SEND Inclusion Partner

SEND Inclusion Partner

Fixed Term, Full Time

£44,258 to £52,068 per annum

Location: Chelmsford

Working Style: Community-based worker

Closing Date: 14th September 2026

This role will be offered as a fixed-term contract or secondment until August 2027. Visa sponsorship is not available for this role, so applicants must have current, unrestricted right to work in the UK for this period.

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. We have a responsibility to deliver effective services and support in the most cost effective and impactful way.

As part of the South Essex and countywide Inclusion and Psychology Teams, the SEND Inclusion Partner will work in partnership with schools, settings, college leaders and partnerships to drive practice both in individual and clusters of schools and settings supporting them to be inclusive and deliver improved outcomes for CYP, 0-25, with SEND. Building capacity for educational settings to assess, plan, deliver and review provision for children with SEND in line with the SEND Code of Practice 2015 is core to the Inclusion Partner role.

Candidates will need a proven track record of influencing change in educational settings that promotes inclusion and positive outcomes for children and young people with SEND. The ability to build strong working relationships and influence senior leaders both internally and externally is key to success.

Accountabilities

• Accountable as the link Inclusion Partner for specific schools, settings, colleges or partnerships, to review, assess and improve practice and consult on the development of One-Planning, Education, Health and Care Needs Assessments (EHCNA) and Annual Review processes, with the intention to improve outcomes for CYP with SEND.
• Responsible for providing high quality professional education advice and support to individual/clusters of schools, settings and colleges, to deliver an inclusive education for children and young people with SEND. i.e. Autism, Language and Communication, Social Emotional and Mental Health and Cognition and Learning difficulties.
• Responsible for supporting the delivery of school/setting led SEND, including peer to peer development, within clusters of schools and settings and dissemination of up-to-date specialist knowledge in an area/s of SEND. Evaluating the impact of initiatives to learn from both success and understand setbacks.
• Work strategically with schools, settings and colleges, influencing leaders to evaluate the existing offer and build capacity through coaching, training and development to assess, plan, deliver and review suitable provision for children with SEND.
• Responsible for identifying and deploying targeted support within schools, settings, colleges and with families, to improve the inclusion and/or successful transition for children and young people with severe and complex SEND. Ensure maximum impact of interventions and the efficient and impactful use of resources through effective monitoring and evaluation.
• Working in collaboration with internal and external partners, manage complex casework to maintain sustainability of placement, resolve breakdown and prevent exclusion, including responding to and resolving complaints.
• Responsible for undertaking Annual Reviews of children and young people placed in out-of-authority independent special schools, to ensure placements are fit for purpose for Essex children, with a view to achieving positive outcomes and, wherever possible, supporting transition back to Essex settings.
• Specific individual and shared targets and objectives are defined annually within the performance management framework.

The Experience You Will Bring

• Educated to RQF level 6 (Bachelor’s degree), with Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) or equivalent.
• Evidence of continuing professional development and expert knowledge in relevant area of SEND; a Masters degree in a specialist area is highly desirable along with a commitment to further training and development.
• Substantial, relevant teaching or Early Years’ experience, with strong evidence of working with children with SEND.
• In depth working knowledge of the SEND Code of Practice and other relevant national legislation.
• Experience of working in partnership with other services such as schools and settings, Health and Social Care, enhanced provisions and the voluntary sector, with demonstrable ability to build strong collaborative, working relationships, which engender delivery and influence leadership.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to deliver training and development to a range of professionals.
• Ability to drive cultural, strategic, and operational change, in a collaborative way.

To read more about us please visit: Education

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.

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 March 2026, the Government announced that councils in Greater Essex will be reorganised into five new unitary authorities from April 2028. In addition to this, Greater Essex has been accepted on to the devolution priority programme, where we will work towards establishing a Mayoral Combined County Authority. You can read more about these changes, and what this may mean for this role, 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.

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 resourcing.team@essex.gov.uk

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