A strong SEN Service is looking to continue on its journey of ambition for our children and young people with SEND and EHC Plans- we need you!
An exciting opportunity has arisen here in Bexley: we are delighted to be able to offer a SEN Service Manager (Temp Maternity cover) within our statutory SEN Service here in Bexley. This position aims to support a busy SEN team as well as our families of children with SEND, our education settings and other partners across the local area.
We are child centred and committed to making a difference to our young people with SEN and are looking for leaders to support and enhance this approach and culture further.
The statutory SEN Service is responsible for carrying out EHC Needs Assessments, issuing and maintaining EHC Plans and coordinating the placements of children and young people with EHC Plans.
The SEND Service aims to deliver the highest quality services to children and young people with SEND, their parents/carers and educational settings accessed by our learners.
The SEND service is a fast-paced and busy team responsible for ensuring that the Local Authority meets their statutory responsibilities linked to EHC Needs Assessments, Annual Reviews of EHC Plans and place planning for children supported by our service.
The team excels in their collective support of each other, our partners and service users and are committed to making a difference to our young people with SEND.
Please refer to the Job Description attached for more information.
1 year Maternity cover.
For an informal discussion about the role please contact Wendy Vincent, Head of SEN, 0203 045 3543, Wendy.Vincent@bexley.gov.uk
We will offer you in return a package that includes a competitive salary, an excellent pension scheme and generous annual leave plus bank holidays. For more information on the benefits package on offer please refer to the We will offer you in return a package that includes a competitive salary, an excellent pension scheme and generous annual leave plus bank holidays. For more information on the benefits package on offer please refer to the Candidate Information document attached.
We reserve the right to close adverts earlier than the closing date.
As a SEN Manager you will lead and support a dynamic, dedicated and committed team and oversee the day to day running of the service. The successful applicants will be passionate, driven and highly knowledgeable related to SEN matters and legislation. You will also be experienced in the continued development and delivery of high quality services, ensuring you lead, manage and motivate staff ensuring legal compliance as well as a positive experience for our families of young people with SEND.
The successful candidates will be experienced team and service managers who can support a team with their demanding roles and responsibilities whilst also ensuring working collaboratively with schools/education settings and key partners in and out of the borough to ensure best outcomes for our children and young people with SEND and EHCPs.
We are offering a supportive and nurturing environment, practice based on the ‘signs of safety model, a great team and well-established collaborative partnership working.
Bexley is a great place to work and we hope to hear from you!
If you are a passionate and knowledgeable professional, wanting to make a difference to our children and young people with SEND and their families, you might be just the right person to join our team.
For the full list of essential and desirable criteria for this role then please refer to the Person Specification within the Job Description attached.
Appointment to this post will be subject to the outcome of an Enhanced Disclosure obtained through the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)
This authority is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
Bexley is well connected, there are good transport links to central London, the Kent countryside and the Coast! It is the best of both worlds. Our residents and workers can benefit from the new high-speed Elizabeth Line which goes from Abbey Wood, here in Bexley and all the way to Reading, Southeast England.
We are a diverse and growing borough. By 2030 our population will be over 260,000 and almost 300,000 by 2050. Almost 25% of our population is Black and Asian Multi-Ethnic. Bexley is one of London’s greenest boroughs and has recently been awarded Public Sector Campaign of the year by Sustainable City’s prestigious annual awards.
We believe that everyone in Bexley Children’s Social Care should have the opportunity to grow and develop, in every role and at every stage of their career and offer a wide variety of social work roles, both for qualified and unqualified practitioners. Bexley Children’s Social Care offers the opportunity to develop skills and knowledge in different areas of Children’s Services: we offer a comprehensive range of professional development opportunities and are committed to ensuring that Bexley is a welcoming and enjoyable place to work.
The children and families we work with, are always kept at the centre of our practice. We believe:
children should stay with their families whenever it’s in their best interests and safe to do so
where it’s not, we must act quickly through the courts to help children find a safe space
success depends on positive, respectful relationships with families and with each other
working with families is unpredictable, so we have to create a supportive environment for our teams
the most effective practice is based on ‘showing your working out’ – so that even when things don’t go to plan, the thinking behind decisions is clear and defensible
Working in social care in Bexley is endlessly rewarding. As well as helping some of the most vulnerable people in our borough, we invest in looking after you and your career.
We offer excellent benefits, from competitive salaries and generous leave to flexible working and a wealth of health and wellness programmes.
flexible working - including opportunities for hybrid working, job sharing, compressed hours, and career breaks
a comprehensive range of training and professional development opportunities including access to research, group and e-learning, coaching and group supervision for colleagues in all roles and at every stage of their career
clear career progression pathways, within a nurturing environment, which allows social work to flourish. From opportunities to undertake social work qualification; our dedicated ASYE Academy; to our Leadership Academy offering bespoke development for our aspiring and existing leaders. There are also opportunities for practitioners to be involved in university research & academic delivery with our partner universities and students.
family leave - includes maternity, paternity, adoption and parental leave
mental health and physical wellbeing - including access to our Employee Assistance Programme, help to quit smoking, access to private healthcare, free eye tests and discounted leisure offers
financial wellbeing - excellent pension scheme, charitable giving options
generous annual leave - 25 to 33 days, with the option to purchase extra leave plus an extra bank holiday at Christmas
competitive pay - performance assessments with the opportunity for salary increments and transparent salary scales
transport offers - cycle to work scheme, carpooling, subsidised parking and interest-free season ticket loans
recognition - Thank you messaging to celebrate staff success and sharing of compliments received
professional and personal development - training and workshops to help you thrive and a discount on most Learning and Enterprise College Bexley courses
staff support networks - our networks support and encourage networking between staff with various events throughout the year
employee volunteering - get out of the office and help a local project blossom
MyChoice benefit scheme - your pick of perks from vouchers to car leasing
local authority discount scheme - attraction and theme park discounts and local offers in partnership with KAARP .
We work together in a modern, well-equipped, energising environment that supports team working and collaboration across the service and with partners