Lead Send and Ap Adviceline Practitioner

**At Bath & North East Somerset Council we have one overriding purpose to improve people’s lives.**

We wish to recruit a dynamic person who has knowledge and experience of special educational needs and who shares our passion for helping children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) to achieve their full social and academic potential. This is an exciting opportunity to join the new SEND and Alternative Provision (AP) Advice Service which is launching in September 2024. The advice service will provide a structure for delivering support for SEND and AP in B&NES. It will co-ordinate support for education settings in relation to SEND and AP.

The new service will offer first line support for B&NES education settings, from early years to FE College, as part of the SEND System of Support. This role will support settings to identify SEND at the earliest possible opportunity in children and young people from year 8 through to transition to adulthood. We are looking for someone who has the skills to be able to provide advice and make recommendations to education professionals to implement timely support to meet children’s needs via a consultative model of working. This role will require an individual who is able to support settings inclusive approaches for children and young people with SEND and those at risk of placement breakdown.

This is an opportunity to shape the way we support inclusion for children and young people and help more young people to achieve the lives they aspire to as they reach adulthood.

You will be adept in making decisions and working independently and will have a sound knowledge of special educational needs procedures and processes. You will need to communicate confidently with colleagues from education, health and social care in order to signpost to the services and resources that are available to them across the sector. You will be required to support education practitioners to recognise potential unmet needs and to develop effective local inclusive practice through consistent delivery of ordinarily available provision in settings including implementation of the graduated approach (APDR) and by responding to enquiries related to the SEND Commitment.

As well as being passionate about improving the life chances of young people with SEND and those requiring alternative provision you will also have:

- Degree or other equivalent teaching qualification, at least 3 years’ experience in a SEND role and you will have achieved the National Award for SEN co-ordination
- Experience of working with children and young people who have SEND or who are vulnerable
- An in-depth Knowledge of SEND legislation and procedures
- Excellent leadership skills
- Excellent presentation / training delivery skills
- IT literate with proven ability to use a database and word processing skills
- Excellent communication skills both verbal and written
- High level of office organisational skills and a proven ability to work on own initiative
- Analytical skills
- Dynamic and forward thinking

Aspirational

**Interview date: Tuesday 21st May 2024.**

**About Bath & North East Somerset Council.**

Working at Bath & North East Somerset provides an opportunity to contribute to your community and make a positive impact on the lives of residents. Our values shape how we work to deliver public services, and how we communicate with the residents we serve. We care about the best outcomes for local people, through our public services.

**Why Bath & North East Somerset Council?