Job Description

Purpose of the Role:

To contribute to the realisation of the Council Plan and delivery of a diverse range of services for children, young people, their families and schools/academies through effective leadership, integration, strategic planning, management and professional supervision of Inclusion Services e.g., Behaviour Services (chairing the primary and secondary Behaviour and Attendance meetings), Education Welfare Service (encompassing attendance, child employment and child entertainment), Electively Home Educated students (252), the Fair Access Protocol and operational element of the virtual school officers. The commissioning, procurement and contract management of alternative provision within North East Lincolnshire.

To manage, plan and coordinate the delivery of North East Lincolnshire Council’s statutory responsibilities in relation to educational inclusive practice through the delivery of high quality, customer focussed outcomes and ensuring that they:

Reflect the council’s vision, policies and outcomes

Are in line with national strategies, imperatives, standards and best practice

Demonstrate responsiveness to local needs and issuesTo place children and young people including the welfare of the most vulnerable families in North East Lincolnshire and their needs at the heart of what we do and promote the effective engagement of children and young people in planning, delivering and improving services.

To provide specialist advice, problem solving and support to special educational needs (SEN) decision making (SENART), and contribution to the development of the education strategy and transformation plans

Main Responsibilities 

These should be placed in order of significance and usually there should not be more than 10 main responsibility statements.

Strategic and operational leadership, planning and management of a range of services within Inclusion Services contributing to the achievement of Education Services’ overall objectives with responsibility for brokering and fostering positive partnerships in education with responsibility for those young people at risk of exclusion. To drive the LA’s ambition for good education in all schools and inclusive practice for all children, particularly those at risk of failure and exclusion.

To monitor education provision and standards in partnership with alternative provision providers in the borough. Procurement, commissioning and contract management of alternative provision in North East Lincolnshire, including sufficiency of places.

Lead an integrated multi-disciplinary team of 13 inclusion officers which involves providing direct professional and operational line management to specialist staff.

Lead on statutory compliance and regular review of all service area wide policies including elective home education, penalty notices, digital safety and anti-bullying and the co-ordination and implementation of strategies in all of the service areas.

To lead on the decision-making process through the chairing of the behaviour and attendance panels across phases, as well as the statutory Fair Access Protocol, thereby determining priorities across the various services and with all partners; maintain coordination and collaborative partnerships with neighbouring/national local authorities and all relevant stakeholders/partners.

Responsible for the management of staff, budgets, contracts, and operational activities to ensure that statutory requirements, quality, performance, service and financial objectives are met in accordance with Government policy and the Council’s financial regulations, procedures and frameworks. Devise and seek agreement, through relevant bodies and statutory forums, systems which facilitate the access to; school admission via the FAP; SEND, inclusion, CLA and EHE entitlements and requirements; codes or practice and local policies and protocols.

Support the development and implementation of education strategic and transformation plans and outcomes into operational delivery plans, (which deliver within financial and resource constraints)

Ensure that all statutory functions held by the Inclusion Service (incorporating attendance, exclusions, child entertainment, child employment and the fair access protocol) are realised and a high-quality service is provided to schools/academies and the local community.

Lead advisor to Elected Members and the Senior Management Team on all aspects related to Inclusion Services, providing professional support and advice. To produce reports for the Council, Cabinet, Scrutiny and other committees.  The post holder will chair multi-agency partnership and stakeholder meetings

Contributes to the strategic direction of the Council and represents the Council on appropriate aspects of own service area at a regional and local level,

Undertake such other duties as may be reasonably expected at this level