SEND Engagement Facilitator in Chelmsford

Fixed Term, Full Time £26,725 to £31,441 per annum

Location: Chelmsford

Working Style: Community-based worker

Closing Date: 14th September 2026

Please note that visa sponsorship is not available for this role. Applicants must have a current, unrestricted right to work in the UK. This is a fixed term contract / secondment opportunity until November 2027.

Interviews: 28th September

Essex County Council has embarked upon a programme of change for provision and services with the ambition to profoundly improve the outcomes and life experience of children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). Our vision is for a SEND system which identifies and assesses need at an earlier stage, and which provides appropriate and impactful support without such high dependence on Essex County Council’s statutory services.

The SEND Engagement Facilitator will support sustainable inclusion for children and young people with SEND, through targeted support to educational settings, families and partners. They enable collaborative practice throughout One Planning and ensure a joined-up approach to the Assess, Plan, Do, Review Cycle, particularly at points of transition for CYP.

Accountabilities

• As part of a multi-disciplinary team, provide targeted intervention to families and professionals at points of change, challenge and transition to support longer term resilience and the dialogue essential to the success of CYP educational placements and outcomes.
• Utilise and model enabling, collaborative and person-centred ways of working to ensure pupil and family voices are captured, valued and held at the heart of the 0-25 planning for CYP.
• Identify and facilitate effective ways of gathering, recording and sharing information about a CYP, their family, setting or situation to inform the planning for them, through statutory or non-statutory plans.
• Support the partnership between educational setting staff, families and other stakeholders to promote shared understanding of the aspirations, needs, outcomes and required provision for CYP.
• Work directly with CYP and their families to develop their understanding of and participation in assessment, planning and decision-making processes in order that their plans and implementation are fully coproduced and understood.
• Act as a model of good One Planning to LA colleagues, and as a conduit of information for targeted work with families and educational settings, allowing the Inclusion and SEND Operations teams in each quadrant to work cohesively as part of early intervention approaches.
• Plan, deliver and evaluate a range of development opportunities for staff in educational settings in relation to partnership and person-centred practice and its application, enabling educators to embed this approach within their engagement with families.
• Build and maintain effective links across Education, including SENDIASS and the SEND Innovation and Strategy team, in order that good One Planning practice and its impact is identified, implemented and evaluated with appropriate input from families and the community.

Skills, Knowledge and Experience

• Possesses a minimum of RQF Level 3, or equivalent by experience.
• Ability to work autonomously, with confidence to make key decisions regarding the appropriate next steps for a child/young person and their family.
• Thorough knowledge and understanding of the SEND Code of Practice and how it impacts on assessment, planning, provision and review for CYP on a day to day basis.
• Have significant experience of working successfully with children with SEND in a school and/or home setting.
• Significant experience of working effectively in partnership with families and professionals, including our partners, in a multi-agency environment.
• Demonstrate excellent interpersonal skills with an understanding of how to facilitate and mediate in situations which are perceived as challenging.
• Evidence of ability to develop skills, knowledge and experience within role, including a willingness to chair/facilitate meetings and plan/deliver training to small groups of adults.

Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.