HCC25819, Closing Date, 24-Jun-2024
About the team
Things are changing in SEND for Hertfordshire County Council. We are making SEND everyone's business.
Do you want to make a positive impact and be part of that change? We're investing in our statutory SEND workforce.
We're looking for professionals with some experience of leading a team, and a knowledge or experience of the Statutory Education, Health and Care Needs Assessment process. The ideal candidate would have worked in education, with some experience of supporting staff, delivering competing deadlines and chairing multi agency meetings.
About the role
We are recruiting for a Front Door Team Lead to line manage a team of Child Information Advice Officers (CIAOS) and Support Officers, who are the first point of contact for families, schools and professionals in regard to the Education Health Care needs assessment process.
In providing line management and supervision to the team, you will ensure that every member of the team delivers our statutory SEND obligations and works to achieve the overall service targets and development plan. You'll support ongoing professional development, including induction, delivering training, and performance management processes for your team.
The Front Door Team Lead will facilitate and monitor the effective management of the duty telephone lines and general mailboxes for Front Door and Assessment team. You will also manage the initial responses to requests for assessment and the co-ordination of multi-agency contact on receipt of applications for an EHC needs assessment. You will be facilitating effective implementation and ongoing management of the Parent Portal, launching September 2024.
The role will require you to support your team to problem-solve case queries and ensure they deliver to the expected quality. In addition to this, you will be expected to hold a small complex caseload and oversee the gathering of statutory advice. You will ensure that this complies with statutory requirements, supports the authority's policies and strategies and builds stakeholder confidence in the service.
You will carry out quality assurance of EHC needs assessment requests to ensure that all necessary and relevant paperwork is received ahead of the multi-agency panel. If paperwork is not received, you will be responsible for ensuring it is followed up with the relevant professionals.
You and your team will work collaboratively with children/young people and their families ensuring that the child/young person voice is captured. You will strive to maintain, develop and improve professional, supportive working relationships with education settings and parents in relation to EHC needs requests and assessments.
You will support your team to work with families in a person-centred way ensuring that they have relevant and purposeful advice from week 1 to week 12, whilst maintaining excellent communication and quality standards. You will closely monitor and report on the data and performance of the team, ensuring that statutory timescales are met. You will be able to share progress and status reports to support service delivery, reporting weekly to the Casework Team Manager and Service Manager, highlighting potential risk and identifying solutions.
About you
Essential:
- Excellent knowledge and experience of the Children and Families Act 2014, SEND Code of Practice and SEND Regulations 2014.
- Experience of Statutory Processes and operational delivery.
- Current driving license and access to a car to be able to travel to a range of work bases and schools and this role does require you to be in one of our offices regularly and some countywide travel.
- Educated to degree level or have significant experience of a range of work within education.
- Experience of working well under pressure and being extremely well organised.
Desirable:
- Experience of managing staff and delivering excellent service outcomes in a previous role is strongly desirable.
Interview Date: 28th June & 1st July 2024
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.
Secondment
This position is open to secondments. If you work for HCC or any other Local Authority and would like to be considered as a Secondment contract, please ensure you complete the Secondment Form as part of your application. If you do not, your application will be considered as a Fixed Term Contract only.
Additional information
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).