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An opportunity has arisen for a Children’s SEND Officer to support the effective coordination and delivery of services for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities. You will play a key role in helping children and young people access appropriate education, health and care provision, while ensuring their views and those of their families remain central to the process.

Your responsibilities will include managing a caseload of Education, Health and Care (EHC) needs assessments and plans from request through to completion and review. You will work closely with families, schools, colleges, health professionals, social care teams and other partners to gather advice, assess needs and coordinate appropriate provision. You will also monitor statutory timescales, maintain accurate records and ensure documentation is clear, comprehensive and compliant with relevant legislation and guidance.

The role will involve providing advice and practical support to parents, carers and education settings, responding sensitively to enquiries and helping resolve concerns wherever possible. You will contribute to annual reviews, placement discussions, consultations and transition planning, identifying potential barriers and supporting positive outcomes for children and young people. A strong commitment to inclusive practice and person-centred planning is essential.

You will need experience of working with children or young people with SEND, ideally within education, local authority, health, social care or a related service. You should have a sound understanding of the SEND Code of Practice, EHC plans and associated statutory processes, together with excellent organisational and administrative skills. The ability to manage competing priorities, meet deadlines and work confidently with sensitive information is required.

We are looking for a calm, professional and empathetic communicator who can build effective relationships with a wide range of people. You will be able to explain complex information clearly, work collaboratively while also using your own initiative, and demonstrate sound judgement when handling challenging situations. A commitment to safeguarding, equality and improving outcomes for children and young people is essential.

We are seeking a qualified social work professional to join a Children and Families team as an Assistant Team Manager. This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced practitioner to support the delivery of high-quality, child-centred services and help improve outcomes for children, young people and their families.

You will assist the Team Manager with the effective operation of the team, providing professional guidance, oversight and support to social workers. Your responsibilities will include monitoring caseloads, reviewing assessments and plans, supporting sound decision-making and ensuring that practice complies with relevant legislation, statutory guidance and local procedures.

You will contribute to safeguarding activity, including the assessment and management of risk, child protection enquiries, looked-after children processes and care planning. You may also be involved in preparing reports for child protection conferences, looked-after children reviews and court proceedings, ensuring that records are accurate, timely and evidence-based.

The role will involve supporting social workers through regular supervision, reflective practice, case discussions and quality assurance activity. You will help identify areas for development, promote strengths-based and restorative approaches, and encourage effective partnership working with education, health, police, housing and other professionals.

Applicants must hold a recognised social work qualification and be registered with Social Work England. You will have substantial experience in children’s social care, including safeguarding, assessment, care planning and working with families experiencing complex circumstances. Experience of supporting colleagues, managing risk and contributing to service improvement would be highly desirable.

You should be confident, organised and able to communicate clearly with children, families and professionals. The successful candidate will demonstrate sound professional judgement, resilience and a commitment to anti-discriminatory practice. A valid driving licence and the ability to travel between locations may be required.

This role offers the opportunity to make a meaningful difference while developing your leadership skills within a supportive, collaborative and improvement-focused environment.

We are seeking an experienced and motivated qualified social worker to join a Family Support Team in Central Bedfordshire as an Assistant Team Manager/Practice Manager. This is an opportunity to provide strong practice leadership while helping children, young people and families achieve positive and lasting outcomes.

You will support the Team Manager with the day-to-day operation of the service, contributing to effective workflow management, performance monitoring and the delivery of high-quality statutory social work. You will provide guidance, supervision and professional support to social workers and family support practitioners, promoting reflective practice and ensuring that interventions are purposeful, proportionate and focused on children’s safety and wellbeing.

Key responsibilities will include supporting the allocation and oversight of cases, reviewing assessments and plans, contributing to quality assurance activity and ensuring that records are accurate, timely and compliant with relevant legislation and professional standards. You will work collaboratively with children, parents, carers and partner agencies, contributing to child protection processes, looked-after children reviews, court work and multi-agency planning where required.

The successful candidate will hold a recognised social work qualification and current registration with Social Work England. You will have substantial post-qualifying experience in children and families social care, with a sound understanding of safeguarding, child protection, assessment frameworks and relevant statutory duties. Experience of supervising practitioners, supporting complex casework and contributing to service improvement would be highly desirable.

You will be a confident communicator with strong organisational, analytical and decision-making skills. The role requires a compassionate, resilient and solution-focused approach, together with the ability to manage competing priorities and provide constructive challenge. A commitment to strengths-based, relationship-focused practice and improving outcomes for children and families is essential.

This role offers the chance to contribute to a supportive and ambitious team while developing your leadership and practice expertise. Candidates must be able to meet the travel requirements of the post and undertake relevant pre-employment checks.