SEND Transport Officer
Newcastle City Council
Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom£46,142 - £49,282 per annum (pay award pending)Closes: 19 Jul
SEND Transport Officer
Grade N9 | Newcastle City Council
Are you an experienced leader ready to take responsibility for delivering a critical statutory service that supports children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)?
We are seeking a SEND Transport Officer to lead the delivery of our home-to-school transport service, ensuring the Council fully meets its legal duties while providing safe, effective, and value-for-money transport solutions for children and young people aged 0–25.
About the Role
This is a key position with direct responsibility for ensuring compliance with the Council’s statutory duties in relation to SEND transport.
You will oversee all operational aspects of the service, working with both commissioned providers and in-house teams to deliver a service that is safe, responsive, and cost-effective.
You will ensure that transport provision is:
About You
We are looking for someone who:
Why Join Us?
At Newcastle City Council, you will play a key role in delivering a frontline statutory service that directly impacts the lives of vulnerable children and young people.
This is an opportunity to:
Lead a high-impact service with clear legal accountability and purpose
Shape how the Council meets its SEND duties in a challenging and evolving landscape
Drive improvement, efficiency, and positive outcomes for children and families
Apply online at www.northeastjobs.org.uk, select 'Apply Now' and complete our online application form. Before completing the form please ensure you read the supporting documents. Any communication sent to you regarding your application will be sent to the email address you have set up on your Northeast Jobs account, so you will need to ensure that you check your inbox.
We are committed to protecting and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expect all staff to share this commitment. This post is working in regulated activity. If you are successful we will undertake additional recruitment checks which will include a check to see if you have had any criminal convictions, a check of police information and we will check the barred list(s). It is a criminal offence for a barred individual to apply for a job in regulated activity.
Grade N9 | Newcastle City Council
Are you an experienced leader ready to take responsibility for delivering a critical statutory service that supports children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)?
We are seeking a SEND Transport Officer to lead the delivery of our home-to-school transport service, ensuring the Council fully meets its legal duties while providing safe, effective, and value-for-money transport solutions for children and young people aged 0–25.
About the Role
This is a key position with direct responsibility for ensuring compliance with the Council’s statutory duties in relation to SEND transport.
You will oversee all operational aspects of the service, working with both commissioned providers and in-house teams to deliver a service that is safe, responsive, and cost-effective.
You will ensure that transport provision is:
- Legally compliant and needs-led
- Delivered in line with current legislation, safeguarding requirements, and national guidance
- Responsive to changing demand and complex individual needs
- Lead and manage the delivery of the SEND home-to-school transport service, ensuring full compliance with statutory requirements and local authority duties
- Ensure transport arrangements are safe, appropriate, and based on assessed need, including oversight of individual risk assessments and specialist provision
- Take accountability for safeguarding within the transport service, including managing incidents, allegations, and liaison with the LADO and partner agencies
- Respond to Stage one transport appeals ensuring decisions are robust, evidence-based, and compliant with statutory guidance
- Work with procurement and legal teams to develop strong quality assurance frameworks to ensure providers meet statutory and contractual requirements
- Lead on training and compliance, ensuring all staff and providers understand and meet statutory safeguarding and SEND responsibilities
- Deliver training for drivers, passenger assistants, and providers, including specialist SEND training
- Support commissioning, procurement, and quality assurance of transport contracts
- Handle complaints and complex cases to ensure safe outcomes
About You
We are looking for someone who:
- Has strong knowledge of SEND legislation and home-to-school transport statutory guidance
- Has experience managing services with legal and regulatory responsibilities
- Is confident making defensible decisions in a statutory context, including complex and high-risk cases
- Has excellent understanding of safeguarding responsibilities and risk management
- Builds strong relationships with families, schools, and partners while maintaining professional accountability
Why Join Us?
At Newcastle City Council, you will play a key role in delivering a frontline statutory service that directly impacts the lives of vulnerable children and young people.
This is an opportunity to:
Lead a high-impact service with clear legal accountability and purpose
Shape how the Council meets its SEND duties in a challenging and evolving landscape
Drive improvement, efficiency, and positive outcomes for children and families
Apply online at www.northeastjobs.org.uk, select 'Apply Now' and complete our online application form. Before completing the form please ensure you read the supporting documents. Any communication sent to you regarding your application will be sent to the email address you have set up on your Northeast Jobs account, so you will need to ensure that you check your inbox.
We are committed to protecting and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expect all staff to share this commitment. This post is working in regulated activity. If you are successful we will undertake additional recruitment checks which will include a check to see if you have had any criminal convictions, a check of police information and we will check the barred list(s). It is a criminal offence for a barred individual to apply for a job in regulated activity.