Lead Officer - Special Schools & Specialist Provisions, Resourcing & Budgetary

Primary Location: Antrim-Belfast-Belfast Office

Other Locations: Down-Dundonald-Dundonald Office, Armagh-Armagh-Armagh Office, Antrim-Ballymena-Ballee Centre, Tyrone-Omagh-Omagh Office

Contract Type: Fixed-Term (May be subject to extension or reduced for any valid reason)

Duration of Contract/Contract End Date: 31 March 2027

Status: Full-Time

Hours per Week: 36

Working Pattern: Monday - Friday

Grade/Scale: Education Officer | NJC pts 53 - 56 | £65,226 - £68,475 per annum

Additional Information: Base will be determined upon appointment.

Job Purpose

The EA is the managing authority for 40 special schools across Northern Ireland and is responsible for ensuring efficient and sufficient provision across Northern Ireland and access to high quality education. The Lead Officer will work closely with other teams within the Education Directorate and across other EA Directorates to ensure that services are integral to other regional services and contribute to improved outcomes for children and young people in Special Schools.

Service Specific Responsibilities

The Lead Officer will lead and co-ordinate the work of two teams within the SSSP Service:

• The Special Schools Resourcing Team (staffing in Special Schools)
• The Special Schools Budgetary Team

Overview of Special Schools Resourcing Team

Regional processes for the allocation of staffing (teaching and non-teaching) to special schools have been established. This small team has responsibility for the allocation of all core staffing in 39 special schools, including ‘additionality’ requests. The team works closely with school Principals and the EA SARS team within the CYPS Directorate to ensure appropriate staffing allocations. This work includes:

• Support for the effective management of resources allocated to schools
• Support for special schools with staffing pressures and ongoing support relating to COVID and other staff absences
• Development of effective information systems to monitor absence levels and support schools through their Managing Attendance Policy

The Lead Officer is required to lead and co-ordinate this work.

Overview of Special Schools Budgetary Team

This is a small team currently consisting of 3 members of staff. Every special school has an individual named officer from this team. The team has responsibility for the budget for special schools, including the schools’ delegated budget (Article 60), and the non-delegated budget (held by EA). The team ensures monitoring and efficient use of resources to inform the budget build for and with special schools on an annual basis. This work includes:

• Informing annual budget build for special schools
• Monitoring non-delegated budget lines
• Monitoring Article 60 spend and exercising a challenge function
• Processing special schools’ staffing requisitions, equipment requests, earmarked funding

The Lead Officer is required to lead and co-ordinate this work.

Other Duties and Responsibilities Applicable to the Role

Strategic Planning and Policy Influence

The Lead Officer will be expected to:

• Lead the development and implementation of specific targets relating to the EA corporate plan and Directorate’s business plans;
• Ensure that priorities are set for the direction of the work and that this is understood and communicated to the team;
• Devise and implement effective systems to monitor, measure, control and report on the work of the service;
• Provide reports that can inform policy and strategic direction in relation to the service area;
• Provide input to SEND Strategic Development Programme and other forums as required.

Corporate Leadership and Management

The Lead Officer will be expected to:

• Contribute to strategic planning, implementation and ongoing monitoring of the service area;
• In collaboration with the ASEO, advise the Director(s) and Assistant Director(s) on all matters relating to their service specific responsibilities;
• Ensure compliance with all relevant legislation and statutory frameworks;
• Establish, maintain, manage and review effective data systems;
• Facilitate the induction of new staff and ongoing professional development of all staff in relation to their service area;
• Ensure that officers within their service area have an awareness of the corporate culture, values and processes which underpin organizational development;
• Delegate responsibilities and deploy staff in accordance with their skills and abilities, the needs of the EA.

Service Development and Quality Assurance

The post-holder will be expected to:

• Assist the Authority in the development of policies and plans in line with overall strategic policy and objectives;
• Ensure effective and rigorous quality assurance systems are in place to maintain high standards;
• Ensure effective engagement, capacity building and monitoring arrangements with local teams;
• Participate in review processes to enable the development, review and compliance of all quality assurance policies and procedures;
• Liaise and work co-operatively with colleagues in other sections of the Authority to ensure consistent and coherent approaches;
• Manage staff to perform to their potential, promote their professional development and give support when required.

