Job title: SEN Support and Inclusion Team Leader, Early Years’ professional lead

Salary: ADV/INSP Soulbury 9 -13, £52,711 - £58,400

Hours: Full-time: 37 hours/week

Contract: Permanent

Location: Working across the local authority region; team base at Technorth, Leeds LS7

The post holder will provide professional and operational leadership of the early years’ team within the SEN and Inclusion Team and work with colleagues across Children and Families’ services and in other agencies to improve the outcomes for children and young people. The post holder will develop and maintain effective relationships with key stakeholders including parents/carers, children and young people, professionals and service providers.

Leeds City Council is one of the largest employers in the region with over 14,000 employees. We seek to recruit and develop talented individuals who embody our council values and ambitions.

About you

As an SEN Support and Inclusion Team Leader, you will bring to the role:

• Extensive knowledge of early childhood development and SEND, personalised planning and good practice in relation restorative and reflective practice and to inclusion.
• Knowledge of statutory and non-statutory legislation and guidelines in relation to early years education, inclusion and SEND.
• Effective interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to manage change, respond flexibly to new ideas, and promote change as a natural process.
• Supervisory, mentoring and coaching skills and experience that serves to develop individuals to deliver key priorities of the team and service.
• An excellent ability to manage Information, including the gathering, analysing and interpretation of data to monitor and evaluate the impact of team interventions on children’s progress, performance and provision, and the identification of actions that are likely to lead to improvement and ensure quality assurance procedures for evaluating staff impact and outcomes.
• Well established problem solving skills, and an ability to develop creative solutions, support others to find solutions to complex problems, and ability to evidence a flexible response to challenging situations.
• Manage inter-agency and partnership working, providing effective links and the ability to maintain relationships with colleagues and partners at a range of levels to maximise impact for children and young people.

About the role

You will work as part of the SENIT management team providing day to day professional and operational leadership of the early years’ team within the SEN and Inclusion Team (SENIT), leading this team of early years’ practitioners to promote and support children’s development and maximise access to learning for children with a range of educational needs and disabilities across educational settings. You will contribute to service development as a member of the Management Team, including the development of specific areas of responsibility and a contribution to the writing and monitoring of the Team Plan with due regard to the Strategic Plans of LCC. You will undertake direct consultation and active support for staff working with children, families and settings, some of whom may be experiencing extremely challenging circumstances.

What we offer you

We take pride in offering the best employee experience, with benefits including:

• a competitive salary and annual leave entitlement plus statutory holidays
• membership of the West Yorkshire Pension Fund with generous employer contributions
• flexible and hybrid working arrangements subject to service requirements
• a clear career pathway and continuing professional development opportunities
• a range of staff benefits to help you boost your wellbeing and make your money go further

How to apply

Please complete the online application form.

Read our guidancefor further advice. Please check your information carefully and ensure you complete all sections before submitting your application.

If you have any queries or would like an informal chat about the role please contact Joan Kavanagh, SEND & Inclusion Teams Service Delivery Manager, 0113 3782888, joan.kavanagh@leeds.gov.uk.

A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check against the Children’s or Adults’ barred list as applicable will be carried out on preferred candidates. Read our recruitment of ex-offenders policy.

We welcome applications from everyone and actively seek a diverse range of applicants from all backgrounds and cultures. We particularly encourage applications from, but not limited to, women, carers, veterans as well as LGBT+, ethnically diverse, disabled and care experienced people. 

This role is based in the UK. Home Office guidance states that candidates must evidence their right to work in the UK prior to commencing employment, either as a UK or Irish citizen, under the EU Settlement scheme or having secured any other relevant work visa.

If you do not have the right to work in the UK, you must consider your own eligibility for sponsorship for a particular role through the Skilled Worker visaroute before applying. To be eligible for sponsorship you'll usually need to be paid the standard salary rate of at least £41,700 per year or meet one of the other eligibility criteria. Ensure you are eligible before applying.

Job Description

Job purpose: To provide day to day professional and operational leadership of the early years’ team within the SEN and Inclusion Team (SENIT): to lead this team of early years’ practitioners to promote and support children’s development and maximise access to learning for children with a range of educational needs and disabilities across educational settings, to drive SEND strategies, and to support settings in the implementation of the SEND Code of Practice 2015. The SEN Support & Inclusion Team Leader will work with other colleagues to develop the capacity for inclusion in educational settings and will be a member of the SENIT Management Team.

Responsibilities

• Professional and operational leadership of the early years’ team within the SEN and Inclusion Team and work with colleagues across Children’s Services and in other agencies to improve the outcomes for children and young people. The post holder will develop and maintain effective relationships with key stakeholders including parents/carers, children and young people, professionals and service providers.

• Supporting staff within the framework of the SEN Code of Practice to provide effective advice, assessment and intervention in order to raise achievement and promote both setting improvement and inclusion of young children with SEND.

• Deploying staff within the team to provide high quality, efficient and effective team working and delivery to children, families and settings in alignment with service arrangements.

• Coordination of all consultation and support requests made to the team.

• Undertaking direct consultation and active support for staff working with children, families and settings, some of whom may be experiencing extremely challenging circumstances.  

• Contributing to service development as a member of the Management Team including the development of specific areas of responsibility and a contribution to the writing and monitoring of the Team Plan with due regard to the Strategic Plans of LCC.

