Contract Type: Permanent

Salary: Grade K SCP 44 £55,691 - SCP 47 £60,036

Hours Per Week: 36 hours

Base Location: Hyde Town Hall

Assessment Date: To be arranged

The Role

As Deputy Head of SEND, you will work alongside colleagues across the SEND system to provide strategic leadership, deputise for the Head of SEND as required, and support a dynamic programme of improvement and change. You will be line managed and operationally supported by the Head of SEND. The postholder and Head of SEND operate within the strategic direction set by the Assistant Director of Education and Inclusion, acting as Senior Responsible Officer (SRO) for SEND Reform. The role is therefore accountable to the SRO.

You will take a lead role in developing and embedding Tameside’s Experts at Hand service an exciting opportunity to:

• Develop from the SEND Reform Plan the final implementation plan for EaH in Tameside;
• Oversee and shape EaH, ensuring it becomes a highly effective, self-improving system of school-to-school support
• Strengthen outreach from specialist settings, enabling expertise to benefit all schools
• Support mainstream schools to embed inclusive practice and culture, in line with national expectations
• Ensure support is graduated, timely, and responsive, improving experiences and outcomes for children and young people.

Driving Improvement and Impact

You will play a central role in delivering Tameside’s SEND reform work, ensuring that activity leads to meaningful impact for children, young people and families.

You will:

• Drive focused improvement activity, ensuring priorities are implemented effectively
• Embed consistent, high-quality practice across services and schools
• Champion co-production with families, ensuring their voices shape delivery
• Build confidence in SEND services through visible, responsive leadership

Partnership and Inclusion

A key aspect of the role will be working collaboratively across education, health and social care, ensuring a connected and inclusive system where:

• Services work together to support children and young people at the earliest opportunity
• Inclusion is embedded across all schools and settings
• Schools feel empowered and supported to meet a wide range of needs

Through EaH and wider improvement work, you will help create a system that is not only responsive but self-sustaining, where expertise is shared and capacity is built across the system.

Leadership and Development

You will:

• Lead and support SEND service managers, ensuring alignment to shared priorities
• Lead on reporting both internally and externally regarding the progress of the EaH programme in Tameside
• Collaborate across GM with colleagues in similar roles
• Promote innovative approaches to inclusion and early support
• Support the development of a confident, skilled workforce across schools and services
• Contribute to a culture of continuous improvement and collaboration

Why Join Tameside?

This is a unique opportunity to:

• Lead the development of an innovative Experts at Hand model
• Shape an inclusive system that supports all schools to succeed
• Work in strong partnership across education, health and care
• Make a lasting difference to the lives of children, young people and their families

About You

You are an innovative and confident strategic leader, prepared to challenge established approaches and drive meaningful change for children and young people with SEND. You bring a clear understanding of what schools need to be inclusive, and how systems must evolve to support that at scale.

You are values-driven, with a strong commitment to inclusion and improved life chances. You recognise that sustainable change comes from building capacity within schools and across the system, not relying on process alone.

You have a strong track record of leading improvement, able to translate national direction into clear strategic priorities and practical delivery that works for schools and partners. You are comfortable operating in complex systems, maintaining a focus on outcomes and long-term impact.

You lead through collaboration and influence, building credible relationships across education, health and care, and ensuring that the voices of children, young people and families shape system design and delivery.

You bring clarity, resilience and strong strategic oversight, and are motivated to create a system that is coherent, inclusive and sustainable, where schools are empowered and children thrive.

About Us

Hear from Jill Colbert OBE, Director of Children’s Services

“When I first joined the council at the beginning of 2025 I was instantly charmed by the warmth, openness, and energy of my colleagues.

“The reason why I came to Tameside was because I knew we could do fantastic things for our families here.

“Whilst we’re currently a children’s service on a significant improvement journey, I’m proud of the progress we’ve made together, and this is already making a difference for our children.

“I know from the feedback from our Commissioner, Ofsted and our Strategic Improvement Partner, that families are seeing and feeling the impact of the thoughtful and compassionate support delivered by our workforce.

“We know that if we keep children at the centre of our thinking and our actions, we will create meaningful change for them that lasts.

“We are also growing and investing in our future. We have a range of specialist services for children, giving social workers quick access to expert help that makes complex decisions easier and supports better outcomes. Our Social Work Academy is led by people who bring passion to learning. We are strengthening our progression pathways so that staying in Tameside is rewarded and recognised. We have invested in innovation and improvement so that we can grow services and support for families that we can sustain, from family hubs through to complex safeguarding.

“Together, we are creating a proud, inclusive, and safe environment where great practice can truly flourish. And I feel incredibly privileged to lead this journey alongside such dedicated colleagues.

“Be a part of something great, be a part of our improvement journey and join us at Team Tameside.”

At the heart of this role is our Heart of Support Practice Approach, underpinned by the 5 C’s Compassion, Curiosity, Collaboration, Conversation and Courage. These values are the golden thread in how we work with children, families and each other. You will champion the Heart of Support and play a pivotal role in embedding systemic practice across the service.

We are committed to safeguarding and championing the welfare of children, young people, and families. Protecting and empowering our communities is at the heart of everything we do, and we expect every member of our team to share that commitment and help us make a meaningful difference.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults and expect all staff to share this commitment. This position is subject to Enhanced with Barred List Disclosure Procedures.

If you have completed the GM Elevate (Leadership Development) Programme, please indicate this within the 'About You' or 'Supporting Statement' section of your application.

Unfortunately, at this time we are not able to offer sponsorship.

We are committed to developing a culture which respects individuals, appreciates difference and allows everyone regardless of background to reach their full potential. We are proud to be an accredited disability confident employer. Reasonable Adjustments will be considered in accordance with the Equality Act 2010 in relation to the Job Role Criteria.

Our rewards and benefits package can be viewed here

For further information about this role please contact the recruiting manager Hilary Cook on 0161 342 4433 or hilary.cook@tameside.gov.uk