SEND Finance and Data Officer

Overview

Do you have a passion for using data and financial information to make a real difference to the lives of children and young people?

Join our SEND Service and play a key role in ensuring that funding, provision and resources are effectively managed to support children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).

As our SEND Finance and Data Officer, you will combine financial administration, data management and stakeholder collaboration to help ensure SEND provision is accurately funded, recorded and monitored. Supporting a service that positively impacts families across Buckinghamshire, you'll be part of a team committed to delivering high-quality outcomes for children and young people.

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

This is an exciting opportunity to join the SEND Service in a role that sits at the heart of service delivery, finance and data management. Working closely with operational teams, commissioning colleagues, Schools Finance, Children's Payments teams and external partners, you will help ensure that funding arrangements, placement information and provision data are accurate, compliant and effectively managed.

The role offers a varied workload where no two days are the same. You will be responsible for coordinating a range of SEND funding processes, administering payments, maintaining accurate records and validating complex data that supports key service decisions. Your work will directly contribute to effective resource allocation, financial accountability and the delivery of services for children and young people with SEND.

You'll also play an important role in developing and maintaining high-quality management information, identifying discrepancies, reconciling data and helping colleagues make informed decisions based on accurate financial and operational information. This position provides an excellent opportunity for someone who enjoys working with both finance and data while building strong relationships with a wide range of stakeholders.

Key responsibilities include:

• Administering Personal Budgets (Direct Payments) and supporting families and colleagues with queries and payment arrangements.
• Coordinating Early Years SEND funding and ensuring payments are processed accurately and on time.
• Managing exceptional support payments and other individual funding arrangements.
• Coordinating post-16 placement funding information, invoices and associated financial records.
• Maintaining accurate and auditable SEND funding and provision records.
• Working closely with finance teams to ensure information is transferred and processed correctly.
• Managing recoupment activity and recovering funding from other local authorities where appropriate.
• Processing, reconciling and monitoring invoices and payments relating to SEND placements.
• Validating and reconciling resource and provision data to ensure accuracy and integrity.
• Producing accurate information to support commissioning, service planning and resource allocation decisions.

Any-Desk:

As an ‘any-desk’ worker, you’ll need to be connected to our network to access digital folders and resources, but this can either be from home or an office location when required. You will be required to work from the office a couple of times a week, depending on your role and team requirements.

About you

We're looking for a highly organised, detail-oriented professional who enjoys working with financial information, analysing data and finding practical solutions to challenges. You will be someone who takes pride in producing accurate work, can manage competing priorities and is comfortable working both independently and collaboratively. Above all, you'll be committed to supporting positive outcomes for children and young people with SEND through excellent administration, financial accuracy and data integrity.

You will have experience working with finance and/or data systems, maintaining records, performing reconciliations and producing meaningful information for stakeholders. Strong communication skills are essential, as you'll regularly liaise with educational settings, families, providers, partner organisations and colleagues across multiple teams. You'll be confident handling queries, building positive working relationships and explaining complex information in a clear and accessible way.

To be successful in this role, you will demonstrate strong analytical ability, excellent organisational skills and a proactive approach to problem-solving. You will also have a good understanding of Microsoft Excel and information systems, with the ability to work accurately across multiple data sources. Knowledge of SEND services, funding arrangements,

the Children and Families Act 2014 and the SEND Code of Practice would be highly beneficial.

You'll bring:

• Experience working with finance, payment or management information systems.
• Strong data analysis, validation and reconciliation skills.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel and general ICT skills.
• Excellent organisational skills and the ability to manage competing priorities.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Experience resolving customer or stakeholder queries effectively.
• Good literacy, numeracy and reporting skills.
• An understanding of financial processes and data governance.
• Knowledge of SEND provision and funding arrangements (desirable).
• NVQ Level 4, HND, BTEC or equivalent qualification, or relevant professional experience.

If you're looking for a rewarding role where your financial and data expertise can help shape services and improve outcomes for children and young people with SEND, we'd love to hear from you.

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 George Garnham at for an informal discussion.

Closing date: Midnight on Sunday 16th August 2026

Interview date: Week Commencing 17th August 2026

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.

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

• All unspent cautions and/or unspent convictions

For further information on how long it takes for cautions and convictions cautions to become spent, please refer to our guide on the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (updated 2023) | Nacro

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/