School Place Planning Sufficiency Principal; SEND

Salary £53,051 - £57,447 Per annum | 37 hours per week | Full time, Permanent | Preston, Lancashire, United Kingdom

Salary £53,051 - £57,447 Per annum | 37 hours per week | Full time, Permanent | Preston, Lancashire, United Kingdom

In return Lancashire County Council offers a range of benefits, which can be found on LCC Vacancies website.

We reserve the right to close down a vacancy early, before the closing date, if we receive sufficient applications.

The post you are applying for is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2013). If successful you will be required to apply to the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) for a 'disclosure'. Further information can be found on the 'Our Recruitment Process' tab.

The Government has confirmed that local government across Lancashire will be reorganised, with the current 15 councils being replaced by four new unitary councils covering North, South, East and West Lancashire from April 2029.

If you are successful in your application, you will initially join Lancashire County Council. However, as part of the planned transition, your employment will transfer to one of the new unitary councils from April 2029, subject to the implementation of the reorganisation and relevant employment legislation.

Throughout this period, our focus remains on delivering excellent services to our communities. By joining us now, you'll play an important role in shaping the future of local government and helping to build a strong new organisation that will serve residents for years to come.

County Hall, Preston / Hybrid Working

£53,051 - £57,447

Permanent

Lancashire County Council is committed to ensuring that every child and young person with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) can access the right provision in the right place at the right time.

We are seeking an experienced, strategic and forward-thinking professional to lead Lancashire's approach to SEND sufficiency planning. This is a high-profile role with responsibility for forecasting future demand, shaping specialist provision, influencing capital investment and ensuring the Council meets its statutory duties for children and young people with SEND.

As School Place Planning Sufficiency Principal (SEND), you will lead the Council's strategic programme for SEND school place sufficiency across Lancashire.

Working as part of the senior management team within School Place Planning, you will oversee demand forecasting, capital investment planning, SEND place commissioning and the identification of future provision requirements. You will work collaboratively with schools, academy trusts, dioceses, elected members, developers, planners and senior officers to ensure Lancashire has a sustainable and effective SEND estate capable of meeting future demand.

This is a unique opportunity to influence strategic decision-making, shape future education infrastructure and make a lasting difference to children, young people and families across Lancashire.

You will:

• Lead the development, review and implementation of Lancashire's SEND sufficiency strategy.
• Analyse demand, trends, demographic change and housing growth to identify future SEND place requirements.
• Lead on the annual review of SEND sufficiency and contribute to statutory returns, including the School Capacity Survey (SCAP).
• Work closely with colleagues to…