In this blog, you will learn:
- About the typical workday and responsibilities of a SEND Officer.
- About the importance of clear communication and collaboration with families in achieving positive outcomes during SEND processes.
About the growing pressures on SEND services caused by rising demand and limited funding.
Where the latest SEND Officer jobs are and how to apply for them.
According to the National Audit Office, the Department for Education’s high needs funding has increased by 58% over the last decade. Despite this rise, funding has not kept pace with demand, with the number of children holding Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans increasing by 140%.
In our latest industry interview, you’ll hear from a dedicated SEND Officer who began her career as a Teacher and a SENCO before moving into local authority work. This SEND Officer believes that with better funding and provision for mainstream settings and at local authority level, children with SEND would have greater access to the right support.
Throughout this interview, this SEND Officer explores the benefits of increasing funding and the importance of collaborating with families to achieve positive outcomes and meet demands.
Tell us about your career journey so far and your current role
I have spent the first 20 years of my career in education as a Teacher in mainstream primary schools. In my last 10 years of teaching, I also worked as a SENCO and gained my postgraduate certificate in special needs coordination. I moved into a local authority SEND Officer role 18 months ago.
My typical work day as a SEND Officer consists of:
- Sending and receiving high volumes of emails, responding to queries and issues from parents and settings.
- Attending annual reviews, specifically for phase transfer, change of placement, or additional funding requests, or if the placement has broken down.
- Completing new EHCP assessments and writing new plans, then presenting these plans to parents/carers and professionals to ensure they are accurate.
- Dealing with difficult situations or conversations where parents may not be happy which requires mediation between the school and parents.
- Completing detailed panel paperwork for funding requests and change of placements with rationale and costings.
- Issuing consultations to settings and processing responses.
Reform in the SEND sector continues to be a huge topic of discussion. How have things changed or progressed in the SEND sector in the past 12 months?
The demand for EHC needs assessments has increased significantly and will continue to increase until schools have the funding and provision to provide a greater range of SEND support provision.
Demand for neurodevelopmental assessments has risen and waiting times for assessments will remain high. Capacity at specialist settings has also increased and requests from parents continue to rise.
There is also an acknowledgement that there is a significant lack of funding at the local authority level. SEND teams have had to look at how they can make adjustments within the team to enable SEND Officers to meet statutory deadlines.
How do you think the government will impact SEND and local authorities?
I’m not sure yet! Hopefully the reforms will be positive for parents, carers and education settings as well as at local authority level. I also hope there will be a more collaborative way for education, health and social care to work together and share information electronically.
How might SEND provision change under the current government and what reforms do you hope to see in the future?
It is possible that they may change the format of the EHCP and funding around provision. The current model, although an improvement on the old ‘statements’, still has not fully engaged with input and support from both health and social care.
How do you keep up-to-date with changes in the SEND industry?
I stay up to date through social media SEND groups, LinkedIn and professional Continuing Professional Development (CPD) at local authority level.
What innovations or creative approaches have you seen make the biggest difference in supporting children with SEND?
One of the most effective innovations I’ve seen is the development of bespoke learning packages created by mainstream schools. These tailored programmes give children with SEND opportunities to learn and receive nurture provision in different and more creative ways that do not purely consist of academic learning.
What do you find most fulfilling about your role?
I find it most fulfilling to build relationships with families, work with them and allow them a voice when it comes to making decisions about their children. I just think it’s so important to provide the local authority with a human face, not just a computer.
Can you describe a challenging aspect of your role and explain how you approach or overcome it?
It’s particularly challenging during phase transfer when parents who have requested a specialist setting for the next stage of their child’s education are turned down due to capacity issues.
I have worked with families and built links with mainstream and resourced provisions to provide settings that may not be first choice, but an alternative option. This has been tricky as sometimes parents are set on their child attending a specialist setting but through positive communication and a listening ear there have been some successes. Making parents aware that they have the right to appeal a decision empowers them with choice.
What's the most valuable lesson you’ve learnt in your career so far?
Communicate, even when you have no update. People hate to be kept waiting. Even if there is no new information, let people know it is still on your radar and that you will update them when you can.
What role do you think technology will play in the future of SEND provision?
Hopefully more local authorities will adopt the use of online portals for managing annual reviews and new assessments.
In the future, the use of Artificial Intelligence could also play a valuable role in supporting more accurate and consistent EHC plan writing.
What’s your vision for the future of SEND services?
My wish would be that more mainstream settings receive funding and training to enable them to provide a wider range of provision for children who may need something more enhanced or creative to enable them to learn.
I also think we should remove league tables and data scores against academic subjects as these add unnecessary pressure and act as a barrier for settings in being able to be more creative.
What advice would you give to aspiring SEND professionals?
SEND is not a career for the faint hearted, but as challenging as it is it is also incredibly rewarding. It is a career you enter into because you care.
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