Special Educational Needs and Alternative Provisions Officer

The Statutory SEND Service is responsible for ensuring that Thurrock Council meets its legal duties under the Children and Families Act 2014 and the SEND Regulations 2014 in relation to children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and those requiring Alternative Provision (AP)., As a SEND and Alternative Provisions (AP) Officer, you will be responsible for:

• Coordinating and managing admissions to local authority commissioned inclusion bases, special schools and alternative provision settings, ensuring placements are made promptly and in line with assesses need.
• Acting as a single point of coordination for placement pathways, ensuring clarity, consistency and effective communication with educational settings.
• Ensuring admission decisions align with Education, Health and Care Plans, SEN Support arrangements or agreed alternative provisions pathways.
• Tracking and escalating delays or barriers to placements, working proactively to resolve issues and minimise time out of education.
This role offers the chance to make a real difference by [insert a sentence about the impact or purpose of the role].

We're looking for someone who has:
• Experience of working within SEND, inclusion or alternative provision in an education or local authority context.
• A strong understanding of SEND processes, EHCPs and pathways into specialist or alternative provision.
• Proven ability to manage complex cases, prioritise effectively and work to tight timescales.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to work constructively with educational settings, families and multi-agency partners
Essential qualifications: Qualified Teacher Status or equivalent DBS Check: At Enhanced Level with Children's Barred List

At Thurrock Council, we value our employees and offer a comprehensive benefits package, including:
• Generous annual leave entitlement
• Local Government Pension Scheme
• Flexible and hybrid working opportunities (where applicable)
• Ongoing training and professional development
• Employee assistance programme and wellbeing support
• Staff discounts and local offers
• A supportive and inclusive working environment