Assistant Director – Transformation, SEND & Additional Needs

Assistant Director – Transformation, SEND & Additional Needs

Location: South East England Contract: 6 Months Initially Day Rate: £800 Per Day - PAYE

Are you a senior transformation leader with a strong understanding of SEND, children’s services and complex public-sector change?

We are seeking an experienced Assistant Director of Transformation – Additional Needs & Disabilities (SEND) to lead a major programme of system-wide improvement across a complex, multi-agency environment.

This is a high-profile leadership opportunity for someone who can bring together strategic vision, robust programme delivery and financial discipline to improve outcomes for children and young people with additional needs and disabilities.

Working across local government, education, health and wider partner organisations, you will play a pivotal role in delivering sustainable change, strengthening services for families and ensuring resources are used effectively.

The Role

As Assistant Director, you will provide strategic leadership for a significant transformation portfolio, working collaboratively with senior stakeholders to turn improvement priorities into measurable outcomes.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Leading SEND transformation: Drive the delivery of the Additional Needs and Disabilities strategy, translating strategic priorities into clear programmes, milestones and measurable improvements.

• Delivering improvement commitments: Lead the implementation of SEND improvement plans and associated commitments, ensuring progress is tracked, risks are managed and outcomes are delivered.

• Driving financial sustainability: Support the delivery of financial recovery and cost-containment plans, including improved management of specialist placement demand and High Needs Block expenditure.

• Leading complex programmes: Oversee multiple interdependent projects and workstreams, ensuring strong governance, effective risk management, benefits realisation and delivery assurance.

• Building strategic partnerships: Work closely with senior leaders across education, health, social care and commissioning, alongside elected Members and external partners, to secure shared ownership of change.

• Leading and developing teams: Provide direction and support to senior programme managers and project delivery teams, building a high-performing culture focused on accountability and results.

• Influencing at executive level: Provide clear reporting, evidence-based recommendations and constructive challenge to senior leadership and partnership boards.

• Improving outcomes for families: Ensure transformation delivers meaningful improvements to the experiences of children, young people and families, alongside sustainable service models.

About You

We are keen to hear from senior leaders who combine strong transformation credentials with a genuine understanding of the challenges facing SEND and children’s services.

You will bring:

• Significant experience leading complex transformation programmes or portfolios within local government, children’s services, education, health or a related public-sector environment.

• A strong understanding of SEND, additional needs and disabilities, and the challenges facing local area partnerships.

• Experience of delivering improvement plans, service redesign and sustainable changes across multiple organisations or professional disciplines.

• A track record of managing financial pressures, delivering efficiencies and improving value for money without losing sight of service quality and outcomes.

• The credibility to influence senior officers, elected Members, health partners, education leaders and other key stakeholders.

• Experience leading senior teams and holding programme delivery, performance and benefits realisation to account.

• Strong strategic judgement, political awareness and the ability to navigate complex and competing priorities.

Experience of SEND system improvement, High Needs Block financial recovery, specialist provision commissioning or Safety Valve commitments would be particularly valuable.

Interested?

If you are an experienced transformation leader with the strategic capability and SEND understanding to deliver meaningful change, we would welcome a confidential conversation.

Please get in touch to discuss the opportunity, expectations and next steps