Senior SEN Caseworker
Lewisham
£27/hr
Start date: 30/11/2023

Akton recruitment is working closely with the local authorities and we are looking for an experience of SEN casework in a statutory service.

Main purpose of the job:

To be responsible for assessing and reviewing the special educational needs of Lewisham children and young people.
To monitor the efficient use of resources in relation to pupils with Education Health and Care Plans.
To ensure that all pupils with special educational needs are appropriately placed in accordance with panel decisions.
To ensure that every effort is made to reach agreement with parents and carers through the use of mediation and disagreement resolution.
To carry out all duties under the direction of the team manager as informed by the assessment and placement panels.Summary of responsibilities and personal duties:
Personal duties
1. To be responsible for assessing and monitoring the special educational needs of Lewisham children and young people.
2. To meet with parents, advocates and professional agencies at a range of locations to represent the LA and to negotiate appropriate provision to meet children's needs.
3. To work with parents in assessing and monitoring Education, Health and Care Plans, encouraging, participation and engagement in processes.
4. Shared responsibility for peer support and development of staff to understand and implement SEN processes within the service.
5. To present and provide detail of cases to the SEN Manager, panel chair and panel members on proposed pupil placements, costs and travel assistance implications.
6. To issue drafts, amended drafts, final or amended final Education, Health and Care Plans following the decisions of the SEN panel.
7. To represent the LA at annual reviews as necessary, and to contribute to the formal process by providing schools, parents and professionals with advice related to this process.
8. To ensure that all reviews of Education Health and Care Plans are carried out by schools annually and that the procedures adopted by schools are in line with Lewisham policy on SEN and meet statutory obligations.

Knowledge:

Knowledge of Education and SEN law and processes.
Understanding of areas of SEN and ability to relate this to Lewisham's Equal Opportunities policies.
Knowledge and understanding of IT Systems using databases -e.g Excel,Word, information management systems and databasesAptitude:

Ability to complete complex processes efficiently and to a high standard within defined deadlines.
Ability to update and retrieve information held on a database. Able to use the Internet/Intranet.
Able to work in time-pressured environments using complex systems. Organisational skills - ability to work to tight deadlines and in complex situations
Experience:

Proven experience of working with children and families within an Education context
Experience of effectively relating to children with special educational needs and disabilities and to further their development
Experience of undertaking assessments, maintaining records and producing detailed reports.
Experience of working with other professionals, including schools to meet the needs of children with special educational needs
Experience of working independently in managing a caseload and to take individual responsibility for work done