Special Needs Officer

**The Opportunity**
**Salary**:Soulbury EIP 04-06

Full time £45,659 to £48,349 per annum

Part time pro-rata for 22 hours £27,148 to £28,748 per annum

**Contract Type**: Permanent

**Working Pattern**:
Full time, 37 hours per week (area - 0 to year 9 )

Part time, 22 hours per week (preparation for adulthood - year 10 up until aged 25)

**Location**:Chichester, County Hall.

**Closing date**:13 November 2025

**Interview date**:28 November 2025

Are you a qualified teacher with experience of SEN?

Have you worked in mainstream education and/or post 16?

Do you enjoy problem-solving?

Are you looking for a new opportunity within your career?

The Special Educational Needs Assessment Team (SENAT) manages the decisions and processes associated with the statutory education, health, and care needs assessment process, including the placement of Children and Young People in settings and the allocation of resources.

This exciting and varied role provides monitoring, advice, and support to a range of educational settings. You will work collaboratively with a wide range of professionals and families to ensure the needs of our most vulnerable learners are met.

You will be working within the Special Educational Needs Assessment Team, joining a small team of Special Needs Officers - each Officer covers a specific geographical area or age range depending on allocate team within West Sussex, whilst also working collaboratively together to support inclusive practice across the whole of West Sussex.

You will need to be committed to supporting equality and diversity, with high levels of confidentiality.

For more information on the Key Skills, Qualifications and/or Experience required, please refer to the Job Description attached. Please refer to the key skills in your cover letter as these will be used for shortlisting criteria.
**About You**

We are looking for someone who is respectful of all customers, with a focus on delivering services to those customers, and with a passion about making a difference for children and young people with SEND.

If you are a qualified teacher with a specialist SEN qualification (or equivalent experience) and you are committed to helping Children and Young People with SEND achieve their outcomes, we would love to hear from you.

**Key Skills**:

- Excellent organisational, interpersonal and problem-solving skills
- Good communication skills - both oral and written
- Ability to work collaboratively within the SEN Assessment Team, settings, partner agencies and parents
- Provide high quality and efficient support for pupils, parents and staff in maintained schools
- Anticipate problems, plan solutions and make informed decisions
- Interpret the statutory regulations and Special Educational Needs Code of Practice to advise SEN Co-ordinators and parents how they relate to individual pupils
- Use a range of information and communications technology to manage personnel record keeping and other communication functions
- Ability to use expertise for legal processes such as Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal
- Commitment to continuous professional development
- Creative, innovative and forward thinking
- Commitment to the achievement of excellence within the Special Education Team as an integral part of CYPS
- Evidence of successfully applied time management skills.
- Personal resilience and an ability to balance independent and collaborative working
- Contribute to the development and implementation of CYPS policies and working practices.
- Pay close attention to detail and meet appropriate deadlines

**Qualifications and/or experience**:

- Qualified teacher status.
- Specialist SEN qualification or equivalent experience
- Recent successful teaching experience within schools or, further education.
- Previous recent involvement in multi-disciplinary initiatives relating to children with special needs.
- Proven expertise in the implementation of the statutory SEN processes and Special Educational Needs Code of Practice.
- Clear understanding of the role of the special educational needs team within the LA.
- Knowledge of recent government papers and legislation relating to special educational needs.
- Knowledge of the LA policies and procedures for identifying, assessing and meeting special educational needs
- Understanding of the importance of working in partnership with parents, school staff and voluntary agencies
- Knowledge of the Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal
- Involvement in providing training in relation to special education needs and inclusive education
- Experience of pursuing individual learning targets and monitoring progress for pupils with EHCPs

**About Us**

The Special Educational Needs Assessment Team (SENAT) manages the decisions and processes concerned with statutory education health and care needs assessment process for learners with an education, health, and care plan (EHCP), the placement of children in learning settings and the allocation