makers, proactively identifying risks and implementing mitigation strategies, ensuring potential bottlenecks are anticipated and managed.
* Proactively engage with parent-carer forums and key stakeholders to co-produce services and rebuild trust.
* Work closely with commissioners to support compliance with the Children and Families Act 2014 and best value duties, and to minimise the risk of service failure.
Experience required
The successful candidate will have:
* A proven track record of senior leadership achievement.
* Strong understanding of SEND policy, legislation, and the challenges faced by children, young people, and families, including experience responding to inspection outcomes.
* Experience delivering large-scale, complex transformation programmes, ideally within SEND, education, or health settings.
* A strategic mindset with the ability to balance long-term vision with operational delivery.
* Strong organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deliver under pressure.
* Excellent problem-solving and decision-making abilities.
* Experience driving change, improving ways of working, and supporting culture transformation.
* Financial awareness, including high-needs funding, commissioning, and complex budget management.
* Strong stakeholder engagement and communication skills, with the ability to influence senior leaders and build effective relationships with partners, parents, and carers.
This period closes on Thursday April #removed# at 10:00
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