Improvement Project Officer (SEND)

Hackney Education provides a range of services to support the education of children, young people and adults in our inner London borough. Hackney is one of the UK’s highest performing local authorities, serving one of London’s best places to live and work. Within our diverse borough we serve a wide range of children and young people. We have a particular focus on supporting less advantaged families: Hackney figures in the 10% most deprived boroughs in England on a number of measures.

Hackney Education’s key priority is to improve the life chances of every child, young person and learner: making Hackney the most forward looking education system in the UK, where schools, settings and partners provide an exciting environment which ensures inclusion and success for everyone. We see our borough as being one of the best places in the country for young people to grow, learn, develop and achieve – and one of the best places for colleagues to work and thrive in our education system.

Details of the role

The Improvement Project Officer is a newly-created role which sits within Hackney Education’s Improvement Programmes and Projects team. The Project Officer will be responsible for contributing to the development and delivery of projects for the Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) service area. This role requires experience in project management and process improvement.

The Project Officer will work with project managers and practitioners to drive projects forward, ensuring the highest quality, most effective and efficient organisation of services. The role will provide SEND project support, and will be responsible for tasks such as producing research, data analysis, writing business cases and briefing documents. The role also includes assisting SEND project managers, adding operational capacity by supporting colleagues in their duties. Support duties include, but are not limited to: scheduling meetings, preparing agendas and papers, taking minutes, data input, recording and tracking actions, operational support, and liaising with multiple stakeholders.

Projects you’ll be working on include:

• SEND Provision Capital Programme - This important project assesses how we can improve our SEND provision to meet the demand for SEND school places in Hackney.

• Independent and Non Maintained Special Schools Contract review - This project aims to ensure we improve our processes for contract management with schools.

• Travel Assistance and SEND Transport policy refresh - This project looks to embed the new policy into our processes.

• Preparing for Adulthood - This project aims to map provision and create clear guidance on preparing for adulthood for post 16 young people with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCP).

The postholder will also be responsible for undertaking wider project support within the Improvement Programmes and Projects team, as well as the Special Educational Needs and Disability service department, as the need arises. They will contribute to the continuous improvement of the services at Hackney Education.

• Candidates selected for interview will demonstrate:

• Project management experience

• Experience of successfully engaging with a diverse range of stakeholders

• Strong communication skills

• Excellent analytical skills

• Ability to manage a complex range of tasks simultaneously, effectively prioritising and delivering on time to a high quality

• Strong Excel skills (or Google Sheets)

• Proactive, with the ability to work on own initiative to produce results

For an informal discussion about the role please contact Meghan Nice, Improvement Programmes & Project Manager (0208 820 7635).

Recruitment Process & Indicative Timeline

1. Closing date for application: 19 October 2021

2. Selection process will include a numeracy test - to be completed before the interview date.

3. Applicants who are successfully invited to an interview will be sent information to prepare the presentation they will give in the interview.

4. Interview date: week commencing 9th or 15th November 2021

The interview format includes a 10 minute presentation followed by a panel interview.

Please note that these dates are only indicative at this stage and could be subject to change.

Further Information

Hybrid working pattern with at least 2 days a week in the office, 1 Reading Lane Hackney.

Future working arrangements are still to be confirmed. It is expected that this role will be based at 1 Reading Lane in Hackney, for 2 days per week in the office, plus remote working the remaining 3 days if desired. Note that we also welcome those interested in other flexible working arrangements.

Interested?

Please apply by clicking the link below.

Closing date: 19 October 2021

We are also working towards our vision, which is to be a place for everyone; where residents and staff can be proud; a place that celebrates diversity and where everyone can feel valued, included and involved. In order to achieve this, we look for people who are: Proud; Ambitious; Pioneering; Open; Proactive; Inclusive.

Hackney Council works to eradicate discrimination on the basis of race, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy and maternity, age and marital status. We also recognise that people can be disadvantaged by their social and economic circumstances, so we will also work to eliminate discrimination and disadvantage caused by social class. We also welcome those interested in flexible working. We particularly welcome applications from disabled people and people from a black and ethnic minority background as these groups are currently under represented in our workforce.