Senior Special Educational Needs Keyworker in London

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a full time, 1 year fixed term Senior Special Educational Needs (SEND) Keyworker in Pupil Services. To be an Islington Senior SEND Keyworker (Case Officer) you will be passionate about making a positive difference to the lives of children and young people and have a comprehensive understanding of the SEND legislative framework. You will be working as a key part of the 0-25 SEND structure for Islington, supporting children and young people with an educational need and/or disability (SEND) who are applying for or have an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) and their families. We are seeking a motivated, family-focused Senior SEND Keyworker (Case Officer) to provide advice and support to parents and children aged 0-25 years with SEND.

You will be working with families and professionals to ensure children and young people have the right provision specified in their EHCP, so they are able to successfully progress in education and make the next steps ultimately into adulthood. You will also play a crucial role in developing partnerships with our mainstream and specialist schools to ensure they can support our young people.

Main duties of the job:

• To act as Keyworker for children with special educational needs and their families.
• Ensuring the Council delivers its responsibilities to support the identification and assessment of young people who have special educational needs or disabilities within the statutory SEND framework.
• Coordinating EHC needs assessment processes for children and young people with complex needs and their annual reviews.
• Being responsible for the co-production of Education Health and Care (EHC) needs assessment for children and young people with complex needs and their annual reviews ensuring provision is secured in line with the Children and Families Act 2014 and SEND Code of Practice.
• Opportunity to potentially manage a small team of key workers to ensure that young people with complex needs have suitable plans in place to support them in education and ensure they are prepared for adulthood.
• Ensuring the authority complies with the SEND Code of Practice including adhering to all statutory time frames and processes for both new assessments and annual reviews of Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plans.
• Allocating and prioritising workload.
• Check in and supervision sessions ensuring the quality of work is at the highest standard.
• Ensuring case work is recorded appropriately and accurately on relevant casework systems.
• Involvement in and responsibility for coordinating key stage transfer processes for young people with EHCPs.
• Responsibility for investigating and writing stage 1 complaints and investigating stage 2 complaints.
• Support for Elective Home Education and Education Other than in School cases.
• Provide expert professional advice to colleagues, settings, young people and families on issues connected to meeting young people’s needs.
• Involvement and responsibility for selected mediation cases.
• Involvement in tribunal cases including liaison with families, representatives and production of working documents, sending consultations to schools of parental preference in appeal, and liaising with schools for responses and obtaining witness statements.

Why work in Islington SEND Services?

In December 2021 Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) conducted a joint inspection of the local area of Islington. Their report was exceptionally positive. A further inspection has just taken place in February 2026 with the published outcome awaited. The findings in the joint inspection identified that leaders are focused on continually improving services in Islington. The area’s joint commissioning arrangements put children and young people’s needs first. Strong, strategic leadership brings together well-established teams across education, health and social care. Working together, their focus is on ensuring children and young people quickly receive the services they need.

There are robust systems and scrutiny measures established which support staff, promote good practice and allow us to focus on positive outcomes for our children and young people. We continue to be a DFE SEND sector led improvement partner and are one of the 24 Local Authorities delivering the DfE’s change programme to test and refine national SEND and AP reforms.

The SEND Team in Islington is committed to delivering an exceptional service to children and young people with SEND and their families and want to work closely with our educational settings and partner agencies to ensure special educational needs and disabilities are well supported.

Prior experience in this area is mandatory along with exceptional verbal and written communication skills, resilience and the real desire to make a difference to our families.

Our offer to you:

• Up to 31 days leave per year, increasing to 36 days after five years of local government service.
• A range of flexible working arrangements to maintain a healthy work-life balance, as well as a 35-hour working week.
• Learning and development opportunities to maximise your potential.
• Competitive pay and a commitment to paying all staff the London Living Wage at minimum.
• Excellent local government pension scheme.
• Cycle to Work scheme and discounted gym memberships.
• Local discounts from restaurants, shops, health and beauty therapists, and more!

Please note: Priority will be given to those at risk of redundancy within Islington Council. Current employees who are part of the redeployment pool must meet the essential criteria for shortlisting to be prioritised.

Workforce Equality, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Statement:

We are dedicated to creating an inclusive and equitable workforce, where everyone is treated with dignity and respect. Our workforce strategy places equality, equity, diversity, and inclusion at the heart of everything we do, reaffirming our commitment to fostering a culture of inclusion. We strive to create an environment where all colleagues feel they belong and can safely express their thoughts, ideas, and challenges, without fear of judgement or discrimination.

We maintain a zero-tolerance approach to any unlawful discrimination, harassment, or victimisation on the grounds of any protected characteristics under the 2010 Equality Act, including but not limited to race, disability, sexual orientation, sex, religion and belief, age, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy, and maternity. Any incidents of discrimination will be promptly investigated and addressed in line with our HR policies to ensure a safe and inclusive environment for all colleagues.

We use data to identify and address disparities, ensuring that our policies and practices are transparent and impactful in promoting a diverse representation of backgrounds and perspectives at all levels of the organisation. We look at inequality through an intersectional lens, recognising that different aspects of someone’s identity can combine to create unique experiences of discrimination and disadvantage.

We know that advancing diversity and inclusion is a continuous journey, and we must listen to our colleagues and learn where we can further improve. We work closely with our Colleague Forums and Trade Unions, supported by active allies from our Corporate Management Team, to monitor and evaluate our practices, identify barriers, and empower colleagues to promote equality and inclusion in the workplace.

Every one of us has a role to play in making Islington Council a truly inclusive workplace. By living out our CARE (collaborative, ambitious, resourceful, and empowering) values every day and embedding the principles of equality, equity, diversity, and inclusion in our work, we can all actively contribute to empowering people and creating a more equal Islington.

Pre‑Employment Checks:

Any offer of employment will be subject to the successful completion of required pre‑employment checks. These may include:

• Proof of address
• Evidence of any name changes (if applicable)
• Right to work in the UK
• Overseas criminal record check (if applicable)
• Satisfactory references
• Occupational Health clearance
• Evidence of professional qualifications or registrations
• DBS check at the appropriate level (if applicable)

Safeguarding:

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults, and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Some posts are subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

The post is subject to a basic DBS check, qualifications check and 3/5 years referencing.

Disability Confident Scheme:

Islington Council operates a guaranteed interview scheme for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum criteria and we are committed to providing support to applicants who request reasonable adjustments to be made during the recruitment process and throughout their career with us.