We are seeking a Senior Inclusion Officer to join Sheffield’s SEND Statutory Assessment and Review Service (SENDSARS), supporting the coordination and management of Education, Health and Care (EHC) assessments and plans for children and young people aged 0–25 with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).

This is an exciting opportunity to join a busy and committed service working closely with families and professionals across education, health and care. We are looking for someone with a strong understanding of SEND and inclusive education, who can build positive relationships, work collaboratively and confidently manage a varied caseload in a fast-paced environment.

About the role

The Senior Inclusion Officer is a key point of contact for families, schools and partner agencies involved with children and young people with SEND.

You will:

Coordinate and manage a caseload of children and young people aged 0–25
Lead on the coordination, drafting and review of high-quality, person-centred EHC plans
Provide information and advice on statutory SEND processes to schools, families and professionals
Work in partnership with education, health and social care colleagues to ensure appropriate support and provision
Attend multi-agency and statutory meetings, including Annual Reviews
Ensure all work is completed in line with the Children and Families Act 2014 and the SEND Code of Practice
Take a lead in an area of the system that will advise and support the whole team

The SENDSARS team leads statutory SEND processes and works closely with a wide range of internal and external partners to support children and young people into appropriate educational provision and achieve the best possible outcomes.

This is an important time for our service as we continue to strengthen and improve our SEND offer across Sheffield. A key focus of this role will be coordinating and writing clear, person-centred EHC plans that accurately reflect need and support positive outcomes.

About you

We are looking for someone with:

Experience of working with children and young people with SEND in an educational setting
A strong commitment to inclusive education
Excellent communication and relationship-building skills
Experience of effective partnership and multi-agency working
The ability to manage competing demands and work to statutory deadlines
Strong organisational skills and a high standard of written English
A calm, professional and solution-focused approach

Knowledge of the statutory SEND assessment process and Annual Reviews would be desirable.

For further information, please refer to the job description and person specification attached to this advert.

Informal enquiries are welcome: lisa.eyre@sheffield.gov.uk

We are investing in our workforce and are promoting opportunities to our under-represented groups. We value equality, diversity and inclusion and are focused on increasing the diversity of our workforce, particularly the number of Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic, Disabled and LGBTQ+ people, so that our teams reflect the communities in the city we serve. We are also supporting staff with unpaid caring responsibilities to work flexibly.

It is a great time to join us and we welcome your application.

Under the Guaranteed Interview scheme, applicants who are disabled, care leavers, or armed forces veterans will be guaranteed an interview if they meet the essential criteria and indicate their eligibility on the application form. Sometimes, if lots of people apply, we might not be able to interview everyone who qualifies for the Guarantee. In these cases, we’ll interview the candidates who best meet the essential criteria for the job.

Full-time employees work 37 hours for 52 weeks of the year and we offer a generous holiday entitlement. We are open to discussions about a wide range of flexible working opportunities which benefit you and the Council, including reduced hour contracts, working part time or as a job share.

If you are appointed to this role, your starting salary will be at the bottom of the grade. If you provide payslip evidence that your basic pay is greater than the bottom of the grade, we will consider starting you at the point of minimum advantage within the grade.

Equality of pay is extremely important to us. All roles at Sheffield City Council are going through an evaluation process which may result in changes to some pay arrangements from 2026. Find out more on our Sheff news page.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all individuals, ensuring a safe and supportive environment for everyone and where appropriate to the role the successful applicant will be required to undertake relevant safeguarding checks.