This full-time, permanent role has a starting salary of £52,047 per annum based on a 36-hour working week.

We are excited to be hiring a new Commissioning Team Manager with Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) to join our fantastic Early Years, Education, Additional Needs and Disabilities team based in Woking. Although the office base for this role is in Woking, much of the week will be spent travelling around Surrey, meeting with schools and early years providers. In this role you will be working with friendly and supportive colleagues who are committed to delivering excellent outcomes.

Rewards and Benefits

• 26 days' holiday (prorated for part time staff), rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 30 days after 5 years' service
• Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave
• An extensive Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
• Up to 5 days of carer's leave per year
• Paternity, adoption and dependents leave
• A generous local government salary related pension
• Lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, shopping and many more
• 2 paid volunteering days per year
• Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources

About the Team

The Early Years, Education, Additional Needs and Disabilities Team sits within the Commissioning for Transformation Directorate. We are the centre of children's services in Surrey, driving change and innovation with a relentless focus on improving outcomes. The heart of our ambition is to develop a deeper understanding of our communities and the challenges they face, whilst also recognising their strengths, assets and aspirations. We want to work with them to improve outcomes for children, young people and families. We look to commission evidence-based models of support and innovative approaches to achieve our objectives, whilst providing a high-quality service that offers good value for money.

The team had a thoroughly successful first year of the 'Reception Inclusion Pathway Planning Leads' (RIPPLs) being in post. The RIPPLs work closely with families, facilitating engagement with education settings for those children transitioning into their first school. We have received positive feedback from schools, families and Surrey County Council colleagues saying how needed the role has been, and what a difference it makes to the child when we support the transition into mainstream school.

About the Role

We are now looking for an experienced Manager who can bring strong leadership and management skills to the team. The role will involve building on the successes of the first year of RIPPLs and embedding a culture whereby children with additional needs and disabilities can thrive in mainstream schools across Surrey. We are looking for someone who understands how data can be used to demonstrate the impact of the team, and how to use these findings across the wider organisation.

You will work collaboratively across teams and services for the benefit of children and families and the communities in which they live. You must be passionate about Equality, Diversity and Inclusion practices, utilising your experience of SEND practices within schools to work alongside education, health and social care colleagues to enable children to be educated in their local community, close to where they live.

We're looking for someone who can put their solid understanding of what children need to thrive in mainstream education into practice, and how schools can put interventions and support in place in the classroom. You'll need to apply your practical knowledge of legislation for children with additional needs and disabilities (and processes and procedures in line with the SEND Code of Practice) at multi-professional meetings that could sometimes be challenging in nature.

Shortlisting Criteria

To be considered for shortlisting for this position, your application will clearly evidence the following:

• Qualified Teacher Status qualification
• Recent experience of managing a team, with ability to support and debrief colleagues after complex situations and meetings
• Confident in using and analysing data to inform growth and direction
• Working knowledge of safeguarding procedures and what to do if a concern is shared by a member of the team
• Commitment to inclusion, knowledge of early identification and interventions for children and families
• Understanding of reasonable adjustments and the ordinary available, and the challenges faced by mainstream schools
• Experience of working collaboratively and bringing families, education and health professionals together
• Confident in arranging and chairing meetings to ensure that all voices are heard, including that of the child and their family
• Ability to professionally challenge partners where necessary and on occasions have difficult conversations
• An understanding of the remits across Early Education, Health and Social Care

Surrey has both urban and rural areas and as part of this role you will be expected to have a valid driving licence to drive in the UK, access to a vehicle and be willing to travel across a wide geographical area. Reasonable adjustments where needed will be made for successful applicants who have a disability or long term health condition to enable them to fulfil the requirements of the job.

The job advert closes on Monday 12th May 2025 at 11:59pm, with interviews taking place on Friday 23rd May 2025.

Our Commitment

Surrey County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. A guaranteed interview will be offered to all disabled applicants where:

• The candidate has evidenced the minimum criteria for the role through their application
• The candidate has chosen to share that they have a disability on the application form

Our application form and onboarding process will provide an opportunity to request any reasonable adjustments for the interview and/or the role.

We want to be an inclusive and diverse employer reflecting the community we serve and particularly welcome applications from all underrepresented groups.