SEND Engagement Facilitator

As an ‘Community Based Worker,’ the role will involve a combination of home/remote working, community based (around the South Essex area) working, and office-based working. There will be an expectation for you to attend the office, based at Ely House, Basildon, 2 - 3 days per month in addition to ‘as and when’ there is a business need. There may also be a requirement to attend other Essex County Council offices.

Why work for us? 

• Hybrid Working – 2-3 days per month office based in Basildon.
• Flexible working – make your work arrangement work around the other elements of your life, where service delivery allows. We offer a fantastic work / life balance and are happy to discuss options at interview.
• Free On-site Parking when at the office.
• 26 days annual leave plus bank holidays with the opportunity to increase from 26 to 29 days after 5 years employment.
• 37 hour working week. Monday to Friday.
• Local Authority Pension Scheme. For more details please visit: https://www.essexpensionfund.co.uk/
• Work for a high performing team with great team morale and friendly, helpful, and supportive colleagues.
• Great training pathways. Encouragement to all staff for their continual professional development with full support and guidance towards relevant professional qualifications.
• Continuous Service – Joining us from another local authority? Then you could benefit from bringing your time served and benefits with you.
• Make a difference to the local community and help us transform Essex to a circular economy as we redefine growth and focus on positive society-wide benefits. 

The Role

Do you have a desire to help and support young people? Are you able to organise and manage your workload, good at communicating and able to work as part of a team? We are seeking a passionate and enthusiastic individual who is keen to make a difference and support SEND individuals in Essex. This could be the opportunity you are looking for! 

The Opportunity 

Essex County Council has embarked upon a programme of change for provision and services with the ambition to profoundly improve the outcomes and life experience of children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). Our vision is for a SEND system which identifies and assesses need at an earlier stage, and which provides appropriate and impactful support without such high dependence on Essex County Council’s statutory services. 

The SEND Engagement Facilitator will support sustainable inclusion for children and young people with SEND, through targeted support to educational settings, families, and partners. They enable collaborative practice in throughout One Planning and ensure a joined-up approach to the Assess, Plan, Do, Review Cycle, particularly at points of transition for Children and Young People (CYP).

The Experience You Will Bring 

• Significant experience of working effectively in partnership with families in a helping role, and influencing other professionals in a multi-agency environment. 
• Significant experience of working successfully with children with SEND in a school and/or home setting. 
• Knowledge of the SEND Code of Practice and how it impacts on assessment, planning, provision, and review for CYP on a day-to-day basis. 
• Possesses RQF Level 2 of the SEN awards, or equivalent by experience. 
• Demonstrate excellent interpersonal skills with an understanding of how to facilitate and mediate in situations which are perceived as challenging.
• Evidence of ability to develop skills, knowledge, and experience within role, including a willingness to chair/facilitate meetings and plan/deliver training to small groups of adults.
• Evidence of continuing professional development with knowledge in relevant professional area.  

Accountabilities 

• Support the partnership between educational setting staff, families, and other stakeholders, to promote shared understanding of the aspirations, needs, outcomes and required provision for CYP. 
• Responsible for utilising and model enabling, collaborative and person-centred ways of working to ensure pupil and family voices are captured, valued, and held at the heart of the 0-25 planning for CYP.
• Identify and facilitate effective ways of gathering, recording, and sharing information about a CYP, their family, setting or situation, to inform the planning for them, through statutory or non-statutory plans. 
• Work directly with CYP and their families to develop their understanding and participation in assessment, planning, and decision-making processes, in order that their plans and implementation are fully co-produced and understood.
• Deliver targeted intervention to families and professionals, as part of a multi- disciplinary team, at points of change, challenge, and transition, to support longer term resilience and the dialogue essential to the success of CYP educational placements and outcomes. 
• Act as a model of good One Planning to LA colleagues and a conduit of information for targeted work with families and educational settings, allowing the Inclusion and SEND Operations teams in each quadrant, to work cohesively as part of early intervention approaches.
• Plan, deliver and evaluate a range of partnership and person-centred practice and its application, development opportunities for staff in educational settings, enabling educators to embed this approach within engagement with families. 
• Build and maintain effective links across Education, including SENDIASS and the SEND Innovation and Strategy team, to identify, implement and evaluate good One Planning practice, with appropriate input from families and the community.  

An informal conversation with the relevant ECC leader is encouraged as part of your application, to support your understanding of the role and work of the team.  In order to arrange a suitable time for a telephone call, please email Liz Lynch - SEND Senior Engagement Facilitator Liz.Lynch@essex.gov.uk AND Sarah Miller - Senior Inclusion Partner Sarah.Miller4@essex.gov.uk 

To read more about us please visit: Education

Why Essex?

As one of the largest and most dynamic UK local authorities, Essex offers a stimulating public service environment. Covering over 1,420 square miles and serving 1.8 million residents, we’re committed to transformational change and delivering better quality at lower cost. Recognised in the top three of the latest IMPOWER index for productivity, we ensure everyone matters in Everyone's Essex. With flexible working options and a focus on innovation, whether you are looking to develop your career or contribute to the local community, Essex is the ideal place for you.

In February 2025, Greater Essex was accepted onto the Government’s devolution priority programme, which will see local authorities in Essex work towards establishing a Mayoral Combined County Authority by May 2026. You can read more about devolution and local government reorganisation (LGR) on our careers site.

Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We’re committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our Recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments during the process. We’re also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying.

Once you’ve secured your role within Essex County Council you will receive many great employee benefits, including support for unpaid carers and flexible working arrangements to accommodate their needs.

At Essex County Council, we value integrity and ethical behaviour. We kindly ask that you embrace our code of conduct and the Nolan principles, including throughout the recruitment process. Your commitment to these standards helps us maintain a positive and respectful workplace for everyone.

Please note that the job role requires you to be mobile throughout an operational area. Therefore, the post holder will need to have a driving licence and access to a vehicle, or the ability to meet the mobility requirements of the role through other means.

As part of employment with Essex County Council (ECC) should your role require a DBS check you will be required to register with the DBS update service.  The DBS update service ensures all registered DBS certificates are kept up to date and allows authorised parties to view the status of your certificate.  This is an annual subscription, and you will be responsible for ensuring this is maintained.  For further information on the DBS update service please go to https://www.gov.uk/dbs-update-service

Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.

If you would like to be kept up to date on other relevant opportunities, blogs, news, events and industry related news at Essex County Council, please join The Essex Talent Community

If you have queries on this role or require anything further, please email daniel.warner@essex.gov.uk

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