About the role
Do you have experience in SEND and a passion for working collaboratively with parents and carers? If so, this may be the opportunity for you. We are looking for a dedicated SEND Communications and Engagement Officer. The role will primarily involve engaging with parents of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), and working with professionals and staff in services for children and young people with SEND in Bury.
The salary for this post will be £26,421 to £28,770 per annum.
Your hours of work will be 37 per week but the hours and pattern of working are negotiable as our priority is to get the right person with the right skill set for the job.
The primary purpose of the role is to ensure that there is true collaboration between parents and carers and the key stakeholders involved in delivering services and support to families. Central to this role will be delivering co-production events, survey design and focus groups to capture the voice of parents, carers, children and support services in order to present to strategic boards as part of Bury’s Co-production Network. This will also include ensuring that strategies, policies and practices for SEND children and young people aged 0-25 in Bury and the successes on SEND are communicated to parents, stakeholders, and staff. Another key function of the role will also be to signpost parents and carers to appropriate services and to promote and explain Bury's SEND Strategy and gather feedback on the impact of this on our families.
We feel this is an exciting role where you will need to have extensive experience of working with families and the skills to build understanding and consensus. As our families and parent carer forums have busy schedules, you will travel to different localities across the borough, sometimes outside of normal working hours in order to meet our families’ needs.
You will design and manage the annual SEND survey for parent/carers to feedback on Bury Services, ensure that the Local Offer is relevant, up to date and understood by parents, carers and all user groups and feedback any gaps or areas for development. We also require you to run the SEND Network Group alongside our parent/carer forum, BURY2GETHER. You will create and publicise quality information via social media, email and through network groups including the timely issue of the monthly SEND Newsletter from the LA to parents and carers. As a result, digital skills are essential for this role. You also will organise and support engagement events with BURY2GETHER, such as an annual SEND Networking Events, engagement evenings with professionals and awards evenings.
In this role you can make a real difference to the working relationships between parents, commissioners, professionals, and services so that all are working collectively to ensure that the experiences of children and young people with SEND are the best they can be in Bury.
The appointment is subject to a satisfactory basic disclosure from the Disclosure and Barring Service.
About Bury
The Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare or children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff to share this commitment. Appointment may be subject to a satisfactory disclosure at the appropriate level under the Disclosure and Barring Service.
In line with safer recruitment, please ensure that your application/CV covers your full employment history and there is a reason noted for any gaps in employment. Successful candidates will be asked to provide relevant references for the past ten years and character references will not be accepted.
As a Corporate Parent, ensure that the work and services you deliver considers our care experienced young people, promotes their life chances empowers them to influence the policies, services, and decisions that affect them, champions their rights, and ensure they grow up in the best possible way
Benefits of working for Bury Council
To hear about the benefits for working with Bury Council, please visit A good employer | greater jobs
We support employees to work with agility, where appropriate for the post and service requirements.
We are committed to Bury being an equal society that recognises values and embraces all people, regardless of any difference, for the skills, abilities and experiences they bring into the workforce and the wider community. Therefore we guarantee an interview for disabled people, looked after children/ care leavers, armed forces personnel (including reservists and veterans) and carers of adults or disabled children if they meet the essential criteria.
Next steps
For an informal chat regarding the role, please contact Wendy Young, Head of Service Special Educational Needs (SEND) & Inclusion either by email at w.young@bury.gov.uk or by phone on 0161 253 5969.
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