SEND Resource Lead

| Salary £51,356 – £55,612, Per annum | Permanent, Full Time, 37 hours per week

SEND Resources Lead

Inclusion Service – Lancashire County Council
Salary: £51,356 – £55,612
Location: County Hall / Hybrid

Help Shape the Future of SEND Provision in Lancashire

Lancashire is progressing an ambitious programme of SEND reform, focused on improving outcomes, strengthening local provision and ensuring that resources are used effectively and sustainably. The SEND Resources Lead will play a central role in turning that ambition into delivery.

This newly created role will connect the SEND Service with commissioning, school place planning, finance and business intelligence. You will lead work to understand current and future demand, identify gaps in provision and support strategic decisions about investment, commissioning and the development of local specialist capacity.

A key part of the role will be using data intelligently. You will bring together and interpret complex information relating to demand, demographics, placements, provision, performance and expenditure. You will develop robust forecasts, identify emerging trends and risks, and translate your analysis into clear recommendations for senior leaders, governance boards and elected members.

If you want to use your leadership and analytical skills to influence investment decisions and help build a more sustainable SEND system for children and young people aged 0–25, this is an opportunity to make a genuine countywide impact.

About the Role

You will provide strategic leadership across SEND resources, high needs funding, sufficiency planning, commissioning and business intelligence, helping Lancashire plan effectively for both current and future need.

You will help Lancashire increase local specialist provision, strengthen mainstream inclusion and reduce reliance on independent and out-of-county placements where appropriate. You will also support stronger oversight of High Needs Block expenditure, placement costs and commissioning activity, ensuring decisions are evidence-led, financially sustainable and focused on improving outcomes.

Working alongside schools, trusts, health partners and providers, you will help develop sustainable local provision and contribute to business cases, options appraisals and investment proposals. You will also support SEND capital and specialist provision development, identifying where future capacity needs to grow.

This is a role with significant influence. You will provide advice to senior leaders and elected members, represent Lancashire in wider SEND partnerships and help translate national SEND reform into meaningful local action.

About You

We are looking for a strategic and collaborative leader who is highly confident working with data, can identify the story behind the figures and can present complex analysis clearly to different audiences.

You do not need to be a technical data specialist, but you must be comfortable working with large and complex datasets, testing the reliability of information, identifying trends and turning evidence into clear, practical recommendations. Experience of developing forecasts, dashboards, business cases or options appraisals would be particularly valuable.

You will need to combine analytical thinking with strong leadership, communication and partnership-working skills, bringing colleagues together around a shared understanding of demand, resources, performance and outcomes.

You will bring significant experience from SEND, education, local government or a related public sector environment, alongside experience of project delivery and financial management, commissioning, resource allocation or budget monitoring. Experience of SEND sufficiency planning, High Needs Block funding or commissioning specialist SEND provision would be particularly valuable.

Above all, you will be someone who can turn evidence into action, helping us make informed decisions today that create a stronger and more sustainable SEND system for the future.

Why Join Us?

A workplace built on trust, balance and flexibility

You’ll join a collaborative service where professional judgement, new ideas and partnership working are valued. With hybrid working and a role spanning teams and services, you’ll have the opportunity to work flexibly while delivering at a strategic level.

Development that grows with you

This is a newly created role with the opportunity to influence significant SEND reform. You’ll work alongside senior leaders and partners, contribute to countywide strategy and help shape Lancashire’s response to changing national SEND policy.

A culture grounded in inclusivity

Our values are Supportive, Innovative, Respectful and Collaborative. We want people who bring colleagues together, challenge constructively and use evidence and insight to improve outcomes for children and young people.

How to Apply

Please use your application to show how you meet the criteria outlined in the Job Description and Person Specification. Attach a supporting statement and resume.

If you want to use your leadership and analytical skills to shape SEND provision, influence investment decisions and help build a more sustainable local system for children and young people aged 0–25, we would welcome your application.

Closing Date: Sunday 13th December 2026
Interviews: TBC

The post you are applying for is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2013). If successful you will be required to apply to the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) for a 'disclosure'. Further information can be found on the 'Our Recruitment Process' tab.

You will be required to provide a car for use in connection with the duties of this post and must be insured for business use. However, we may consider you if you cannot drive because of a disability.

In return Lancashire County Council offers a range of benefits, which can be found on LCC Vacancies website.

We reserve the right to close down a vacancy early, before the closing date, if we receive sufficient applications.

Job Description and Person Specification