Rochdale Borough Council is looking for an exceptional leader to join our SEND leadership team at a pivotal moment of National change and reform.

As Assistant Head of SEND Assurance and Delivery, you will play a critical role in ensuring that children and young people with SEND receive the right support, at the right time, in the right way while strengthening the system that sits around them.

This is a senior leadership role with real influence: over statutory compliance, quality and performance, inspection readiness, SEND reform implementation, and the daytoday delivery of SEND and Inclusion services.

But more than that, this role is about making inclusion happen in practice.

About the role

You will provide strategic and operational leadership across key SEND functions, including:

Oversight of inspection readiness, quality assurance and improvement planning
Leadership of the SEND system.
Driving strong performance, data and assurance frameworks across SEND.
Overseeing and driving Quality Assurance functions in SEND.
Supporting SEND Reform implementation and new ways of working
Leading on educational sufficiency planning, including market engagement and development
Acting as an expert adviser to senior leaders on statutory SEND duties
Ensuring the voice of children, young people and families is central to service design and delivery
Working in deep partnership with education, health, social care, and the voluntary sector

You will lead and motivate teams through complexity and change, balancing statutory delivery with innovation and improvement.

Who we’re looking for

We are looking for a leader who combines strong SEND expertise with system leadership capability.

You will bring:

A degree (or equivalent) and significant experience in SEND and EHCP assessment and review
A deep working knowledge of SEND legislation, the SEND Code of Practice, and inspection frameworks
Experience leading services through change, improvement and scrutiny
A strong track record in quality assurance, performance management and inspection readiness
Confidence working strategically and operationally in complex environments
Experience of multiagency working, commissioning and budget oversight
An ability to work collaboratively with schools, health partners, families and elected members
A creative, solutionsfocused approach to problem solving across organisational boundaries

Just as important is how you lead. We’re looking for someone who rolemodels our Raising Rochdale values:

Proud of the difference we make
Passionate about the diversities of the borough
Pioneering and open in our approach

Why Rochdale?

Rochdale is ambitious about inclusion. We are honest about the challenges, determined about improvement, and committed to doing this work with children, families and partners not to them.

Please see a film about our SEND journey here -

You’ll join a supportive senior leadership team, with scope to shape thinking locally and regionally, and the opportunity to influence some of the most important work in children’s services.

We offer flexible working, a strong commitment to professional development, and the chance to make a genuine difference at scale.

To apply please demonstrate how you meet the essential requirements of the person specification.

Please include reference to your qualifications that are specified on the person specification within your application only include if there are qualifications

If you have completed the GM Elevate (LeadershipDevelopment) Programme, please indicate this within the ‘About You’ or ‘Supporting Statement’ section of your application.

Unfortunately, we are unable to offer sponsorship for this role

Supporting Documents

↗ Job Discription
↗ Policy on Recruitment of Ex-Offenders