SEND Reform Lead
Ref: 172029
Salary: £58,364 p.a. plus benefits
37 hours per week
Fixed Term Contract until 31/08/2027
Swindon Borough Council are on an exciting journey to transform service delivery. We want our town to be the best it can be. Our ambitious vision in the new Swindon Plan is supported by realistic transformation programmes, with the people of Swindon at their heart. Because that’s who we’re doing it for – the communities and businesses that make our town great. As part of the Council, you’ll support a friendly local authority making decisions with real impact. It’s all for better public services. Better processes. And a better quality of life, for everyone. Join us, and Swindon will be better with you.
Your next role
Are you a strategic leader with a strong understanding of education and SEND, passionate about improving outcomes for children and young people?
Swindon Borough Council is looking for an exceptional SEND Reform Lead, to drive the delivery of our ambitious SEND Reform Plan and lead the next phase of our SEND improvement journey.
This is an exciting opportunity to play a leading role in shaping and delivering sustainable change across education, health and care services. Working with senior leaders, schools, partners, families and stakeholders, you will ensure that our improvement programme delivers meaningful and lasting benefits for children and young people with SEND.
About the Role
As SEND Reform Lead, you will provide strategic leadership and oversight of a complex programme of reform. You will be responsible for translating improvement priorities into deliverable plans, maintaining momentum across multiple workstreams and ensuring that reforms are embedded across the local area partnership.
You will lead programme governance, performance monitoring, stakeholder engagement and risk management, providing assurance that improvement activity is achieving the intended outcomes and delivering real impact for children, young people and families.
About You
We are seeking an experienced and credible leader who can build strong relationships, inspire others and drive change across organisational boundaries.
You will have:
- Significant experience of leading large-scale transformation or improvement programmes.
- Senior leadership experience within a local authority, school, academy trust or wider education setting.
- A strong understanding of SEND, inclusion and the education system.
- Experience of working effectively across complex partnerships.
- Excellent programme management, communication and stakeholder engagement skills.
- The ability to influence, challenge and support partners to deliver improvement.
- A commitment to co-production and improving outcomes for children and young people with SEND.
A teaching background, Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), or experience in school leadership would be highly desirable.
You must be fluent in the English language (as a requirement of Part 7 of the Immigration Act “for the effective performance of a customer-facing role”).
The ability to travel throughout the Borough will be required and access to a car to support partnership working.
The team operates a hybrid working model with all practitioners expected to be in the office for a minimum of two days per week.
You will be subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service Check.
Your next package
Please see our Rewards and Benefits offer for more details.
As an employee, you will receive a diverse and exciting environment in which to work, encouraging creativity and innovation whilst recognising the need to support ongoing personal development and a flexible work life balance.
For Swindon to thrive in the future, we need to lay the foundations now. It’s why our regeneration and transformation programmes are already underway. So, you’ll be joining us at an exciting time on our journey. We’ll look to you to share your knowledge, influence decisions and drive real, positive change. With your contributions, we’ll achieve our vision of a prosperous, revitalised Swindon together. And you’ll be proud to say it was made better with you.
Please see our Vision and Values page for more details and our new Swindon Plan.
Potential applicants are sometimes put off if they don’t meet 100% of the requirements. We think individual experience, skills and passion make all the difference, so if you meet the majority of the criteria, we’d love to hear from you.
Your next steps
Please read the role profile, which is available in the documents section to the righthand side of the page. To submit an application for this role, select Quick Apply.
We reserve the right to close this vacancy early so early applications are encouraged.
For further information about the role please contact Nicola Ponton, Head of SEND and Inclusion on [email protected]
As an inclusive employer, we welcome applications from a diverse range of communities, and in particular disabled people and people from ethnic minorities. Read our statement of commitment to equality & inclusion.
If you are experiencing technical issues submitting your application, please email [email protected]
Closing date: 14 August 2026
