Salary: SMG 4 up to £90k per annumContract Type: PermanentWorking Pattern: 37 hours per week, full timeLocation: County Hall, Chichester, with hybrid workingPlease note: You will need to travel across the county to locations that are not always accessible by public transport.Closing date: 14 September 2025Interview date: 25 and 26 September 2025Are you a strong leader who can inspire others, whilst improving the outcomes for children, young people, and their families?Are you a forward thinker, with specialist knowledge and experience of SEND?Are you experienced and passionate about supporting children with complex needs?WSCC are seeking a strategic leader to become Head of Service for SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) and Inclusion.As Head of Service, you will drive the delivery of the SEND and Inclusion strategy, incorporating SEND Commissioning with Health and Social Care. It is vital you have specialist knowledge and experience of SEND to lead and drive this service.You will lead and manage teams in the SEND and Inclusion Service, whilst working in collaboration with senior colleagues across the local authority and with school leaders, establishing relationships with strategic partners, SEND Health and Social Care, our parents/carers’ forum, and our providers for SEND.You will drive operational service improvements alongside meeting statutory obligations to schools and early years settings.Key responsibilities of the role include:
Providing strategic leadership for Ofsted and CQC, for SEND Inspection and SEND Improvement Plan delivery.
Maintaining an overview of the county’s Alternative Provision, identifying potential provision.
Ensuring the high-quality delivery of customer service to individuals and communities.
Managing compliance, FOI requests, and complaints.
Developing quality and impact measures, ensuring the provision meets these within agreed budgets.
Dealing with significant financial budgets.
Providing oversight of the High Needs Block (including funding for the commissioning of places), whilst driving early intervention and greater provision to reduce the over reliance on the Independent Non-Maintained Special Schools (INMSS).
Leading reviews and provision to meet customer needs and reduce placements in INMSS.
About YouWe are looking for a passionate and strategic leader that will build strong and trusting relationships with all our educational settings, and who will champion the rights of children, young people, and their families, through using their skills, experience, and knowledge of SEND.You will develop credibility, integrity, and courage to make difficult decisions and be accountable for the decisions you make.Key Skills * Excellent communication skills, both verbally and in writing.
Ability to influence, negotiate and establish credibility with Members, headteachers, governors and other leaders in educational settings.
High level analytical skills to be able to use data effectively to bring about improvement in outcomes for children and young people.
Proven ability to manage significant budgets and available resources to deliver effective support.
Ability to recruit, manage and motivate teams.
Strong ability to understand and anticipate customer needs and respond accordingly.
Ability to challenge existing practices and identify innovative solutions within the required framework.
Qualifications
Degree and/or post graduate professional qualification relevant either to management or within the education profession.
Experience
Successful experience in leadership either through headship across a range of school settings, or similar leadership in a local authority school improvement role, or inspection role.
Expertise in Special Educational Needs and a successful track record in providing effective support to educational settings.
Experience of leading professional development and coaching to improve teaching and learning in the field of SEND and Inclusion.
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 UsWest Sussex County Council is a diverse organisation that provides services to more than 850,000 residents every day.The Education and Skills Directorate sits within the broader Department of Children, Young People and Learning, and plays a crucial role in delivering the West Sussex Plan to provide our young people with the Best Start in Life.The SEND & Inclusion Service brings together a range of specialist resources to support the drive for an inclusive educational culture across West Sussex education providers. It includes teams who deliver statutory services such as the creation and support for Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), managing Fair Access, and the provision of an Educational Psychology Service.BenefitsAs an employer we recognise that it is our employees that are central to everything we do. We aim to create a supportive and dynamic working environment where employees can achieve their full potential, achieve a healthy work-life balance, and are rewarded for the work they do.For a full list this can be found at ourUpon joining us you will have access to a range of benefits including the following:How to ApplyThe reference number for this role is CAFHE05929.For an informal conversation or for further information regarding the role, please contact Lauren Sexton, Executive Assistant, atFor any queries regarding your application, please contactTo apply, please follow the links below to upload your CV and Cover Letter.In your cover letter please outline your motivations for applying and explaining the skills and experience you can bring to the role (please refer to the key skills) ensuring that any gaps in employment are covered in your CV. Please ensure you have saved the job description attached to the main advert on our website as, once the job has closed, you may not have the opportunity to download again.We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults.This post is subject to five years referencing and an occupational health check.Equity, inclusion, and accessibility is very important to West Sussex County Council. We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, as this helps us build a diverse and talented workforce, that reflects the communities we serve. We ensure our approach to recruitment is flexible and supportive to enable all applicants to be at their best and to ensure they have the best possible chance of success.We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants that have a disability, are a veteran or are a care leaver. More information can be found on our page.Available documents
