SEND Operations Assistant
Fixed Term, Full Time
£25,081 to £26,679 per annum
Location: Chelmsford
Working Style: Anywhere worker
Closing Date: 12th April 2026
Please note this vacancy is available as a fixed term contract or secondment opportunity for up to 12 months
This position has been classed as an anywhere worker role but has an expectation that the successful candidate will attend the office, in Chelmsford 2-3 days per month, with the remaining time for remote working if desired, in line with the organisation’s needs
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The Opportunity
Essex County Council has embarked upon a programme of change for provision and services with the ambition to profoundly improve the outcomes and life experience of children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). Our vision is for a SEND system which identifies and assesses need at an earlier stage and which provides appropriate and impactful support without such high dependence on Essex County Council’s statutory services.
The SEND Operations Assistant provides administration and support to the statutory SEND processes such as the Annual Review Process, in particular at phase transfer, as well as providing a triage service for all contacts received by the SEND Operations Team. Support will also be provided to the Inclusion Team in relation to health referrals.
With an RQF level 2 and thorough knowledge of the SEND Code of Practice 2015 and knowledge or experience of working with young people with SEND
Accountabilities
- Receive, log and co-ordinate responses to incoming Section 23 and 24 notifications from Health Colleagues regarding children with SEND. Liaise with Senior Inclusion Partners to ensure effective monitoring, provision development and signposting systems are in place.
- Receive, log and co-ordinate all incoming post-16 requests for assessment, liaising with schools, settings and other key stakeholders, including the Preparing for Adulthood Team.
- Support the preparation of papers for and coordination of the Annual Review process, ensuring that schools and settings are informed of pupils for whom Annual Reviews should be held for, during each academic term and appropriate people are invited to attend.
- Triage all incoming contacts to the SEND Operations team, acting as the first contact for parents/carers, CYP, schools, settings and other partner agencies. Signposting service users to relevant teams and responding to queries wherever possible.
- Provide administrative Support to SEND Operations Coordinators by sending formal consultations to schools and settings, as part of the EHC Assessment Process and coordinating responses.
- Receive, log and direct inward transfer notifications, liaising with SEND Operations Partners and SEND Operations Coordinators, to ensure statutory processes and timescales are fully complied with.
- Responsible for maintaining tracking systems for all students at the point of phase transfer each year, providing support to SEND Operations Partners and SEND Operations Coordinators to ensure statutory processes and timescales are fully complied with and, where appropriate, EHCP’s are ceased in a timely manner.
- Responsible for ensuring data is recorded accurately and in a timely manner to enable the Council to report to stakeholders on a range of subjects including statutory timescales, out-of-authority placements and CYP with alternative education offers. The data will also be used monitor and track pupil records.
- Specific individual and shared targets and objectives are defined annually within the performance management framework.
The Experience You Will Bring
- Educated to RQF level 2 (GCSE) or equivalent by experience.
- Evidence of continuing professional development and expert knowledge in relevant professional area.
- Thorough working knowledge of SEND Code of Practice 2015.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
- Effective time management and prioritisation skills with the ability to manage own workload and adapt quickly and effectively to changing circumstances/situations.
Why Essex?
As one of the largest and most dynamic UK local authorities, Essex offers a stimulating public service environment. Covering over 1,420 square miles and serving 1.8 million residents, we’re committed to transformational change and delivering better quality at lower cost. Recognised in the top three of the latest IMPOWER index for productivity, we ensure everyone matters in Everyone’s Essex. With flexible working options and a focus on innovation, whether you are looking to develop your career or contribute to the local community, Essex is the ideal place for you.
In February 2025, Greater Essex was accepted onto the Government’s devolution priority programme, which will see local authorities in Essex work towards establishing a Mayoral Combined County Authority by May 2026. You can read more about devolution and local government reorganisation (LGR) on our careers site.
Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We’re committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our Recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments during the process. We’re also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying.
Once you’ve secured your role within Essex County Council you will receive many great employee benefits, including support for unpaid carers and flexible working arrangements to accommodate their needs.
At Essex County Council, we value integrity and ethical behaviour. We kindly ask that you embrace our code of conduct and the Nolan principles, including throughout the recruitment process. Your commitment to these standards helps us maintain a positive and respectful workplace for everyone.
As part of employment with Essex County Council (ECC) should your role require a DBS check you will be required to register with the DBS update service. The DBS update service ensures all registered DBS certificates are kept up to date and allows authorised parties to view the status of your certificate. This is an annual subscription, and you will be responsible for ensuring this is maintained. For further information on the DBS update service please go to https://www.gov.uk/dbs-update-service
Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.
If you would like to be kept up to date on other relevant opportunities, blogs, news, events and industry related news at Essex County Council, please join The Essex Talent Community
If you have queries on this role or require anything further, please email jamielea.wallis@essex.gov.uk
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