Managing Financial Resources

The post-holder will be expected to:

• Effectively manage their budget and monitor expenditure ensuring propriety, regularity and value for money;
• Facilitate reporting protocols that are required by the EA;
• Consider the financial implications relating to effective models of service delivery and ensure systems and procedures are in place to evaluate the outcomes of resource allocation.

Partnership Working

The post-holder will be expected to:

• Co-ordinate the development of the service by building on effective partnerships;
• Develop links across the Authority’s Directorates as necessary;
• Contribute to attendance at meetings both internally and with other stakeholders, in accordance with corporate goals, service targets, multi-agency action plans and in line with EA and DE requirements.

Other Duties

Comply with EA policies and procedures in relation to the duties and responsibilities of the post; Any such other duties that the EA may from time to time require. This job description will be subject to review in light of changing circumstances and is not intended to be rigid and inflexible but should be regarded as providing guidelines within which the individual works. Other duties of a similar nature and appropriate to the grade may be assigned from time to time.

In accordance with Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act (1998), the post-holder is expected to promote good relations, equality of opportunity and pay due regard for equality legislation at all times.

Person Specification

Essential Criteria

The following are essential criteria which will initially be measured at the shortlisting stage and which may also be further explored during the interview/selection stage. You should therefore make it clear on your application form how, and to what extent you meet these criteria. Failure to do so may result in you not being shortlisted.

• Hold a Bachelor’s Degree (UK Qualification and Credit Framework Level 6) or an equivalent or higher qualification and three years’ demonstrable experience of successful leadership and management of a strategy area leading to improvement OR Have five years’ demonstrable experience of successful leadership and management of a strategy area leading to improvement.
• Demonstrable evidence of successfully influencing internal and external stakeholders, through leading and/or participating in multi-disciplinary teams, and where outcomes have impacted your service or the wider SEN area.

Knowledge

Demonstrable knowledge of:

• Current and anticipated challenges facing the wider SEN education sector, with reference to relevant EA Policies and Strategies pertaining to this area of work.
• Effective approaches to managing service delivery and service improvement.

Other

Ability to attend meetings outside normal working hours as and when required including some evening and weekend work. The successful candidate will be required:

• to have access to a suitable vehicle (appropriately maintained and insured for Education Authority business) that will enable them to carry out the mobility requirements of the post in an efficient and effective manner and thus meet this essential criterion; OR be able to provide sufficient information on the application form that will satisfy the employer that he/she has access to an appropriate alternative form of transport that will enable them to carry out the mobility requirements of the post in an efficient and effective manner and thus meet this essential criterion.

Skills/Abilities

In line with EA’s Game Changing People Model we will look for evidence of:

• Leading and managing staff, giving clear direction and inspiring confidence.
• Building effective working relationships and working collaboratively with colleagues across directorates, and with key stakeholders.
• An influential and persuasive communicator who recognises the value of working with stakeholders and can gain commitment across groups to achieve shared objectives.
• Planning and managing project/service delivery to meet agreed outcomes.
• Analysing complex information through engagement with teams and solving problems through informed decision making.
• Formulating reports and presenting the information clearly, confidently and unambiguously to a range of audiences, including leading consultations.
• Work autonomously and make sound decisions.

Values Orientation

Evidence of how your experience and approach to work reflect EA’s ethos and values.

Disclosure of Criminal Background

The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups (Northern Ireland) Order 2007 defines working directly with children or young people or in specified places as ‘regulated activity’. In the event that you are recommended for appointed to a post that involves ‘regulated activity’, the Education Authority will be required to undertake an Enhanced Disclosure of Criminal Background. Please note that you WILL be expected to meet the cost of an Enhanced Disclosure Certificate. Details of how to make payment will be sent to you at the pre-employment stage.

Further information can be accessed at NI Direct or the Department of Justice.