1 year contract with a Local Authority Job Summary: • To strengthen financial decision making and governance and commissioning across the division. • To have a full understanding of the current position and projected out turn of the SEN Budgets and report to the Head of Service and finance departments when required. • To monitor the expenditure within the High Needs Funding block on school top-ups, College and ISP charges and Independent and Non-Maintained Special School fees. • To ensure systems are in place to track funding agreements with service providers. • To check that requests for payment are approved and accurate. • To provide regular reports to the Head of SEN regarding patterns of spend on top-ups and fees and charges. Key Duties/Accountabilities (Sample): • To draft the High Needs Funding budgets on an annual basis for review by the Head of SEND. • To allocate top-up funding bands to early education settings, schools, sixth form and further education colleges as appropriate and consistent with established council procedures for the delegation / allocation of High Needs funding to settings and in accordance with Panel decisions; including the production of termly schedules to support schools with the management of their SEN Finances. • To design and maintain systems for the monitoring of top-up funding, including processes for the cessation of top-ups if placements are changed. • To monitor the service use of the management information system in relation to the placement and finance for children and young people with EHCPS; including providing training and advice to support the updating of the system. • To advise and update the SEN Panel on the current budget position of the High Needs funding block and provide advice on finance and statistical analysis to inform planning and future provision. • Provide financial and placement details for planning future provision, including completing of the annual ESFA place change process. • Provide SEN Panel and Post-16 Panel with financial advice, to ensure transparency of process and equity in decision making around top-up funding issued to schools. • To lead on the monitoring and forecasting of all SEN operational budgets, including SEN Transport and advise the budget holder on the current position of the SEN budgets and complete the monthly budget projections (CRBM). • To advise the Head of SEND / SEND Team Managers on spending trends to assist in the forecasting of budget pressures against the High Needs budget. • To check and ensure timely payment of invoices from independent providers. • Manage the process for issuing payments, joint payments and managed payments for personal budgets, including the raising of relevant purchase orders and payment of invoices accurately and on time. • To manage the requests for special equipment and develop systems for ensuring that equipment requests are responded to in a timely and cost-effective manner. • To lead in the operational delivery and monitoring of contracts, Service level Agreements and Internal recharges in line with the LA’s financial regulation and year end closure of accounts. • To ensure responses to complaints and FOI requests are accurate, evidence based and compliant with Council standards. • To deploy teaching assistant/learning support assistant resource as directed by the SEN Panel. • Actively contribute to the council’s priorities and outcomes in a way that promotes a ‘one organisation’ approach. • Develop and maintain positive relationships with colleagues, stakeholders and communities to ensure the council and the directorate strategic priorities are effectively implemented. • Promote equality among all staff and ensure that services are delivered in a non-discriminatory way, that is inclusive of all disadvantaged groups. • Promote sustainability, including encouraging a culture of innovation and accountability amongst all council staff. • To negotiate fee levels with Non-Maintained and Independent Special Schools (NM/ISS), Independent Schools and Independent FE Colleges and Service Providers, including any requested increase in fees, and report any concerns to the Head of SEND/SEND Team Manager as appropriate. • To liaise with the school funding team regarding the financial detail of decisions on EHC Plans, in particular the allocation of a top-up funding band / allocation and a specialist place. • To liaise with the SEND Team Managers and prepare the detail of contracts for non-maintained and independent special school placements. • To line manage teaching LBTH teaching assistants and Learning Support Assistants deployed within PVI Early Years settings. • Liaise with the managers of the Early Years Settings to monitor attendance, performance and development of teaching assistants and learning assistants deployed to those settings. • To lead on the monitoring and forecasting of all SEN operational budgets, including SEN Transport and advise the budget holder on the current position of the SEN budgets and complete the monthly budget projections (CRBM). • Support organisational change and learning, following and implementing appropriate systems of self-development, communication and engagement, quality measures, monitoring and review in delivering the functions of the role. Skills/Experience: • Administrative/office procedures. • Legislation relating to SEN. • IT skills. • High level of verbal and written communication skills. • Experience of managing/delivering a range of administrative functions and systems in a multi-disciplinary environment. • Work with members of the public in a customer service role. • Experience of working with budgets and payment processes. • Experience of analysis and interpretation of datasets. • Maintains and encourages networking across teams to achieve the best outcomes. • Facilitates the change required for the team and others to be connected to on-going service requirements. • Takes accountability for delivering clear goals and targets, whilst setting high standards, for self and others. • Delivers to clear objectives, expectations and roles to motivate their team towards delivering the vision, as well as inspiring their team to achieve their best. • Uses customer feedback data to make improvements to how we work, to achieve the best outcome. Additional Information: • The closing date: 07/03/2025 12:00.