Senior SEND Lead Worker

at  Wiltshire Council

Specific duties and responsibilities include: Act as a single point of regular and consistent contact for children, young people with SEND professionals, and their families with complex cases or where children and young people are considered vulnerable, and placement requires intensive/creative support in order for Children and young people to successfully engage in education. Advise colleagues on Inclusive practice and support networks available including placements which are appropriately supportive maintained specialist, mainstream and universal settings. To work in close partnership with SEND lead workers, securing best outcomes for children and young people with SEND. Be the link professional for a range of providers and stakeholders to ensure inclusive practice.
Coordinate practitioners and services around the child, young person, and their family. A key role of the Senior CME SEND lead worker will be to identify when specialist (Social workers, Educational Psychologists, Occupational Therapists, other professionals etc.) involvement is required, make the appropriate contacts, and ensure effective liaison with the specialists. Arrange person centred Team Around the Child meetings (Multidisciplinary and/or multiagency) as required. Be proactive in promoting multi-agency partnership working as best practice.
To be instrumental in developing pathways for joint working- including Every Child Matters and the National Service Framework. CA11-2715 Senior Children Missing from Education SEND Lead Worker Jul 24 Page 5 of 9 Co-ordinate and facilitate a joint Education, Health and Care Needs review process and single holistic person centred plan, for the more complex cases or those which are considered vulnerable, that focuses on the child or young persons educational, health and social care needs in line with the Education Act 2011 and when appropriate the NHS and Community Care Act 1990 and other legislation and organisational policy and reviews. Ensure that each need identified is matched to an outcome in the plan. The plan will be agreed with young people and their families.
Ensure that the plan is reviewed as agreed. Enable customers to identify and agree outcomes and how they can be achieved. It will be necessary at all times to work to the key operating principles of the service to ensure that the customer has choice and control, that the services provided are cost effective, and that any risks are clearly identified. The Senior CME SEND lead worker will apply criteria and when appropriate, the Fair Access to Care Criteria in relation to the provision of services.
The postholder will operate within and across the legislative frameworks for childrens services and adult social care. Support children and young people to move between non-statutory and statutory support as required. When moving into statutory support they will be responsible for monitoring work progress to ensure that national indicators and legislative deadlines are met. To take a lead on the quality and effectiveness of inclusive practice - to develop and deliver training in response to government initiatives and identified needs, for example in key working, working in partnership and person centred thinking.
Understand, and deliver on, departmental priorities for high quality services, aiming for good results in Key Performance Indicators. Be responsible for collecting and recording relevant data that will inform strategic planning and commissioning, as requested. Monitor attendance of learners in Independent Specialist Sector placements and hold the overview of this, intervening where children and young people are attending below expected levels. Management of own caseload which will include priority cases including those who are CMOE (children missing from education), Military, under EMTAS and those at risk or are already missing education.
Providing solutions-focussed advice and guidance on caseload of SEND lead workers where children and young people are considered vulnerable or where placement is/maybe at risk or where such placement is being explored. Underpinning knowledge and understanding of the following will inform this work: Statutory Responsibilities, Inclusion practice in mainstream, maintained and independent specialist settings. Preparation for adulthood (ensuring that young people approaching 16 have holistic plans in place that prepare for adulthood/life so for example ensure that plans are under discussion and in place in relation to housing, employment etc) To carry out all tasks and responsibilities in accordance with legal requirements across education, health and social care. Identify and support development opportunities for SEND lead workers.
To contribute to the development of the SEND service, to respond to operational needs by initiating, developing, and implementing innovate solutions. Eg SEND and Inclusion Strategy. CA11-2715 Senior Children Missing from Education SEND Lead Worker Jul 24 Page 6 of 9 May deputise for Education Officer (ISS

Please refer the Job description for details