SEND Information Advice Guidance Officer

Job Title: SEND Information Advice Guidance Officer
Starting Salary: 52138.08 - 57652.08
Hours: 37hours per week
Location: Hertfordshire
Contract Type: Permanent
Directorate: Childrens Services

About the team

The team offer all professionals the opportunity to talk through a young person's situation to explore creative outcomes and options for providing support at the earliest opportunity. The aim is to use a strengths-based approach to offer early advice, guidance and support that builds confidence in individuals working with children and young people with SEND and keeps the child and family at the heart of all that we do.

About the role

SEND Information, Advice and Guidance Officers play a vital role in shaping how Hertfordshire supports education settings to improve outcomes for children and young people and promote and develop good inclusive practice.

ASK Sali is professional early advice line, targeted at all professionals, to help them meet the needs of children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) as early as possible, in the most appropriate way.

This will support professionals to:

• Understand and meet children's needs as early and as holistically as possible
• Reduce the escalation of needs
• Enhance confidence amongst professionals in support provided
• Promote inclusion within all schools and settings

This role will suit someone who:

• Is looking to be part of our frontline response, advising education settings on how they can use resources to work with their pupils in a creative and solution focused way;
• Is passionate about Special Educational Needs and Disability and current developments and seeks to create an inclusive culture
• Wants to work with colleagues across Hertfordshire, to empower professionals to we have the most impact for children and young people with SEND and their families.

You will be the first point of contact for schools that have concerns about children they are working with around educational needs. Providing a space to talk and reflect, navigating options, locating the right resources, community assets, identifying appropriate next steps or linking with a network of other services for support. You will be based in local areas and be part of a partnership.

You will be proactive in your practice being in schools and proactively networking with multi disciplinary teams including health and social care.

We will provide lots of support to help you be successful; from training and workshops on strengths-based practice and safeguarding, help in building a network of support across the relevant services, tools and weekly reflective practice sessions.

About you

Essential:

• Knowledge of inclusive strategies that is current, understand reasonable adjustment, and child development to help make a difference for our children and young people with SEND
• Commitment to working with a strengths-based approach and being solution-focused
• Strong communication skills, demonstrating empathy, curiosity and relationship-based practice
• Be proactive and creative
• Ability to build positive networks within schools, the Council, partner agencies including health and social care as well as developing close links with local communities.
• Take a proactive approach and support the team's learning and insights. Sharing learning with colleagues including SENCOs, Headteachers and other professionals
• A sound knowledge of SEND statutory processes including the Children and Families Act 2014 and Code of Practice 2015.
• Confident in the use of data and wider intelligence, using these to help shape the development of the service and drive improvement
• Good administrative skills, to record contacts, develop resources, creating documents to share learning.
• Full UK driving licence and regular access to a vehicle.

Desirable:

• Leadership experience in schools or settings
• Special School experience or work within a Specialist Resource Provision
• Statutory SEND experience and leadership level

We welcome applications from candidates who currently reside in the UK with established proof of right to work documentation. We are not able to offer sponsorship at this time for this role.

This job role is within the Community Services, level COM13 job profile. Please locate this via: Job profiles - Health and social care

Are you passionate about supporting and encouraging our young people with SEND to reach their full potential, including living independently then this could be the role for you.

It is a fantastic opportunity for someone looking for a new, developing role where they can be part of changing how we can make an impact early on in a child or young person's journey through education.

To hear more about this opportunity please contact Sally Glossop (sally.glossop@hertfordshire.gov.uk) for an informal discussion about the role.

Interview Date:16th April 2025

Benefits of working for us

How to apply

As part of your application, please upload your most recent CV. Ensure your CV is up to date with your employment history (including any employment gaps), and including any training/qualifications. We encourage you to include examples of where you have demonstrated the requirements/criteria in the advert / job profile to allow the panel to fully recognise your skills and abilities. You will have the opportunity to include a short covering paragraph within your application to give us a little more information about your skills, knowledge, and experiences.

Disability Confident
We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer and guarantee an interview to anyone disclosing a disability whose application meets the minimum criteria for the post.

Safeguarding
This role has been identified as requiring a Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check.

Driving required
You'll need to have the ability to drive and/or travel around Hertfordshire, either using your own mode of transport or a company car to travel to other locations.

English Fluency
The ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post (for those whose language is a signed language the provision of a sign language interpreter who speaks English to the necessary standard of fluency will be required). Further information about the legal requirement can be found here.