The role of Inclusion Support Service manager is a unique and exciting opportunity to lead, develop and shape a multidisciplinary service at the heart of Rochdale's ambition for earlier help, stronger inclusion and more joined-up support for children, young people and schools.

We are looking for an experienced, inspirational and values-led manager to lead our Inclusion Support Service, supporting children and young people who may be at risk of suspension or permanent exclusion, or who are experiencing emotionally based non-attendance (EBNA). The service brings together a broad range of professional expertise including education, Early Help, CAMHS, Educational Psychology, Speech and Language Therapy, youth work, therapeutic services, outreach and EBNA support.

This is a particularly exciting time to join us as we are working towards a neighbourhood model of delivery, bringing support and professional expertise closer to children, families and schools and strengthening the connections between education and the wider community and services that surround them. This direction aligns strongly with the national development of Experts at Hand and evidence-based support in mainstream settings, increases access to specialist advice and coaching and strengthens joined-up working across education, health and care

For the successful candidate, this means an opportunity not simply to manage a service, but to help shape how inclusive support is organised and delivered across Rochdale as the national SEND landscape develops.

About the role

As Inclusion Support Service Manager, you will provide strategic and operational leadership to a large and diverse multidisciplinary team. At the centre of the role will be people leadership and development.

You will bring together professionals with different skills, disciplines and professional backgrounds around a shared purpose: helping children and young people to be included, engaged and successful in education.

You will create a strong team identity and culture while recognising and making the best use of the specialist expertise that individual professionals bring.

You will be responsible for recruitment, induction, supervision, appraisal, performance management, workforce development and staff wellbeing, alongside coaching, mentoring and professionally challenging colleagues to achieve consistently high standards of practice.

Developing a neighbourhood approach to inclusion

A key aspect of the role will be contributing to to the development of Inclusion Support Service as part of a more preventative, locality and neighbourhood-focused approach. This will include thinking creatively about how multidisciplinary expertise can be organised around schools and communities so that support is accessible earlier, coordinated effectively and focused on building capacity rather than creating additional referral pathways.

You will work across professional and organisational boundaries to develop approaches that:

• provide earlier help when children begin to experience barriers to attendance, engagement or inclusion
• make multidisciplinary expertise more accessible to schools and settings
• strengthen the confidence and capability of mainstream staff to meet a wider range of needs
• support children experiencing EBNA and those at risk of suspension or permanent exclusion
• create stronger connections between schools, families, education, SEND, health and wider children's services
• reduce unnecessary escalation through timely and proportionate intervention
• ensure specialist expertise complements, rather than duplicates, existing SEND and inclusion provision
• use data, feedback and outcomes to identify need and continually develop the local offer

This reflects the direction of Experts at Hand, where multidisciplinary expertise is intended not only to provide direct support but also to build workforce capability through specialist advice, coaching and support in mainstream settings.

Shaping and developing the service

This role offers much more than the day-to-day management of an established team.

You will have a genuine opportunity to influence how the Inclusion Support Service develops, working with schools, partners and colleagues to establish a responsive, evidence-informed and outcome-focused model.

You will help us answer some important questions:

• How do we get support to children earlier?
• How do we bring the right professionals around schools without creating unnecessary complexity?
• How do we build capacity within mainstream education while retaining access to specialist expertise?
• And how do we know that our interventions are making a sustained difference to children's attendance, inclusion, engagement and educational outcomes?

The postholder will monitor and evaluate service performance, including attendance, exclusion, reintegration and engagement outcomes, and use this intelligence to inform service improvement and the deployment of resources.

About you

We are looking for an experienced, confident and inspiring leader who is passionate about inclusion and improving outcomes for children and young people. You will have significant experience of leading and developing multidisciplinary or multi-agency teams, with the ability to bring together professionals from different disciplines, create a strong shared purpose and build a culture of high expectations, accountability and continuous improvement.

You will be an excellent people manager, able to coach, mentor, motivate and professionally challenge staff, while supporting their wellbeing and development. You will be comfortable leading change and developing a service, using data, evidence and professional insight to understand impact and ensure that support makes a measurable difference to children, families and schools.

You will bring strong knowledge and experience of inclusion, attendance, SEND, safeguarding and suspension and permanent exclusion, alongside an understanding of Emotional Based Non-Attendance (EBNA) and effective early intervention approaches. Just as importantly, you will be a collaborative and credible partner who can build strong relationships with schools, families and professionals across education, health and social care, providing both support and constructive challenge when needed.

Above all, we want someone who is passionate about developing people as well as developing services, who can help shape an ambitious Inclusion Support Service and ensure that children and young people receive the right support at the right time to remain engaged in education and achieve positive outcomes.

What we offer

This is an exciting opportunity to be at the forefront of inclusion innovation and by shaping and developing Rochdale’s Inclusion Support Service, leading a talented multidisciplinary team and helping to strengthen inclusive practice across the borough. You’ll join a supportive and ambitious organisation where you can make a real difference for children and young people, while continuing to develop as a leader. We also offer flexible working, generous annual leave, the Local Government Pension Scheme and a range of employee wellbeing and lifestyle benefits.

Come and help us build a service that intervenes earlier, strengthens inclusion and gives more children the opportunity to thrive in education.

For internal RBC candidates approval for secondment should be obtained from your Service Director (or nominated representative) before applying for the post (temporary posts only)

If you are interested in what we are offering, and have the skills we are looking for we want to hear from you. If you would like to discuss the post further please contact Natalie Brotherton Strategic Lead for Inclusion and Alternative Provision Natalie.brotherton@rochdale.gov.uk

To apply please demonstrate how you meet the essential requirements of the person specification.

Please include reference to your qualifications that are specified on the person specification within your application