Assistant SEND Officer (fixed term, Maternity cover until July 2027)

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• Candidate_Pack_-_People_Directorate_-_Aug_2026

Please apply online via the link provided.

Please note, we do not accept CVs submitted without a fully completed online application form.

We are seeking an Assistant SEND Officer who is passionate about helping children and young people learn, grow, and achieve their full potential in education. This is a full-time, fixed-term maternity cover contract until July 2027. At Bracknell Forest, we pride ourselves on being a council which is stable and well-managed where our employees can thrive in a supportive environment. We understand the importance of a healthy work-life balance and offer a variety of flexible working practices, including options for remote working and arrangements that allow you to work from home, dependent on the needs of the service. This role includes an expectation to work from our Time Square office one day per week, alongside flexible working arrangements. Any successful internal candidate will be offered the position as a secondment and, in line with Section 8.1 of the Secondment Policy, must consult with their manager before applying. Search ‘secondment policy’ on the intranet for more information.

About you...

As an Assistant SEND Officer you will play a key part in supporting children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities. It is a varied, fast‑paced position where no two days are the same. Whether you are working alongside colleagues in the office or remotely on allocated days, you will receive a comprehensive induction and continual support to help you succeed.

We are looking for someone who is enthusiastic, flexible, confident and reliable and who is seeking a rewarding role. Strong administrative skills and previous experience in similar positions are essential.

You will have a ‘can-do’ approach, good organisational skills and the ability to multi-task with a high level of accuracy.  Excellent communication skills and discretion are essential.

This is your opportunity to make a lasting impact.  We will help you be at your best, so we can be at ours.

About our team...

It is an exciting time to join Bracknell Forest. We continue to invest in our SEND and Specialist Support Service, reflecting the growing number of children and young people identified with additional needs. 

Bracknell Forest believe that every child and young person should have access to high quality education, with the right support at the right time, so that they can achieve the best outcomes possible as adults.  

We are a small but growing team who work closely together to ensure we deliver the best support to families of children and young people with SEND.  Sometimes the work is challenging, but our creative, solution-focused and collegiate approach means the work is highly rewarding.  Many team members have worked in the SEND service for several years while others are new to the service.  We are friendly and supportive and share a passion for enabling vulnerable children and young people the best opportunities to achieve great outcomes and secure futures.  

This is a diverse and busy role where no two days are ever the same.  Whether working in the office, side by side with colleagues, or some days from home, you will be fully inducted and supported.

We are looking for enthusiastic, flexible, confident and reliable people who are seeking a rewarding role. 

Strong administrative skills are required as well as previous experience in similar posts. 

Key responsibilities...

As one of our Assistant SEND Officers, you will assist the teams by providing high-quality and effective administrative support, covering a wide range of activities. 

You will be responsible for supporting SEND Officers to deliver statutory assessments of children and young people; requesting and collating evidence; liaising with families and professionals; creating and updating electronic records using Capita ONE (our case management system), Microsoft Word and Excel and other software.

You will draw on your excellent written and spoken English as the work involves significant amounts of writing emails and letters and working with families and professionals in-person, in virtual meetings and on the phone. 

• Provide high quality confidential support in relation to coordination, administration, and implementation of all aspects of the SEND Team’s work.
• Ensure email and telephone communications are responded to swiftly, and that accurate records of all communications are maintained centrally, issuing high-quality written correspondence at all times.
• Responsible for information management, including maintaining and updating documentation on shared systems including Capita ONE, with due regard to data security.
• Making arrangements for meetings, workshops and other events as required.
• Collate the timely preparation and circulation of meeting papers, action notes and following up on action points.
• Coordinate and provide administrative support in delivery of the team’s response to Freedom of Information (FOI’s) and Subject Access Requests (SARs).

Our benefits...

• 25 days annual leave increasing to 28 days after 3 years’ continuous service, with the opportunity to buy up to 10 and sell up to 5 days.
• Hybrid working opportunities to support your wellbeing and work-life balance. 
• Paid employee volunteering scheme.
• Local government pension scheme, with life insurance cover.
• Recognition of continuous service attained within the NHS and UKHSA when calculating some benefits. (Terms and Conditions apply)
• Career development through internal and external training opportunities. 
• Enhanced maternity, paternity, adoption and fostering leave. 
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support your health and wellbeing
• Inclusive and social working environment with a variety of staff networks and a sports and social club. 

Find out more about all our benefits or see the candidate pack.

Our values...

At Bracknell Forest Council our values define who we are and what is important to us. Our core values are inclusive, ambitious, and always learning. These values influence the way we work with each other and the way we serve our residents and engage with our communities. We make our values real by demonstrating them in how we behave every day. If you are excited about joining a diverse team that celebrates learning and strives for excellence, we would love to hear from you. 

Reasonable adjustments...

We are committed to ensuring an inclusive recruitment process for all applicants. If you require any reasonable adjustments to support your application or interview, please let us know by contacting [email removed]. We will work with you to support you throughout the process. Find out more about reasonable adjustments.

Disability confident and inclusive recruitment...

Bracknell Forest Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader and an inclusive employer. This means that if you tell us on yo