Assistant Director- Education Strategy, Access and Inclusion

Responsible for: Education provision quality and sufficiency in the borough; pupil facing services including: Education Psychology service, Virtual School, Inclusion services, Outreach services, Special Education Needs & Disability Team, School Admissions Service, Vulnerable Pupils Data and Pupil Place Planning

Job Purpose:

To report to the Director of Education and Learning with the Assistant Director, School Quality Assurance and Partnerships and be part of the senior management team in the Education and Learning Division as well as the wider Children's Services Directorate and other Council services.

As strategic lead on Education Strategy to have oversight of pupil place planning and education provision, sufficiency and ensuring high quality is maintained; school access and admissions and services for vulnerable pupils including the SEND and inclusion services.

To provide strategic leadership of services to vulnerable pupils in the context of the overall provision of services to children with Special Educational Needs and their families working closely with other teams across Children's Services.

To ensure a traded service with schools to provide non-statutory Educational Psychology services as well as non-statutory outreach services including behaviour, sensory support is maintained

To drive and implement the strategic and operational vision of the Council and wider Children's Services and to successfully manage the cultural change required to achieve excellent service delivery in relation to education inclusion and outreach. This will involve holding collective responsibility for developing the agenda of service improvement and the ongoing development with partners, including schools and voluntary organisations, to achieve effective and excellent multi-agency working focused around the child.

To lead significant aspects of school policy and performance and to maintain close links with schools including acting as a School Improvement Adviser to a number of schools.

To ensure that School admissions, services for excluded pupils and Fair Access Protocols and Panels are managed appropriately and effectively

To have full knowledge and experience of relevant education and children's services national and local legislation, policy, procedure and practice requirements. To continually learn from best practice locally and nationally

Main Duties and Responsibilities: Leadership and Management

To ensure that children and families are placed at the heart of the Service, are treated courteously and fairly and are consulted on all aspects of their service provision and involved in the design of service provision.

To lead and deliver departmental, directorate and corporate performance plans as required and to set objectives to ensure that the service develops in line with changing needs, including service users and national standards.

To seek ways to develop the multi-agency services provided so that they model best practice and ensure the safe care of children and young people. To take part in the multi-agency strategic and operational planning process and to jointly manage services with key partners where appropriate and agreed.

To be responsible for the oversight and management of relevant budgets.

To lead and monitor the SEND and Educational Psychology Services and other professionals who report to the postholder to ensure high quality service delivery

To be responsible for relevant staff development and training.

To co-ordinate the service contribution to children's service and borough wide priorities and strategies led by staff in your team and analyse the resulting outcomes to ensure continuous improvement.

To lead and promote the use of inclusion and outreach services in a reflective and creative way to enhance teaching and learning, improve attendance and reduce exclusions in schools, early years and alternative education settings.

To develop and lead effective partnerships with internal departments and external agencies, including schools, in order to promote the safety and well-being of children and young people and to achieve excellent outcomes.

To ensure staff and managers receive the supervision, appraisal, support, training and development necessary for them to provide high quality, safe care for children. To carry out quality assurance, audits and analysis of staff supervision and exit interviews and ensure service and departmental improvements are made based on the outcomes of this analysis.

To provide elected Members with professional expertise and to write and present committee reports and briefings.

Performance management

12. To jointly deliver the overall operational and strategic management of the Education and Learning Service, wider Children's Services and the Council, with other agencies including the voluntary sector.

13. Directly manage and deliver performance of both staff and the service, ensuring early intervention where performance falls below national or organisational standards, or threatens to fall below, required standards and to implement HR procedures, including disciplinary procedures where necessary.

14. To develop systems for the effective monitoring of performance and recognising and commending good performance and to demonstrate high expectations of performance.

15. Review and develop services for own area of responsibility and take a corporate approach to ensure it is in line with the local and national context.

16. Provide and write management and other reports in a timely way, as needed, required or directed by the divisional management team or the departmental leadership team.

17. To lead and deliver the work connected to Ofsted, CQC and other external regulatory bodies- including: preparing for inspections, developing and implementing action plans in a timely manner.

18. To investigate and respond to complaints as required relating to Children's Services, in accordance with Lambeth's Complaints Procedure and within specified timescales.

19. To engage and contribute to the service and divisional management teams and to actively lead the operational and strategic management of Children's Services and the Council.

Finance and Resources

20. To effectively manage the budgetary performance of the service within the Councils delegated scheme.

21. To take personal and professional responsibility for ensuring that expenditure is on track, and appropriate action is taken to address any risks in order to achieve a balanced budget at the end of the financial year.

