SEN Business Support Officer WCC623693

As a Business Support Officer within the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Service, you'll play a crucial role in keeping the service running smoothly, supporting the delivery of high-quality, front-line customer service. Working as part of the SEND Delivery Team and wider SEN Service, you'll help ensure a consistent and responsive experience across both Assessment and Review teams.

You'll often be the first point of contact for the service, managing the duty telephone line and SEN inbox. This means responding to enquiries calmly and efficiently, signposting or directing queries where needed, and making sure accurate notes and case records are maintained on the system. You'll handle a wide range of SEND-related enquiries, providing clear information and ensuring nothing is missed.

Alongside this, you'll support the coordination and administration of the statutory assessment process. You'll track cases, gather and collate key information, prepare documentation and ensure everything is ready for panel decisions. You'll also help make sure Annual Reviews are logged and shared promptly, and that any children or young people moving in or out of the borough with an EHCP are processed within statutory timeframes.

This is a fast-paced and sometimes high-pressure environment, but it's also what makes the role so meaningful. The work you do - your organisation, communication and attention to detail - has a direct impact on the experience families receive and the outcomes for children and young people.

What makes this role particularly rewarding is the opportunity to make a real, everyday difference while being part of a supportive, inclusive and development-focused team. You'll be in an environment where your growth is encouraged, your voice is valued, and you're trusted to take ownership of your work - giving you the space to thrive while delivering an important service.

You'll have experience working in a fast-paced business support role, with confidence using tools like Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint to manage your work effectively. You'll also bring either experience of, or a good working knowledge of, the SEND Code of Practice and relevant legislation - particularly the statutory processes and deadlines linked to Education, Health and Care Plans.

A strong communicator, you'll be comfortable engaging with a wide range of stakeholders both verbally and in writing. Alongside this, you'll have excellent organisational and record-keeping skills, able to keep on top of multiple tasks while maintaining accuracy and attention to detail.

Responsive, flexible and adaptable - you're able to manage your time effectively as priorities shift. A proactive, solution-focused mindset will be key, along with the resilience to stay calm under pressure and the willingness to keep developing your skills and knowledge.

You'll also be confident working independently, while still building and maintaining strong relationships across the wider service, contributing to a collaborative and supportive team environment.

THE EXTRAORDINARY STORY OF EMPOWERED FAMILIES

Children's Services at Westminster City Council is a world of extraordinary stories where compassionate people bring everything to their work, including their own experiences of parenting.

Take Melissa, a Senior Social Worker in our Assessment Team. She's one of the first people families meet when accessing our services, so building rapport is critical. And that's where Melissa's life experience really counts. She had her first child as a young adult and knows just how judgemental others can be.

Melissa has something unique to offer and it can't be found in a textbook: her own experience of raising two children as a single parent. She's committed to empowering others: giving them the skills, resources and confidence they need, from housing support to baby supplies. And if the family has older kids? Well, she's been there too. Her youngest is now 15 and Melissa knows the challenges of helping young people navigate inner-city life.

Melissa first learnt her craft as a support worker, then completed her statutory training as social worker - all while raising her family single-handed. And she's not done yet. Supported by her managers, she's been training in systemic therapy and is already looking forward to her next development opportunity.

Melissa's more than a social worker; she's a shining example to the families she works with every day., Westminster is an amazing place. We are home to more than 200,000 residents from all backgrounds, over 50,000 vibrant and vital businesses and three-quarters-of-a-million people work in Westminster. Westminster City Council's strategy is to work towards a Fairer Westminster. A Fairer Westminster is one in which our communities are at the heart of our decision-making and help to determine the city's future. By working directly with our communities and other partners, we can build a more inclusive city that celebrates our diverse communities, and where residents, workers and visitors from all backgrounds will feel welcome and safe.

At Westminster City Council, we pride ourselves on being an inclusive workplace and employer of choice. We encourage and welcome applications from people from all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that, at all levels, represents the communities we serve. We champion equality, diversity, inclusion and wellbeing and aim to create a workplace where everyone feels valued, has a sense of belonging and is empowered to be their best, that is the Westminster Way. To find out more about how we do this visit https://www.westminster.gov.uk/health-and-social-care/public-health-strategy-policies-and-reports/equality-duties

As a forward thinking Council we appreciate that people work in different ways, therefore our staff benefit from working a range of flexible working patterns as well as Agile working.