Salary: £47,181 – £50,269 a year plus £3,203 car benefit allowance
Hours per week: 37
Contract type: Permanent
As a SEND Assessment Officer, you will play a vital role in ensuring that children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) receive the support they need to thrive. Managing a caseload of Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans, you will work closely with SEND EHCP Coordinators, schools, families, and a range of partner agencies to coordinate high-quality, timely assessments and provision in line with statutory responsibilities.
You will lead on the coordination of integrated Education, Health and Care needs assessments, bringing together advice from education, health, and social care professionals to develop clear, detailed, and outcome-focused EHC plans. You will monitor and review these plans to ensure that the specified special educational provision is delivered effectively and continues to meet the needs of the child or young person.
A key part of your role will involve analysing complex information and producing high-quality written reports, including EHC plans and SEND tribunal appeals You will represent the Local Authority at SEND Tribunal hearings, preparing responses to appeals and statements of case, while also working proactively with families and professionals to resolve disagreements and where possible minimise the need for formal appeals.
You will build strong, constructive relationships with schools, parents, and partner agencies, influencing and supporting them to deliver creative, effective solutions within available resources. You will also contribute to service development by advising on policy and practice, supporting improvements in SEND provision, and delivering training to stakeholders.
Ensuring compliance with the Children and Families Act 2014, the SEN Code of Practice, and local policy, you will manage competing priorities while meeting statutory deadlines and maintaining high standards of service delivery.
Please note this role does not attract sponsorship.
You are an experienced and knowledgeable SEND professional with a strong understanding of statutory assessment processes and relevant legislation, including the Children and Families Act 2014 and the SEN Code of Practice. You bring experience of working within a school, local authority, or similar setting, and have a proven ability to collaborate effectively across agencies to support children and young people with complex needs.
You are highly skilled in communication, able to engage confidently with a wide range of stakeholders, including families, schools, and senior professionals. You can influence, challenge, and support others with sensitivity and professionalism, and are confident in chairing multi-agency meetings, reviews, and case conferences to achieve positive outcomes.
Your analytical skills enable you to interpret complex information and produce clear, accurate, and well-structured EHC plans and reports. You are equally comfortable managing tribunal processes, preparing robust documentation, and representing the Local Authority effectively.
Organised and resilient, you can manage a demanding and complex workload, prioritising effectively to meet statutory timescales. You are confident using ICT systems to support your work and maintain high-quality records.
You are committed to equality and inclusion, with a clear understanding of the challenges faced by children and young people with SEND and their families. A relevant qualification in education or a related field (or equivalent experience) is essential, along with the flexibility to travel across the borough and work outside normal office hours when required.
Our ambitious Luton 2040 Vision – that no-one in Luton will have to live in poverty – is at the heart of everything we do. We recognise that our people are remarkable, talented, committed and passionate about serving our residents.
The people of Luton depend heavily on this council – and that means our workforce! Are you ready to realise the remarkable and help us deliver our vision?
We welcome applications from all sections of the community and are committed to developing a workforce that reflects the diversity of our borough
Because of the nature of this job, it will be necessary for the appropriate level of criminal record disclosure to be undertaken. This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore applicants are required to declare all unspent cautions and convictions; and also any adult cautions (simple or conditional), and spent convictions that are not protected as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2020). A person’s criminal record will not in itself prevent a person from being appointed to this post. Applicants will not be refused posts because of offences which are not relevant to, and do not place them at or make them a risk in, the role for which they are applying. However in the event of the employment being taken up, any failure to disclose such offence, as detailed above, will result in dismissal or disciplinary action by the Authority.
On occasions, we may close a vacancy early due to a very high number of applications being received.
We offer a range of excellent staff benefits which include:
– From 25 to 32 days’ annual leave: linked to length of service and grade
– Buying annual leave scheme: buy up to 20 days additional annual leave
– Career Pathways: step up in your career or move into a specialist area
– Pension scheme: with generous employer contributions of up to 20.2 per cent (at July 2023) and 3x salary death in service grant
– Generous relocation package: up to £8,000 (subject to eligibility)
– Employee Assistance Programme: a free, 24/7 confidential counselling and wellbeing support service available to all employees, their partner or spouse and dependent children over 16 still living at home
– Work/life balance: flexible working options including working from home where possible. We welcome requests for flexible working arrangements including part-time hours and alternative working patterns
– Training and support: unlimited access to development courses, mentoring and support and clear career pathways
– Staff offers: includes discounts on your MOT, gym and fitness, restaurants and salons
– Arriva Travel Club: great value savings on local bus travel
We understand that job applications take time and effort, but a high-quality application shows that you are professional with a good attention to detail. The recruiting manager may receive a number of applications for each job advertised so you want yours to stand out!
Our ‘How to apply’ page has more tips to help with your application: How to apply
