Service Manager

We have an exciting opportunity for a Service Manager for the Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) team within the Education and Skills directorate. As a Service Manager for the EHCP service you will be responsible for ensuring the EHCP team maintains a high standard of service against statutory timescales and deadlines. Solihull currently achieves above the national average for statutory timescales and wants to maintain that position. You will be responsible for providing effective leadership for the EHCP service ensuring children and young people (0-25) in Solihull with an EHCP have access to inclusive and appropriate education so they can achieve positive outcomes, enabling them to lead successful adult lives. You will be supported by an enthusiastic team who are passionate about providing good quality, co-produced and timely EHCPS - a robust QA process is in place. You will be working closely with multi-agency partners and part of your role will be to develop these relationships.

• Educated to degree standard with evidence of relevant experience
• Professional qualification in education, health or social care and a commitment to on-going professional development
• Significant experience of working within the education sector, whilst providing effective leadership and influence
• Experience of multi-agency working and working across organisational boundaries
• Experience of managing statutory processes
• Substantial knowledge and practical interpretation of education and SEND legislation, guidance and best practice, local developments and strategic priorities
This is an incredibly rewarding role which will test your ability to manage multiple workflows, to identify priorities and to communicate effectively with a range of stakeholders. You will be at the centre of facilitating positive outcomes for a group of highly vulnerable children and young people., This is an essential car user post as the demands of the job make it operationally essential and there is a contractual requirement to make a suitable vehicle available to ensure the requirements of the job can be carried out effectively. Applicants must be able to drive, have a driving licence and be a car owner, however for disabled applicants, reasonable adjustments will be made where required This post will require a Disclosure and Barring check for regulated activity with children and adults. This post is covered by the Fluency Duty, as outlined in the Code of Practice on the English language requirements for public sector workers.

We've implemented a new system from Monday 4th March which will improve your candidate experience! To access your candidate portal for our new system, head to https://solihull.wm-jobs.co.uk/members/ About Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council Solihull is regarded as a popular and vibrant place to live in the UK. As one of the most prosperous towns in the Midlands, almost two thirds of our borough is designated as green belt. We have over 1,500 acres of parks across the borough, with 16 Green Flag Awards. Solihull is very well connected, with great transport links such as the M40, M42 and M6 all close by, and an excellent rail network, plus, of course, an international airport. We are home to the award-winning Touchwood Shopping Centre, National Exhibition Centre, Resorts World Birmingham, and the Resorts World Arena. It is an exciting time for Solihull, although we are a relatively small local authority (c. 6000 employees), we still have ambitious plans including the development of UK Central and HS2. Here at Solihull Council, we want to ensure that all our citizens have an equal chance to share in Solihull's success. We do this by putting our customers at the heart of everything we do. We recognise that our employees are the key factor in achieving our vision and as such, we are always on the lookout for talented individuals, who want to make a real positive difference to people's lives and can help us to continue building on our success. The transition to Smarter Working has presented us with the opportunity to re-think how and where we work. With the option to access portable technology, dependent upon the requirements of the role, a lot of our people are not bound to a single workplace or traditional ways of working, with many choosing to spend a good proportion of their week working from home. Our people told us that they value flexibility, and that choice enables them to have a better work-life balance, manage family responsibilities, enhance their personal wellbeing, and continue to deliver excellent outcomes for the residents of Solihull. Our people are our number one asset, and our aim is to have a healthy, happy engaged and thriving workforce. Wellbeing is at the heart of our employee offer and we are a bronze accredited West Midlands Combined Authority Thrive at Work employer. This recognises our commitment and action in support of employee wellbeing. Unpaid carers carry out a key role within our community and know that this can be challenging when combined with employment. Our Carer's Policy, Employee Carers Network and the ongoing support we give to our employees has resulted in us winning Employer of the Year 2022 at the Carer Friendly Awards.

This role offers hybrid working opportunities - currently office based 2 days per week.- usually Mondays and Tuesdays, with some flexibility. We also offer:
• Flexible working, including flexi leave up to 24 days per year
• A good CPD offer
• Generous annual leave entitlements with opportunity to buy up to 10 days additional leave per year
• Access to our Employee Assistance Programme - a 24 hour independent, free and confidential advice and support service
• Family and carer friendly policies
• Access to the Local Government Pension Scheme
• Employee benefits including subsidised travel passes, Cycle 2 Work Scheme and a staff discount card., Competitive salaries including, for those at the top of their scale, the opportunity to receive a non-consolidated lump sum;
• A range of flexible working options;
• Annual leave starting at 25 days and rising to 30 days after 5 years' service in addition to public holidays with an opportunity to purchase up to 10 additional days' holiday per year;
• A generous flexitime scheme (available for most roles);
• Access to the Local Government Pension Scheme;
• A wide range of learning and development opportunities;
• A range of family friendly policies;
• Employee benefits including subsidised travel passes, Cycle 2 Work Scheme, confidential Employee Assistance Programme and staff discounts.
Solihull Council is proud to be an Equal Opportunities Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees - a place where we can all be ourselves and succeed on merit. As users of the Disability Confident Scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who demonstrate they meet the minimum criteria for the vacancy. Solihull Council has a responsibility for, and is committed to, safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults at risk, and requires all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. For roles eligible for a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check this will be indicated in the advert and supporting recruitment documents. Where the post involves working with children, other vulnerable groups or in a position of trust it is exempt from the provisions of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. Further guidance is available at https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/945449/rehabilitation-of-offenders-guidance.pdf Please note, where sufficient numbers of applications are received, we reserve the right to close a vacancy before the advertised closing date. We therefore advise that you submit your application as soon as possible.