SEND Case Worker

An exciting opportunity to work within the  Dorchester & West Locality Team supporting and administering procedures related to Education, Health and Care  (EHC) Needs  assessment and the review of EHC Plan Reviews for Children and Young People 0-25 with special educational needs or disability.

You’ll undertake a range of duties in line with the statutory requirements of the Children and Families Act 2014 including case work and statistical work around SEN policy in liaison with SEND Provision Leads and SEND Team Managers.

You’ll support Provision Leads with a case load of pupils and students with special educational needs and disabilities (aged 0 – 25) and work will include (but isn’t limited to):

• processing EHC needs assessment requests including collating all professional advice and parental information for an allocated case load
• provide, secure and advise on accurate and timely advice and information to parents, professionals and panels.
• co-facilitate meetings with young people, parents, and schools to begin the statutory  processes and act as a key worker where appropriate.
• co-facilitate multi-agency meetings to produce the Education Health and Care Plans of individual children and young people.
• Work proactively with parents and carers of children with SEND and liaise with schools, colleges, Early Years settings and other service and agencies as appropriate.

About you:

The post holder will be able to demonstrate:

• considerable experience of working within an area of statutory regulations and applying local policy, preferably in a SEN related area, or demonstrate the ability to learn to do this
• the necessary in-depth knowledge (or have the ability to develop) and understanding of SEN legislation in order to undertake the role effectively
• excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to provide great customer service under what can sometimes be very difficult circumstances
• flexibility as the workload of the post will vary and at certain times of the year can be vast and requires the team to use the flexi-system to work additional hours to enable the post holder to meet agreed deadlines
• a knowledge of (or ability to develop the knowledge of) the legislative framework and procedures for the assessment of children and young people with special educational needs
• the ability to work within tight deadlines and work schedules with conflicting priorities without compromising accuracy, where the nature of a task may change at short notice
• a good standard of numeracy and written literacy skills
• experience of working in a complex organisation
• a proven background of using word processing and spreadsheet computer packages with the ability to present timely information in a user-friendly and understandable format to all levels of staff

Contact details:

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact [email protected]

This post involves working with children and/or vulnerable adults and/or having access to significant information about them. It will be subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service check. See our policy on the employment of ex-offenders.

See our policy on safeguarding children and young people.

See the children’s social worker framework.

This is a part time role at 18.5 hours per week.

This post involves working with children and/or vulnerable adults and/or having access to significant information about them. It will be subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service check. See our policy on the employment of ex-offenders.

See our policy on safeguarding children and young people.

See our adult safeguarding policy.

At Dorset Council, we are working together to create a fairer, more prosperous, and more sustainable Dorset for everyone, now and in the future.

We: 

• provide essential services that support over 380,000 residents 
• work in partnership to make a real difference 
• value every role and the impact it has on our communities 
• support our employees to grow, develop, and thrive 

You will: 

• be part of a team that works together for a better Dorset 
• have access to a range of benefits and support 
• have access to range of training opportunities which will help with your personal development and career progression 

We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive organisation where different skills, perspectives, and backgrounds strengthen both our council and the communities we serve. 

We welcome applications from everyone and are proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. If you declare a disability and meet the essential criteria for the role, we will offer you an interview. We also want our recruitment process to be accessible. If you need any reasonable adjustments, just let us know on your application. 

This role is UK-based, and we will need to confirm your Right to Work as part of the appointment process. We use generic job descriptions and person specifications, so the job title in any attachments may differ from the advert. If needed, we will provide additional details in a context statement. 

If you’re passionate about making a difference, we’d love you to join us. 

Find out more about how to apply.