SENDIAS Service Team Leader

Job Purpose and Job Context
·         Oversee the provision of impartial, confidential information, advice, and support for families and young people with special educational needs and disabilities throughout Buckinghamshire. Manage the SENDIAS team to ensure high-quality service delivery and compliance with national Minimum Standards. Develop and deliver services that reflect customer and stakeholder requirements within organisational constraints, guaranteeing adherence to quality, organisational, and professional standards.
Main Responsibilities and Duties
This section should outline key outputs of the role and should provide some specific examples of role profile accountability.
 

• Manage a team of staff and volunteers, ensuring that their work is allocated appropriately, and delivered on time and to the required standards. Complete performance and development reviews and support recruitment, induction, development, employee relations and all HR related processes to the required standards and timescales for all staff. Ensure volunteers are effectively engaged with the service and understand expectations, processes and codes of conduct.

·         Ensure the service complies with national Minimum Standards and is shaped by feedback from customers and stakeholders, ensuring their ongoing engagement and effective use of the SENDIAS service.
·         Provide expert advice and guidance on the full range of issues within SEND to customers and stakeholders. Ensure the team is up to date with national and local SEND legislation and practice, including Buckinghamshire processes and priorities. Manage escalated or complex customer issues within SENDIAS seeking support from colleagues in the council where appropriate. Adhere to internal and national procedures and keep all required records and documentation effectively.
·         Ensure that all materials developed to support families and promote the service area are effectively developed and delivered. Communications across the team are clear, consistent and well planned.
·         Research, manage and evaluate information and feedback from professionals, parents and other stakeholders. Identify and interpret issues, trends and problems which may impact on the SENDIAS service and act to share with manager. Exhibit and model a ‘can-do’ approach ensuring families are supported appropriately and are positive about processes and support they receive from stakeholders and partners as well as the SENDIAS Service.
·         Promote and support positive constructive dialogue between parents/carers, schools, health services  and the Local Authority to achieve positive outcomes for children and young people.
·         Analysis complex SEND related situations and identify risks affecting children, young people, and families, including safeguarding, service access barriers, emotional vulnerability, and understand when to escalate needs to manager and appropriate service.
·         Support work with partner organisations to increase customer awareness and empowerment. Disseminate information to the relevant stakeholders. Support work to increase customer and stakeholder capacity for delivering services themselves in line with wider Council policy and process. Identify service and skills gaps and support the development of interventions to address the gap.
·         Identify additional service requirements or service shortfalls and recommend solutions. Support initiatives to improve business processes and performance. Contribute to policy and service development strategy development and delivery. Ensure agreed improvements are developed, delivered against budget and evaluated.
·         Develop and submit reports and fact-based recommendations on key issues for sharing and discussion with internal and / or external stakeholders, thereby enabling senior management decisions to be made.
·         Maintain and take account of recommendations from a multi-agency and parent-led steering group.
·         Contribute to budget planning. Monitor budgets and co-ordinate resources for the team, including, equipment, people and systems. Ensure all financial transactions are authorised, processed and reconciled in accordance to correct financial procedures. Co-ordinate the preparation and submission of bids for short and long term funding and income.
·         Ensure the necessary standards relating to safeguarding best practices/protocols are effectively communicated, monitored and maintained within the area of responsibility. Manage and update the standards as appropriate to the role and be the named safeguarding officer for the team.