• Active participation and service representation in any review or inspection processes.

• The implementation of LCC policy and action plans, particularly in the areas of special educational needs, inclusion and school improvement.

• Active contribution to the monitoring, challenge, support and intervention role of the LA and ensuring relevant and effective support is offered to settings in order to meet their ongoing needs.

• Maintaining record keeping in relation to individual case work and other team activities, through active engagement with LCC data systems and protocols.

• Gathering, analysing and interpreting data to monitor and evaluate the impact of team interventions on pupil progress, performance and provision.

• Acting as the key point of contact when queries, concerns or complaints arise within designated area of responsibility and ensure these are resolved promptly or passed on to the appropriate level.

• Facilitating Team Meetings to enable effective communication, support and professional development of team members.

• Overseeing and co-delivering training and support to build capacity for families and settings.

• Establish collaborative working with other agencies (Health, Social care, 3rd Sector) and other partners within Learning Inclusion and LCC to offer a co-ordinated SEND support offer to settings which is based on developing inclusive and enabling environments for all children.

• Identifying areas for continuing professional development, ensuring highest personal and professional standards and awareness of national and local initiatives relating to workforce development.

• Facilitating the effective recruitment, selection and induction of new staff, undertaking of performance management, supervision and problem solving with team members to monitor performance. Undertaking effective attendance and sickness monitoring.

• Ensuring DfE standards are met as appropriate. Responding to national and local policies in relation to early years education.

• Responsibility for team budget in relation to consumable resources and professional CPD.

• Effective communication with all stakeholders to promote multi-agency, partnership working across Children’s Services.

• Representation of the Service on strategic groups, within Children’s Services, and at local, regional and national forums.

• To participate in and provide training and development activities as necessary to ensure up to date knowledge and skills.

The duties outlined are not meant as an exhaustive list and will also comprise any other duties within the spirit of the post commensurate with the job evaluation outcome for this post.

Qualifications

Essential requirements Candidates will only be shortlisted if they can demonstrate that they meet all the following essential requirements.

Qualified Teacher Status.

Managing Self: effective interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to manage change, respond flexibly to new ideas, and promote change as a natural process. High level communication skills, appropriate to different client groups with the ability to challenge and influence, deal effectively with conflict and present feedback in a sensitive, honest and constructive manner. Highly effective time management and organisational skills, with the ability to manage a challenging workload within a pressurised environment with identified deadlines.

Managing others and developing performance: supervision, mentoring and coaching to develop individuals to deliver key priorities of the team and service.

Managing resources: organisational, project, and/or resource management, including delegated aspects of budget.

Managing Information: gathering, analysing and interpreting data to monitor and evaluate the impact of team interventions on children’s progress, performance and provision. Identification of actions that are likely to lead to improvement and ensure quality assurance procedures for evaluating staff impact and outcomes. Use ICT and technology effectively and encourage others to develop technical solutions in response to change.

Well established problem solving skills: ability to develop creative solutions, support others to find solutions to complex problems, and ability to evidence a flexible response to challenging situations.

• Managing inter-agency and partnership working: provide effective links and maintain relationships with colleagues and partners at a range of levels to maximise impact for children and young people. Effective partnership working to ensure effective development, interpretation and implementation of strategies.
• Working with children and young people with complex needs and their families.
• Knowledge of statutory and non-statutory legislation and guidelines in relation to early years education, inclusion and SEND.
• Extensive knowledge of early childhood development and SEND, personalised planning and good practice in relation restorative and reflective practice and to inclusion.
• Knowledge and understanding of management of other colleagues evidenced through active pursuit of CPD opportunities and/or direct experience of formal and/or informal leadership.
• Of a variety of methods of assessment and intervention and use of applied knowledge and skills in a range of settings.
• Of relevant information and issues influencing the work of the team and Learning Inclusion Service.
• Of the workings of local government and public sector.
• A practitioner with significant experience in a range of early years settings implementing duties under the 2015 SEND Code of Practice, working restoratively with children, families, professionals, and colleagues, securing best practice and leading other practitioners to enable an inclusive environment.
• Of providing advice and consultation.

Essential Behavioural & other Characteristics

• Understand and embrace Leeds City Council Values and Behaviours and codes of conduct
• Committed to continuous improvement in all areas and work towards delivering the Best City Ambition of Health & Wellbeing, Inclusive Growth and Zero Carbon
• Able to understand and observe Leeds City Council policies and procedures.
• Carry out all duties having regard to an employee’s responsibility under Health, Safety and Wellbeing
• Willingness to actively participate in appraisal, training and development activities to ensure up, to date knowledge and skills.
• Flexible and adaptable to change to assist other services as required commensurate to grade.
• Be aware of and support difference and ensure equality for all working in an anti-discriminatory manner, upholding, equality & diversity of Leeds City Council.
• Recognise and appropriately challenge any incidents of racism, bullying, harassment, victimisation, and any form of abuse, reporting any concerns to the appropriate person
• The Council has adopted a flexibility protocol and the role will be expected to work within these parameters.

Desirable requirements Candidates are not required to meet all the following desirable requirements however these may be used to distinguish between candidates.

• Advanced qualifications in SEN and Inclusion or related fields

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