Service Director for SEND & Inclusion

Overview

Buckinghamshire Council is inviting expressions of interest from a dynamic, influential and visionary senior leader for the role of Service Director for SEND & Inclusion. This is a pivotal opportunity to shape and lead the next phase of our ambitious SEND improvement programme for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.

About the role

This role provides system‑wide strategic leadership for SEND and Inclusion across the local area, acting as the Council’s senior professional lead in this critical field. The postholder will hold overarching accountability for delivering ambitious and sustainable SEND reform, ensuring statutory responsibilities are met and that the system remains effective, financially sustainable, and centred around the needs of children and young people aged 0–25.

We are seeking expressions of interest from leaders who can confidently and diligently drive forward the Council’s SEND Improvement Programme, ensuring pace, robust governance, clear accountability and transparent reporting to senior leaders, Members and regulators. The role will lead our response to key national and local challenges, including recent Ofsted and CQC inspection outcomes and recommendations, and take responsibility for embedding the actions required to deliver measurable, sustainable improvement

About you

The successful applicant will demonstrate:

• A strong commitment to a child‑focused culture, ensuring that the voice and lived experience of children and families informs strategic decisions and service design.
• Proven ability to provide visible leadership across education, health, social care and wider partners, modelling constructive partnership working and long‑term relationship building.
• Drives a culture of collaboration across education, health, and care partners to deliver a seamless, child‑centred approach.
• Experience of driving continuous improvement, using data, inspection findings, audits and lived experience to inform practice transformation.
• Strong financial acumen, with the ability to lead on SEND‑related budgets, including the High Needs Block, ensuring financial sustainability and value for money
• The capability to lead complex system‑wide change, balancing statutory responsibilities with long‑term sustainability and improved outcomes for children and young people.
• Provides strong strategic leadership that ensures high‑quality, inclusive SEND services which improve outcomes for children and young people with additional needs.
• Leads with clarity, compassion, and accountability, empowering teams to innovate while maintaining a strong focus on statutory compliance and service excellence.
• Uses data‑informed decision‑making to shape long‑term service priorities and ensure resources are deployed effectively to meet local needs.
• Builds strong relationships with families, schools, and community stakeholders, championing the voice of children and young people in all strategic planning.

This post requires a visible, credible and emotionally intelligent leader who can inspire confidence, model inclusive values, and work effectively within a complex political and partnership environment. Applicants must demonstrate significant senior leadership experience within a complex public sector setting and possess in‑depth knowledge of SEND legislation, statutory responsibilities and national policy developments.

We encourage expressions of interest from individuals who can bring strategic clarity, authentic partnership working, financial grip and a relentless focus on improving outcomes for children and young people with SEND.

Other information

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore applicants are required to declare:

• All unspent convictions and conditional cautions
• All spent convictions and adult cautions that are not protected (i.e. that are not filtered out) as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2020 and 2023).

For further information on filtering please refer to Nacro guidance and the guidance published by the Ministry of Justice (see, in particular, the section titled ‘Exceptions Order’).