SEND Resolutions Manager

Overview

About us

Buckinghamshire Council is a relatively new organisation that combines the strengths and expertise of the previous five councils in the county to create positive change for local people, communities, and businesses. We are firmly focused on the future and have made a clear commitment to serve residents better and to provide stronger representation for Buckinghamshire, both locally and nationally. 

Buckinghamshire is an ambitious, rapidly growing county, and our economy is one of the strongest in the country. It is an area of outstanding natural beauty and ranks as one of the top rural areas to live in the UK and yet it is incredibly well connected– only an hour from London on the train. The county has a rich history and heritage and is the birthplace of the international Paralympic movement.

We are looking for motivated, ambitious and inspiring people to join us on our journey. You will be entitled to a range of different benefits to make sure you are happy both at work and at home.

About the role

As SEND Resolutions Manager, you’ll provide leadership and strategic oversight of all SEND dispute resolution activity, ensuring the service operates effectively, meets statutory requirements, and delivers excellent outcomes.

You’ll be responsible for:

• Leading and managing the SEND Resolutions Team, driving performance and professional development
• Taking overall responsibility for SEND complaints, mediation, and tribunal activity across the service
• Managing complex, high-risk, and sensitive cases, including escalation and resolution
• Supporting SEND decision-making processes, including resource and provision panels, ensuring robust and informed decisions
• Working closely with education, health, and social care partners to reduce risk and resolve issues early
• Developing strong relationships with families, schools, and key stakeholders
• Leading on service improvement, identifying trends, and embedding learning from complaints and tribunals
• Supporting senior leadership, including advising on complex or high-profile issues and contributing to strategy
• Ensuring inspection readiness and supporting continuous improvement across the SEND service

You’ll also have responsibility for managing budgets and ensuring effective use of resources in a complex and high-demand environment.

This is a high-impact leadership role where you’ll shape how the SEND service responds to challenges and delivers meaningful outcomes.

About you

We’re looking for a confident and experienced leader who brings both strategic thinking and operational expertise. You’ll be passionate about improving SEND services and able to lead through complexity and change.

You will have:

• Significant experience managing SEND services or similar specialist areas
• Strong knowledge of SEND legislation, including the SEND Code of Practice and tribunal processes
• Proven leadership experience, with the ability to inspire, manage, and develop teams
• Experience handling complex complaints, mediation, and tribunal cases
• Strong partnership working skills, with the ability to influence across organisations
• Excellent communication and negotiation skills, including handling sensitive and challenging situations
• Experience managing budgets and understanding the financial impact of decisions
• Strong analytical skills, able to use data and insight to drive improvement
• The ability to think strategically while maintaining oversight of operational delivery

You’ll be proactive, resilient, and solutions-focused, with a strong commitment to delivering the best possible outcomes for children and young people with SEND.

We understand that candidates may use AI tools to assist with their applications. While we welcome innovation, we expect all submissions to reflect your own experience, skills, and achievements accurately. Please ensure your application is truthful and demonstrates your personal capabilities, as this will be assessed during the selection process.

Other information

If you would like to find out more about this role, please contact Caroline Marriott at [email protected]

Closing date: Monday 15th June 2026.

Interview date: TBC

We reserve the right to close the vacancy once we have received sufficient applications, so please be advised to submit your application as early as possible.

Buckinghamshire Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults at risk.

Our values and culture

We have a set of values, which our employees have chosen, that represent what we are – Proud, Ambitious, Collaborative and Trustworthy.

By joining Buckinghamshire Council, you can expect:

• a fair and inclusive culture
• the chance to really make a difference to those around you
• health and well-being initiatives including an Employee Assistance Programme, Mental Health First Aiders and mindfulness workshops
• a unified voice through our Employee Representative Group
• ongoing support, and the opportunity to develop and progress in your career with us
• opportunities to take part in fun activities such as fundraising and social events

At Buckinghamshire Council, we know that our biggest strength comes from the people that work for us, and that’s why we’re working hard to ensure we continue to be an accessible and inclusive organisation.

From dedicated staff networks overseen by our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Steering Group, to proudly standing as a Disability Confident employer, it’s important to us that all our colleagues feel engaged, listened to, and valued. Our offer of flexible working empowers a productive and happy workforce and allows employees to combine work with other responsibilities and commitments.

We believe our workforce should reflect the diverse communities we service in Buckinghamshire, and are looking for like-minded individuals to join us in promoting equality, fairness, and inclusion for everyone.

About the Business Unit

Ensuring that children and young people in Buckinghamshire reach their potential is a primary focus within our Education service. It’s essential that we provide inclusive and life-long learning opportunities for all of our young people - so we look to raise standards, attainment and aspirations in a number of ways.

Our key priorities include: improving the quality and timeliness of Education, Health and Care Plans and the support families of children with SEND receive; reducing the number of exclusions both permanent and fixed term; and providing the children of Buckinghamshire with the highest quality education possible.

We aim to provide the right support, at the right time for families requiring non-statutory intervention, and provide sufficient, high quality early years and school places for children in Buckinghamshire. Despite Buckinghamshire having a higher percentage of good or outstanding Early Years providers and schools than national averages, we are not complacent.

We are keen to strengthen the services we deliver to provide the children of Buckinghamshire the highest quality education possible.

We recognise and reward you

Hard work and success deserves recognition. That’s why we pride ourselves on the benefits we give our people. We actively encourage a good work-life balance and promote flexible and agile working arrangements. We provide discounts on various Cafés, restaurants, shops and auto enrolment onto our generous Pension Scheme. In addition to the opportunity to gain membership to Costco, we have discounted gym memberships, travel discounts with Arriva and much more.

https://jobs.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/working-buckinghamshire-council/