Job Introduction
BCP Council - Head of SEND Strategic
We are looking to recruit a dynamic Head of SEND Strategic to join our BCP Council Children’s Services Department. You will play a central role in our SEND transformation with the opportunity to innovate and support our focus on inclusion and belonging. The position is based in BCP Council (ILACS Ofsted rated Good) and you will be responsible for the Strategic SEND services across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, working alongside our Head of SEND Assessment and Review.
About the service Significant improvements have been made within BCP’s SEND Service over the last year; it is an exciting time to join and contribute to our improvement journey. Over the last year we have been working closely with our staff and listening to partners, parents and carers and have created and launched a new SEND Service Structure. Through our new service structure, we have separated out the statutory operational aspects of SEND and require a Head of SEND Strategic to lead our improvement work. A key focus will be to lead and support our drive for greater inclusion in mainstream settings in BCP.
Locally we provide support to over 4,000 children and young people with Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plans and with a further 7,552 accessing SEN Support. Co-production is at the heart of our work, with a key focus on our new Belonging and Inclusion strategy.
About the role The role will focus on introducing our system wide inclusion approach, with expertise in integrated pathways with early prevention being at the heart of the system. You will be responsible for the wider governance arrangements for SEND including implementation of our new robust quality assurance framework.
You will be a systems leader, working in partnership with health commissioners and providers to address key areas of demand and earlier support. You will be responsible for managing key service budgets. You must be able to work collaboratively across Children’s Services and in wider partnership with Early Years, schools, SEN provision and of course, our parents and carers. You will be responsible for driving forward further improvements and partnership working and leading co-production projects with a distinct focus on the development of our Local Offer. You will need to have significant experience of leading Education Psychology Services and, importantly, will hold BPS accreditation.
In return, you’ll be joining an ambitious council and a service which has embarked on an exciting transformation journey. You’ll work with incredible practitioners as well as an empowering and nurturing leadership team who will support your development as a senior leader.
Essential requirements of this position include:
- The position requires a degree in a relevant subject, a BPS accredited degree in psychology.
- Post-graduate management qualification or equivalent experience, and substantial senior leadership experience.
- Experience and capability to plan, strategically implement and manage service transformation, policy change and quality assurance frameworks.
- Solid knowledge of SEN related legislation predominantly focusing on the Children and Families Act 2014 and its code of practice.
- Significant experience leading at a strategic level SEND Services, Education Psychology and Early Years Services.
- Act as the operational lead for Educational Psychology with clinical knowledge of guidelines and framework.
- Experience and capability to plan and strategically implement policy change and quality assurance frameworks
- Proven ability to develop and maintain positive working relationships with a wide range of partners.
Closing date: Thursday 6th March 2025
Interview date: Friday 21st March 2025
Useful Information: Job Description
For an informal discussion about the role please contact the Director, Education & Skills lisa.linscott@bcpcouncil.gov.uk
About BCP Council
BCP Council provides services to a diverse community of 400,000 residents and employs more than 5,000 people. Our area includes over 15 miles of beautiful world-renowned coastline. We can offer career defining roles to transform and improve services. By working with us, you can help deliver a vision of a thriving, word-class, prosperous and inclusive place for generations to come.
Our Benefits
We offer an excellent benefits package for further details see our website.
As a result of the creation of BCP Council in 2019, we are working on simplifying our terms and conditions of service and will be creating a single pay structure which is to be applicable for all employees. It is important to us that we offer benefits that our colleagues value as part of their total employment package and we are reviewing these to make sure we have it right. We are in the process of establishing a timescale for implementation and colleagues joining us will be included in these changes. Expected to be in place 2024 or early 2025..
DBS
BCP Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the community and expects all staff and volunteers to share the same commitment. Applicants to this post will be required to complete the appropriate level of Disclosure & Barring Service Check. Please refer to the Job Description or Role Profile for more details.
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