OR103025 – SEN Case Officer

Job Title: SEND Case Officer
Job Grade: Level 3, Zone 2

About Camden

Camden is building somewhere everyone can thrive, by making our borough the best place to live, work, study and visit. Because, we’re not just home to UK’s fast-growing economy. We’re home to the most important conversations happening today. And we’re making radical social change a reality, so that nobody gets left behind. Here’s where you can help decide a better future for us all. In the SEND & Inclusion Service, we continue to have high aspirations for our children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.  We are building on our dynamic staff team and the role of the SEND Case Officer is key to delivering a collaborative approach, supporting our children and young people with SEND to strengthen relationships with our families and schools.

About the role

The post holder is responsible for development and maintenance of Education Health and Care Plans from initial application and assessment to the annual review process. The SEND Case Officer will work with families of children with Special Needs and Disability in a highly person-centred relational approach, and coordinate service provision across education, health and care to ensure holistic delivery plan for individual child and family.

To work collaboratively with families, schools and other key partners agencies for individual children and young people with SEND to ensure children and young people are educated and are in receipt of appropriate provision that is inline with their holistic needs. The post holder will work closely with and facilitate engagement with educational settings and relevant practitioners to support, advise and monitor the local offer and to work with schools on individual cases as needed. SEND Case Officer’s should take a reflective approach to their practice in order to drive improvement. SEND Case Officers are part of a graduated response and should work with a team around the child approach. Timeliness of planning, quality of assessments and plans and impact of annual reviews will be important measures of success. The use of data and feedback by the post holder should also drive quality improvements.

The SEND Case Officer is responsible for managing a case load of children and young people with SEND, acting as a key point of contact. this includes engagement with families, children, young people, schools, colleagues and other partners where a statutory assessment request has been made or responding to SEND queries. The post holder will be required to travel to and attend meetings at education settings across Camden and neighbouring boroughs. The post holder should undertake their work with due regard to the equitable use of resources and to drive the sustainability of SEND services.

About you

•    Experience of SEN knowledge and namely Code of Practice and the Children and Families Act 14.
•    Good knowledge of Camden’s SEND policy and practice, national guidance and legislation.
•    Ability to write EHC plans and complete annual reviews in co-production with parents and children/ young people, ensuring the range of relevant reports from professionals are considered and reflected in the EHC Plan and/or annual review and that it is fully compliant with the Code of Practice.
•    To maintain an oversight of children and young people receiving Exceptional Needs Grant (ENG), working directly with schools to ensure their SEND needs are met.
•    To be responsible for negotiating with schools, colleges, and training providers regarding the placement of children and young people with EHC Plans.
•    To directly manage potentially contentious and sensitive situations with a range of partners, ensuring compliance with the SEND Code of Practice to minimise the risk of challenge to the LA.
•    To lead work with Health providers, social care – children’s and Adults and other professionals involved in the needs assessment / annual review process in order to co-ordinate their professional contributions ensuring that they lead to positive and aspirational outcomes for children and young people with SEND.
•    To lead on a range of contact with parents and professionals ensuring the voice of the child/young is central to all decision making and that families feel supported and heard.
•    To ensure EHC planning meetings and annual review meetings at schools, colleges and training providers are held and managed in accordance with the Code of Practice and are person centred and outcome focused.
•    Chair EHC planning meetings or other TACs where appropriate.
•    To maintain effective record-keeping systems (both manual and computer based), ensuring information is up to date and of a high quality.
•    To provide mentoring support to SENCos in relation to the SEND Code of Practice and statutory responsibilities in relation to SEN support and the graduated response. To manage, attend and participate in meetings, e.g. staff meetings, supervision, and staff development.
•    To support the co-ordination of panels directly relating to the SEND Code of Practice and local processes.

Work Environment:
This post will be required to be based in our Camden community for at least 60% of the working pattern, building relationships and informing practice across the SEND Local Area

People Management Responsibilities:
This post does not have any line management responsibilities.

Relationships:
The post will be based in the SEND & Inclusion Service reporting to a Senior SEND Case Officer.

Is this role Politically Restricted?
Some posts at Camden are politically restricted, which means individuals holding these posts cannot have active political role. For a list of all politically restricted roles at Camden click here.

Diversity & Inclusion
We want Camden Council to be a great place to work and to ensure that our communities are represented across our workforce. A vital part of this is ensuring we are a truly inclusive organisation that encourages diversity in all respects, including diversity of thinking. We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and those of Other Ethnicities, LGBT+, disabled and neurodiverse communities to make a real difference to our residents so that equalities and justice remains at the heart of everything we do. Click Diversity and Inclusion for more information on our commitment.

Flexible working
We recognise the importance of a healthy work life balance and support flexible working where possible. Working from home is balanced with time in the office to connect with colleagues, collaborate on projects and work with our communities and partners.

Asking for Adjustments 
Camden is committed to making our recruitment practices barrier-free and as accessible as possible for everyone. This includes making adjustments or changes for disabled people, neurodiverse people or people with long-term health conditions. If you would like us to do anything differently during the application, interview or assessment process, including providing information in an alternative format, please contact Matrix