SEND Reform Lead

Experts at Hand Lead (SEND Reform)

South West Local Authority
Contract: Initial 3-month contract (with the potential for extension)
Rate: £450 per day (Umbrella) (£340 PAYE per day)

A South West Local Authority is seeking an experienced Experts at Hand Lead to drive the mobilisation and early implementation of an ambitious new SEND delivery model.

This is a high-profile interim opportunity for a strategic leader with a strong background in SEND, education, health or local authority services who can bring together partners, establish effective governance and deliver meaningful change at pace.

Working closely with the Head of SEND, senior education leaders, health partners and the wider local area partnership, you will play a pivotal role in developing an accessible, sustainable and high-quality model of support for children and young people with SEND.

The role
You will lead the strategic planning, mobilisation and implementation of the Experts at Hand model, ensuring that services are designed to strengthen the graduated response and improve outcomes across schools and educational settings. The role is described in the attached job description as leading and coordinating the mobilisation and early delivery of the model while working closely with education leaders and wider partners.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Leading the development and delivery of the Experts at Hand model.
• Working collaboratively with SEND leaders, education partners and the Integrated Care Board.
• Establishing and embedding a multidisciplinary model involving educational psychologists, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists and specialist teachers.
• Developing governance, performance and reporting frameworks.
• Monitoring and evaluating service impact and using data to drive continuous improvement.
• Supporting the effective deployment of resources and ensuring value for money.
• Representing the service across the local authority and wider partnership networks.

About you
We're looking for candidates who can demonstrate:

• Significant experience within SEND, education, health or local authority services.
• A proven track record of leading service development and delivering transformation.
• Strong partnership-building and stakeholder management skills.
• Experience of translating strategic priorities into effective operational delivery.

The successful candidate will be comfortable operating across complex systems, influencing senior stakeholders and delivering change within a multidisciplinary environment.

Key deliverables
Over the first 12 months, the service aims to deliver:

• A fully operational Experts at Hand model and published local offer.
• An established and effective multidisciplinary workforce.
• Embedded governance and reporting arrangements.
• Improved access to early intervention and measurable impact within educational settings.
• Strong foundations for long-term service sustainability.

Interested?
If you're an experienced SEND leader with a passion for service improvement and system-wide transformation, we'd like to hear from you.


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