SEND Lead: Sponsorship Available

Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust

Job summary

We are seeking an experienced and motivated leader to drive the strategic development and quality assurance of SEND services across the organisation. Working collaboratively with providers, the Integrated Care Board (ICB), local authority partners and wider stakeholders, the post holder will provide expert leadership to ensure services meet statutory responsibilities, quality standards and local SEND priorities.

This is an exciting opportunity to influence service improvement, strengthen partnership working and support positive outcomes for children and young people with SEND and their families.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will provide effective leadership and strategic direction to support provider organisations in meeting their statutory duties and quality standards relating to SEND, ensuring alignment with local and national priorities.

They will lead the development and implementation of SEND Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and organisational development plans, supporting providers to meet the requirements of the CQC/Ofsted Joint SEND Inspection Framework.

Working closely with the Designated Clinical Officer (DCO), the post holder will implement quality assurance frameworks, monitor SEND quality compliance, and coordinate audits relating to Education, Health and Care (EHC) needs assessments and wider SEND health services.

They will strengthen partnership working across provider organisations, the ICB and local authority partners to drive continuous improvement, ensuring robust processes are in place to quality assure health advice and contribute to multi-agency quality assurance activity, sharing learning and promoting best practice across the system.

Person Specification

Qualifications & Professional Registration

Essential

  • BSc (Honours) Nursing Children and Young People or Specialist Community Public Health Practitioner Qualification- Health Visiting
  • Registered Nurse with current NMC registration (Part 1 Adult / General Level 1 or 2)

Desirable

  • Accredited Leadership qualification
  • SEND qualification or significant experience within the specialism. Teaching and mentorship qualification

Skills and Abilities

Essential

  • Ability to manage conflict and promote strong relationships with all partners.
  • Ability to work collaboratively with others across organisational and clinical boundaries.

Knowledge, training and experience

Essential

  • Knowledge and experience of leadership in the area of SEND
  • Experience and involvement in strategic meetings.
  • Strong underpinning knowledge of child development.
  • Experience of working with external partners to drive and deliver change and improvements to support the needs of children and young people with SEND
  • Ability to travel to different geographical locations across the Trust footprint in line with service needs

Desirable

  • Full UK driving license with willingness to use own car for work purposes

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Closing Date: 23 August 2026

To apply for this job please visit apps.trac.jobs.