The Opportunity
Salary: NJC Grade 11 £41,418 to £44,428 per annum, plus Crawley Weighting Allowance of £561 per annum
Contract Type: Fixed Term/Secondment until 01 July 2025
Working Pattern: 37 hours per week, full time
Location: Crawley
Please note: Internal candidates wishing to apply for this role will be considered for a secondment position. Please can you discuss and agree this with your manager before applying for this position.
Closing date: 23 June 2024
Interview date: w/c 01 July 2024
Are you looking to provide leadership in your career?
Do you have experience in project management and delivering services in social care, education, or health?
WSCC are hiring an Alternative Provision Specialist Taskforce Manager to join our Mental Health in Schools Team. If you have experience of implementing new projects and ways of working, we would love to hear from you.
As a Specialist Taskforce Manager, you will lead on the DfE SEND and Alternative Provision Change Programme, planning and delivering outcomes for schools and the Local Authority.
You will collaborate with the Local Authority and Alternative Provision Settings to plan and achieve the objectives of the DfE's Programme, such as improving mental health and wellbeing, increasing school engagement, and reducing rates of truancy. You will also work closely with children, young people, parents, carers, partners, and colleagues across WSCC.
This is a highly influential role and a great time to be involved in shaping the future of this service.
Key responsibilities of the role include, but are not limited to:
- Project management and delivery.
- Co-ordinating and determining collaborative arrangements for multi-disciplinary taskforces (i.e., Speech and Language Therapists, Family Workers, Mental Health Specialists, Youth Justice Worker etc.).
- Following DfE guidance, making sure settings and families understand and adhere to legislation, such as Exclusion and Elective Home Education.
- Setting up local project meetings with WSCC and the NHS.
- Attending national programme meetings with the DfE, AP Schools and external evaluators.
- Leading on project specific learning and training.
- Managing project resources within a budget (in excess of £530k).
For more information on the Key Skills, Qualifications and/or experience required, please refer to the Job Description attached. Please refer to these when completing your cover letter.
About You
To thrive in this role, you will need knowledge of services that support vulnerable young people and their families, i.e., CAMHS, Children's Social Care Services, Alternative Education Provision, or local Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise Organisations.
Understanding the commissioning of services and how business and finance function is key, along with experience of project management.
We are looking for someone who can support changes in culture and mindset, and who has a passion for the education system, inclusion, and alternative provisions.
Benefits
For a full list this can be found at our Rewards and Benefits page.
Further Information
The reference number for this role is CAFHE05230.
For an informal conversation or for further information regarding the role, please contact Jonny Welch, MHST Team Leader, at
To apply, please follow the links below to upload your CV and Cover Letter.
In your cover letter please outline your motivations for applying and explaining the skills and experience you can bring to the role (please refer to the key skills) ensuring that any gaps in employment are covered in your CV. Please ensure you have saved the job description attached to the main advert on our website as, once the job has closed, you may not have the opportunity to download again.
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults.
This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check, five years referencing and an occupational health check.
Equity, inclusion, and accessibility is very important to West Sussex County Council. We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, as this helps us build a diverse and talented workforce, that reflects the communities we serve. We ensure our approach to recruitment is flexible and supportive to enable all applicants to be at their best and to ensure they have the best possible chance of success.
We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants that have a disability, are a veteran or are a care leaver. More information can be found on our application help page.
