Head of SEND - Improvement and Partnership

• Suffolk County Council / NHS Norfolk and Suffolk Integrated Care Board
• Address: Endeavour House, Ipswich, IP1 2BX
  
  - Hybrid working
• Salary: £74,716 - £84,404 per annum
• Hours: 37 hours per week, flexible working options available
• Contract: Permanent

We're looking for a Head of SEND Improvement and Partnership to provide strategic leadership across Suffolk's SEND Local Area Partnership
.

Working on behalf of Suffolk County Council and NHS Norfolk and Suffolk Integrated Care Board (ICB), you'll lead our shared approach to SEND improvement across education, health and care. This is a partnership role at its heart - bringing colleagues and senior leaders together and strengthening how we work as one system. You'll build the relationships, shared focus and accountability needed to deliver sustained improvement for children and young people with SEND.

You'll provide strategic leadership for SEND improvement across the Local Area Partnership, working across organisational boundaries to turn shared priorities into sustained, system-wide improvement. You will:

• Lead delivery and oversight of the Local Area Inclusion Plan, making sure priorities translate into measurable progress.
• Build strong partnerships across the County Council, ICB, education providers and other partners, creating shared ownership of SEND improvement.
• Influence and challenge senior leaders across the system, building consensus, addressing barriers and strengthening collective accountability.
• Play a prominent role in the partnership approach to SEND inspection readiness, ensuring we have a clear and robust picture of progress and impact.
• Oversee SEND improvement governance, performance, risks and delivery, including the SEND Improvement Board.
• Connect SEND improvement activity with wider SEND reform and day-to-day delivery, helping create a joined-up approach across the system.

We're looking for an experienced strategic leader who can operate confidently across a complex partnership.

You could bring experience from local government, health or another relevant part of the SEND system. What's important is your ability to think strategically, build credible relationships across organisational boundaries and influence senior partners with different priorities and responsibilities.

• Proven experience providing strategic leadership across complex, system-wide improvement.
• Strong SEND knowledge and understanding of the challenges facing the system.
• Excellent partnership-building and senior influencing skills.
• Confidence to challenge, build consensus and drive collective accountability.
• Highly developed analytical, reporting and communication capabilities.

SEND continues to evolve, with significant reform, changing priorities and a real expectation to deliver improvement. You'll need resilience and persistence to bring people together, keep things moving and stay focused on what will make a difference. In return, you'll have the opportunity to shape meaningful change for children, young people and families, working alongside supportive and committed people who want to make a difference too.

You can view a full list of requirements in the Job and Person Profile (JPP), which you can find in the

How to apply

' section towards the bottom of this advert.

You'll work as part of Suffolk's SEND Local Area Partnership, bringing together colleagues and senior leaders across Suffolk County Council, NHS Norfolk and Suffolk Integrated Care Board (ICB), education and other partners.

Our focus is on working as one system to deliver sustained improvement. You'll play a central role in bringing that work together, supported by senior leadership across both the County Council and ICB.

We're big believers in potential, possibility and the power of different ideas. We're always searching for ways to encourage, respect and enable everyone to be the best they can be. We want to represent the diverse communities we serve. We welcome applications from all individuals, especially those from groups that are currently underrepresented in the organisation, as shown in our Workforce Equality Report .

If you'd like to find out more about the role, please email and we'll arrange an informal conversation with the Assistant Director for SEND and Inclusion.

Closing date: 11.30pm, 11 October 2026.

Interview date: To be confirmed.

This authority is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and…