SEND Senior Inclusion Partner, North Essex

Reporting to the SEND Quadrant Manager, the Senior Inclusion Partner (SIP) is responsible for the leadership and management of the Inclusion Partner and Engagement Facilitator teams within Colchester and the surrounding area. The SIP takes a lead role in the translation of inclusion and SEND strategies and initiatives into operational practice within a quadrant. The SIP works collaboratively and flexibly from a position of influence, to deliver a SEND inclusion offer that meets the needs, competing demands and different contexts of the large number of schools and other education settings within the northern quadrant., · Accountable for leading and managing a team of IPs and EFs sharing priorities, skills and expertise to enhance their development and ensure successful outcomes are achieved across the service. Management of work programmes to effectively deploy resource according to need and strategic priorities.

· Accountable for shaping and evaluating the impact of the Inclusion Partner offer of high quality advice, challenge and support to individual and clusters of educational settings, to influence their delivery of an inclusive education for children and young people with SEND 0-25.

· Responsible for using evidenced based approaches and practical experience, working in partnership with SEND Strategy Leads and Educational Psychologists, to deliver training, coaching and targeted support to educational settings, their leaders and families, for the benefit of children and young people with SEND.

· Responsible for engaging with evidenced-based practice, ECC and SLT strategic direction, countywide and quadrant level data on priority areas of need and disseminating this information into action for IP and EF teams, within a quadrant.

· Responsible for working collaboratively with colleagues across Specialist Education Services to develop and embed the IP contribution to an effective model of early intervention and support for schools to better meet the needs of all children and young people within their educational settings, avoiding negative outcomes such as exclusion and without recourse to statutory intervention wherever appropriate.

· Take an active role in the decision making around funding and provision allocated to early years settings and schools through Early Years SEND Inclusion Funding (SENIF) and by leading on the delivery of the Inclusion Framework.

· Actively participate in multi-agency forums across the spectrum of SEND and age range, aiming to facilitate better outcomes for children and young people with SEND and contribute to ECC's SEND improvement journey, Inclusion Strategy and Early Years and Childcare Strategy.

· Responsible for jointly managing and implementing systems that ensure provision for CYP attending independent non-maintained special schools is in place to a high standard and demonstrates value for money for the council.

· Deliver to quadrant and countywide planning and delivery for SEND inclusion as part of a quadrant SEND leadership team and within a wider countywide management team.

· Responsible for complying with the Essex SET child protection procedures and ensuring the compliance of the IP and EF teams to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people.

Influencing and negotiation skills are essential to the SIP role, as the SIP is accountable for the delivery of support to schools and settings that enables them to deliver high quality provision and improved outcomes for children and young people (CYP) with SEND from 0-25, in line with the SEND Code of Practice. This is achieved through working in partnership with schools, early years settings, colleges, families, and with leaders and practitioners across health, education and social care.

The role requires substantial experience of working successfully with children with special educational needs and leaders within schools and settings. Proven ability to build strong working relationships with a range of stakeholders from a variety of contexts and influence senior leaders, both internally and externally, is essential., · Educated to RQF level 6 (Bachelor's degree) and Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) or equivalent (in other sectors).

· Evidence of continuing professional development and expert knowledge in relevant professional area(s), a Master's degree in a specialist area is desirable.

· Substantial experience of working successfully with children with special educational needs; with a specialism in a specific area is desirable.

· Excellent leadership skills and behaviours with the ability to motivate a diverse team to achieve joint objectives, including through periods of significant change.

· Previous experience of taking a leadership or management role in a multi-agency project or a team including line management of colleagues or evidence of the necessary skills to do so.

· Experience of working with other services and partners such as enhanced provisions, Health, social care, voluntary sector to build strong working relationships which engender delivery.

· Ability to build strong working relationships which are collaborative in nature, influence others appropriately and engender delivery.

· Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, including a high standard of written communication, are required, with the ability to deliver training to a range of professionals and to represent a wider team / Service.

As part of employment with Essex County Council (ECC) should your role require a DBS check you will be required to register with the DBS update service. The DBS update service ensures all registered DBS certificates are kept up to date and allows authorised parties to view the status of your certificate. This is an annual subscription, and you will be responsible for ensuring this is maintained. For further information on the DBS update service please go to https://www.gov.uk/dbs-update-service