Experience

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  Waterstones

  Oct 2000 - Feb 2006

  Book seller

  Dealt with customer enquiries, which has enhance my communication skills, and public skills, as I learnt how to deal with difficult people in a polite and effective manner. I was also in charge of my own section within the store, which I maintained efficiently.

• 

  South central connexions partnership

  Mar 2006 - Nov 2011

  Working with students from Rachel Madocks School, a School for young people with Severe and Profound learning difficulties and disabilities, providing information, advice and guidance (IAG) to the students through a person-centred approach, supporting them through their transition period, and completing statutory documents such as the ‘Moving On Plan’. Working with Woodlands Educational Centre and providing support to students who were home tutored but used the Centre as a baseLinked to two mainstream school and provided IAG to students with SEN statements, or have a School Action or School Action Plus plan. My work within Rachel Madocks School with regards to person centred approach was identified as examples of good practice across Hampshire County Council. Show less Worked for an organisation that provided information, advice, guidance and support to young people aged 13-19 (up to 25 if have learning difficulties or disabilities). Duties included answering the telephone, filing, dealing with post, and being the first point of contact for the young people who entered the centre. I would check the information on the database with the client to ensure contact details where up to date, ask for a overview of support the client had come in to access today, and pass information on to an Adviser who would then see the young person Show less

  • Practitioner One

    Apr 2008 - Nov 2011

  • Employment & Training Advisor

    Nov 2006 - Apr 2008

  • Receptionist

    Mar 2006 - Nov 2006
• 

  Hampshire county council

  Nov 2011 - now

  • Supporting the SEN Service Manager in initiating, developing, planning and implementing polices and procedures that will deliver departmental strategy aims and objectives, deputising for the SEN Service Manager as and when required. • Supporting the Assistant Education Officer in managing the most complex cases/tribunal activity. • Overseeing and managing 3 SEN locality teams, ensuring quality and consistency.• Quality assuring and monitoring the issue of Education, Health, and Care Plans (EHCPs) and all procedures for the maintenance, review and ceasing of EHCPs.• Moderating, managing and making arrangements for the appropriate level of support and helping to identify placements for children and young people with SEND.• Ensuring the careful management of and accountability for SEND and SEN budgets, in accordance with Hampshire County Council policy. In addition to ensuring the allocated resources are appropriate to meet the needs described in the ECHP. • Negotiating contributions from other statutory organisations towards aspects of care they have statutory obligations to provide e.g. Health, Social Care and developing other opportunities for joint funding schemes and services.• Dealing with complaints, maintaining department policy whilst taking individual needs into account. • Managing the completion of statutory assessments and other SEND procedures within prescribed timescales, against which the performance of the county council is measured and publicly accountable.• Ensuring that requests for information including those under the Data Protection Act and Freedom of Information Act and complaints are dealt with effectively and speedily and that the SEN Service Manager is kept information. • Providing information and advice on SEND related issues to parents, Headteachers/SENCOs, Principals, other services and agencies. Show less The lead for the Fareham and Gosport locality area and have previously managed the Havant and Waterlooville locality area. Line manager for 5 members of staff. In accordance with legislative requirements, national and county council strategic objectives and policies I provide an efficient and effective service to:manage the statutory assessment process for children with special educational needswrite and manage the issue of Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) and all procedures for the maintenance, review and ceasing of EHCPsdetermine the appropriate level of support and identify placements for children with SENmanage the day to day operation of the SEN casework team, including dealing with complex casework, ensuring quality and consistency and ensure the careful management of and accountability for SEN budgets, in accordance with HCC policy.Ensure an up-to-date understanding of the statutory framework and the major issues affecting the policy and operational direction for the delivery of services for children with SENAdvise and support parents through the statutory assessment process, acting as the named officer and offering meetings to clarify issues and resolve misunderstandings/ disagreements.Engage in frequent communication with an extensive and diverse range of people to discuss, persuade and negotiate courses of action so that assessments are concluded within statutory timescales and provision and placements achieved for children Responsible for assisting in the preparation of cases for presentation at SEN and Disabilities Tribunals by Education Officers (SEN) or Assistant Education Officer, on request. Show less Successful in securing secondment position after six months of working in the position of Principal Special Needs Officer. Responsible for:Managing casework for hard to place children and young people which involved formulating and implementing complex packages of support, requiring significant financial allocation and co-operation with other services and agencies, taking into account budgetary implications.Arranging implementation and monitoring of such packages involving other Children’s Services, such as Hampshire Inspection & Advisory Service (HIAS) and Hampshire Educational Psychology Service (HEPS), Social Care, other Children’s Services Department services and outside agencies as necessary. Resolving complex and /or contentious cases, wherever possible without the need for appeal to a hearing by the Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal (SENDisT).Contributing to planning of policy and provision for children and young people with SEND within assigned areas of policy/development activity.Deputised for the Education Officer (SEN) 0-25, as appropriate, regarding day to day operations, attending meetings and contributing to policy and decision making.Ensuring that all decisions are taken in accordance with relevant legislation, County Council policy and the SEN Code of Practice whilst giving due consideration to budgetary constraints.Working with the Education Officer (SEN) and the Senior Special Needs Officers to address identified concerns and misunderstandings at an early stage and to resolve complex and/or contentious casework. This involved liaising with the Support4SEND and / or the independent Mediation Service.Preparing and presenting cases at the Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal (SENDisT):Maintaining database to record SENDisT casework.Dealing with enquiries and complaints from parents, schools/colleges, elected members, MPs, DfES, Ombudsman, media and others. Show less Lead Special Needs Adviser for Fareham and Gosport area. Main roles included:Attending annual reviews for children and young people with Statement of Special Educational needs from Year 9 onwardsOverseeing the completion of the Transition PlanWriting S139as (moving on Plans) for young people with SEN moving onto to a Further Education CollegeProviding Impartial information, advice and guidance to children and young people with SEN and their families in relation to Education, Employment and TrainingSignposting to external organisations, such as social care, to ensure children and young people with Sen were supported holistically Show less

  • SEN Area Team Manager

    Dec 2018 - now

  • Special Needs Officer

    Feb 2014 - Dec 2018

  • Assistant Education Officer

    Nov 2014 - Sept 2015

  • Principal Special Needs Officer

    Feb 2014 - Nov 2014

  • Post 16 Advisor

    Nov 2011 - Feb 2014