Job Introduction
Job Title: SEND Family Engagement Lead
Starting Salary: £42,839 progressing to £47,181 per annum (pro rata for part time)
Hours: 37 hours (part time considered - 25 hours minimum)
Location: Farnham House, with travel across the county
Contract Type: 1-year fixed term or secondment opportunity until July 2027
Directorate: Children's Services
Driving change. Strengthening inclusion. Improving outcomes.
We’re looking for someone passionate about improving the experiences of children and young people with Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND) and their families.
Our Family Engagement model places the voices of families at the heart of everything we do. As our SEND Family Engagement Lead, you’ll play a key role in strengthening how the Local Area Partnership listens, engages, and collaborates with families to shape better services.
About the role
Working alongside the SEND Engagement & Partnership Manager, you will champion family engagement across the SEND system. You will:
- Develop, deliver, and evaluate a wide range of participation and engagement activities.
- Create meaningful opportunities for parent carers to share their experiences and influence services across education, health, and social care.
- Facilitate regular participation groups, workshops, and events that bring families and professionals together.
- Build positive relationships across the Local Area Partnership to ensure family voice is central to decision making and strategic planning.
- Contribute to the delivery of the SEND Strategy: Listen, Engage, Collaborate, Evolve.
About the team
You’ll be joining a supportive and forward-thinking team where your ideas, creativity, and commitment to coproduction will make a visible difference to children and families in Hertfordshire.
This is an exciting opportunity to join a team leading meaningful transformation across Children’s Services and our wider partners.
About You
Essential
We’re looking for someone driven, compassionate, and confident working directly with families of children with SEND. You will bring:
- In‑depth knowledge of the SEND system, including statutory responsibilities, common barriers faced by families, and how education, health, and social care services interact, supported by practical experience working directly with SEND families.
- Recent experience supporting or working with families of children with SEND.
- Strong communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to build rapport and engage confidently with a wide range of stakeholders.
- Experience in designing and delivering participation, engagement, and coproduction activities, including skilled facilitation of group discussions and the ability to confidently manage differing viewpoints and emotionally charged conversations in a constructive and inclusive way.
- Experience translating the voices and experiences of families into insights that influence service design, strategic planning, or policy development.
- Excellent organisational skills and the ability to manage competing priorities.
- Strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to respond with tact, diplomacy, and professionalism.
- Excellent ICT skills and confidence using digital tools to support engagement.
- Ability to evaluate the impact of engagement activity
- A full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle.
Desirable
- Experience working within a local authority, health, or other public-sector setting.
- Experience in coproduction with parent carer forums or lived experience networks or similar participation groups.
- Experience contributing to strategic planning or service improvement projects.
- Training in facilitation, engagement, or participation methodologies.
We welcome applications from candidates who currently reside in the UK with established proof of right to work documentation. We are not able to offer sponsorship at this time for this role.
This job role is within the Project & Programme job family - level 11. Please locate this via: Job profiles: Project & programme
To hear more about this opportunity please contact Keziah Green - Keziah.Green2@hertfordshire.gov.uk for an informal discussion about the role.
Interview Date: 22nd April 2026
How to apply
As part of your application, please upload your most recent CV. Ensure your CV is up to date with your employment history (including any employment gaps), and including any training/qualifications. We encourage you to include examples of where you have demonstrated the requirements/criteria in the advert / job profile to allow the panel to fully recognise your skills and abilities. You will have the opportunity to include a short covering paragraph within your application to give us a little more information about your skills, knowledge, and experiences.
Secondment
This role is open to secondments for eligible employees who work for HCC or a Local Authority. If you wish to apply on a secondment basis, you must have your line manager’s approval before submitting your application. You will be asked to confirm this within your application form. If you are not eligible for a secondment (e.g., you are currently on a fixed‑term contract that would end before this position ends) or you indicate that your manager cannot support a secondment, your application will be considered on a fixed‑term contract basis instead.
Additional information
Disability Confident
We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer and guarantee an interview to anyone disclosing a disability whose application meets the minimum criteria for the post.
Safeguarding
This role has been identified as requiring a Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check.
Driving required
You’ll need to have the ability to drive and/or travel around Hertfordshire, either using your own mode of transport or a company car to travel to other locations.
English Fluency
The ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post (for those whose language is a signed language the provision of a sign language interpreter who speaks English to the necessary standard of fluency will be required). Further information about the legal requirement can be found here.