22. To prepare all necessary documentation for the Council committee processes where appropriate. To commission and deliver services within the best value framework and the Councils Efficiency Savings framework.

23. To report in timely manner to the Director any issues where there may be budget or fraud risks and to produce and implement an appropriate action plan.

24. To work within the existing financial systems and implement any new systems within the appropriate regulatory framework and make service savings wherever possible, ensuring the needs of children and young people are met.

25. To ensure that staff and managers understand the Councils budgetary framework and ensure that invoices are paid on time.

26. To proactively seek and manage external grants and funding sources and comply with associated requirements.

Information and IT

27. Ensure that service user information is comprehensive and accurate and that IT systems are updated by staff and managers. Ensure that data protection standards, information sharing and access to files protocols are in place and are fully complied with, within the legal framework.

28. To ensure that information technology is used to its fullest potential to provide management information and to inform future service delivery.

29. To develop and implement the Directorates and the councils agreed IT strategy.

30. To develop and implement information systems to ensure the communication and cascading of information and business planning objectives.

Communication

31. To consistently ensure reputation management; to promote a positive image of the Council and the Borough, both internally and externally, and support the implementation of the Councils values.

32. To develop and maintain effective relationships with Members and Trade Unions.

33. The post holder will work with auditors and other inspectors approved by the Council in any investigations pertaining to the work of the team and the records held and implement the subsequent action plan.

34. To communicate with service users and consult and involve them in service modernisation, developing innovative and effective approaches to the participation of children and young people and their families.

35. To develop and implement the Directorates and the councils agreed IT strategy.

General Accountabilities

36. Provide clear, visible leadership and effective management to all functions within the post holders service area.

37. Secure sustainable partnership arrangements with key partners (defined in the Children Act 2004 and the Children and Families Act 2014) and others, particularly health, schools, colleges and the voluntary sector, and other Boroughs, where these add value to the work of the service in seeking to improve outcomes for children and young people.

38. To ensure relevant services across the Borough work effectively and collaboratively to achieve excellence against all national and locally set targets and to chair and participate in panels.

39. To ensure that there is continuous, fast vigilance in relation safeguarding children and families and achieving excellent outcomes.

40. Work closely with other service managers and the divisional management team to ensure that Children's Services are seamlessly delivered and the child is always placed at the centre of decisions.

41. The post holder will work closely with other Directorates in ensuring that Lambeth Council provides safe and joined up services for children and families.

42. The post holder will be required to provide out of hours cover as and when required and/or as emergency cover rotas dictate.

43. Ensure service staff use all appropriate Corporate processes and systems to carry out duties.

44. The post holder will participate and lead meetings and will develop and participate as necessary in formal and informal training exercises, workshops/discussion groups, etc.

45. To undertake any other duties that may be required to meet the demands of the service. These may be varied from time to time to meet the needs of the service.

Personal qualities

46. To be results focused to meet agreed national and local deadlines

47. To be solution focused and to be committed to continuous development of own knowledge and skills in order to maintain expert status within the Service.

48. To undertake any other duties that may be required to meet deliver safe service, as determined by the Director.

49. To demonstrate flexibility in managing a diverse workload in an environment of constantly shifting priorities, including complex legislative changes and operational demands.

50. To value other professionals and be able to make professional relationships work in order to secure co-operation, achieve partnership working and better outcomes for children and young people.

51. To have an entrepreneurial attitude in developing and managing budgetary performance.

52. To deal with conflict in a professional, non personalised way, to challenge colleagues within the management group and to make decisions to the benefit of the whole service.

53. To understand and accept the fast pace of delivery.

Equalities and diversity

54. At all times, carry out the duties of this post with due regard to Corporate Equal Opportunities Policy, Bullying and Harassment Policy, Managers Charter and Valuing Diversity, ensure that all staff adhere to these policies and lead on equality impact assessments as necessary.

Health and Safety

55. To ensure that you carry out the duties of the post in accordance with the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, the Data Protection Acts 1984 and 1998 the Federation Against Software Theft Guidelines, Corporate IT standards, The Computer Misuse Act 1990, The Councils Equal opportunities Policies, The Councils security policy, the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and other relevant legislation, as well as Council policies, procedures, Standing Orders and Financial Regulations.

56. To maintain an awareness of the risks to the department and the Council and take necessary action to minimise risks and ensure that the actions of staff comply with the Councils policies and procedures.