SEND Operations Assistant - Working for Essex

About the role

SEND Operations Assistant

Fixed Term, Full Time

£25,081 to £26,679 Per Annum

Location: Colchester

Working Style: Anywhere worker

Closing Date: Thursday 8th May 2025 at 11.59pm

Please note that this is a Fixed Term Contract / Secondment opportunity for a period of 24 months.

Interview date: Thursday 22nd May 2025

To read more about our business area, please visit: Education

The Opportunity

Essex County Council has embarked upon a programme of change for provision and services with the ambition to profoundly improve the outcomes and life experience of children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).  Our vision is for a SEND system which identifies and assesses need at an earlier stage and which provides appropriate and impactful support without such high dependence on Essex County Council’s statutory services.  

The SEND Operations Assistant provides administration and support to the statutory SEND processes such as the Annual Review Process, in particular at phase transfer, as well as providing a triage service for all contacts received by the SEND Operations Team. Support will also be provided to the Inclusion Team in relation to health referrals.

With an RQF level 2 and thorough knowledge of the SEND Code of Practice 2015 and knowledge or experience of working with young people with SEND.

Accountabilities

Receive, log and co-ordinate responses to incoming Section 23 and 24 notifications from Health Colleagues regarding children with SEND. Liaise with Senior Inclusion Partners to ensure effective monitoring, provision development and signposting systems are in place.
Receive, log and co-ordinate all incoming post 16 requests for assessment, liaising with schools, settings and other key stakeholders including the Preparing for Adulthood Team.
Support the preparation of papers for and co-ordination of the Annual Review process, ensuring that schools and settings are informed of who Annual reviews should be held for during each academic term, and that appropriate people are invited to attend.
Provide triage of all incoming contacts to the SEND Operations team, acting as the first contact for parents/carers, CYP, schools, settings, and other partner agencies. Signposting service users to relevant teams where appropriate and responding to queries wherever possible.
Provide administrative Support to SEND Operations Co-Ordinators by sending formal consultations to schools and settings as part of the EHC Assessment Process and co-ordinating responses.
Receive, log and direct inward transfer notifications, liaising with SEND Operations Partners and SEND Operations Co-ordinators to ensure that statutory processes and timescales are fully complied with.
Maintain tracking systems for all students who are at the point of phase transfer each year, and provide support to SEND Operations Partners and SEND Operations Co-ordinators to ensure that statutory processes and timescales are fully complied with and that, where appropriate, EHCP’s are ceased in a timely manner.
Taking responsibility for ensuring that data is recorded accurately and in a timely manner to enable the Local Authority to report to stakeholders on a range of subjects including statutory timescales, out-of-authority placements and CYP with alternative education offers. The data will also be used monitor and track pupil records.

The Experience You Will Bring

Educated to RQF level 2 or equivalent by experience.
Evidence of continuing professional development and expert knowledge in relevant professional area
Thorough working knowledge of SEND Code of Practice 2015
Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
Effective time management and prioritisation skills with the ability to manage own workload and adapt quickly and effectively to changing circumstances/situations.

Why Essex?

As one of the largest and most dynamic UK local authorities, Essex offers a stimulating public service environment. Covering over 1,420 square miles and serving 1.8 million residents, we’re committed to transformational change and delivering better quality at lower cost. Recognised in the top three of the latest IMPOWER index for productivity, we ensure everyone matters in Everyone's Essex. With flexible working options and a focus on innovation, whether you are looking to develop your career or contribute to the local community, Essex is the ideal place for you.

In February 2025, Greater Essex was accepted onto the Government’s devolution priority programme, which will see local authorities in Essex work towards establishing a Mayoral Combined County Authority by May 2026. You can read more about devolution and local government reorganisation (LGR) on our careers site.

Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We’re committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our Recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments during the process. We’re also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying.

Once you’ve secured your role within Essex County Council you will receive many great employee benefits, including support for unpaid carers and flexible working arrangements to accommodate their needs.

At Essex County Council, we value integrity and ethical behaviour. We kindly ask that you embrace our code of conduct and the Nolan principles, including throughout the recruitment process. Your commitment to these standards helps us maintain a positive and respectful workplace for everyone.

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

Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.

If you would like to be kept up to date on other relevant opportunities, blogs, news, events and industry related news at Essex County Council, please join The Essex Talent Community

If you have queries on this role or require anything further, please email daniel.warner@essex.gov.uk

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