We are committed to the development of our workforce. This position is only available to applicants who already work for Surrey County Council. We thank you for your interest in our roles and would encourage you to review our vacancies which are open to all.

This role has a starting salary of £53,713 per annum per annum, based on a 36 hour working week.

We are excited to be hiring a new SEND Placements Coordinator to join our fantastic SEND Operations team based in Woking.

This role is open to hybrid working and as a team we split our time between collaborating with colleagues in the office and working from home.

Our Offer to You

26 days’ holiday, rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 31 days after 5 years’ service
Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave
A generous local government salary related pension
Up to 5 days of carer’s leave and 2 paid volunteering days per year
Paternity, adoption and dependents leave
An Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources
Wellbeing and lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, and shopping
A chance to make a real difference to the lives of our residents

About The Role

At Surrey County Council, we’re committed to providing excellent support for children and young people with SEND. Our SEND services work together to deliver timely, effective support that leads to positive outcomes. We focus on building strong, respectful relationships with families, schools, and partner organisations, with relational and restorative working practices underpinning all our work.

Our young people want adults who listen, explain things honestly, and keep them at the centre of every decision. Parents and carers value empathy, strong organisational skills, and a deep understanding of SEND legislation and diverse needs. Schools need consistent, accessible professionals who are experts in SEND and can guide them through the system with clarity and confidence.

As our Placements Coordinator, you will provide strategic and operational leadership for SEND placement activity across the county, ensuring placement decisions for children and young people with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) are needs‑led, lawful, financially sustainable and aligned to sufficiency and commissioning plans.

Your key responsibilities as a Placements Coordinator will include:

Maintaining a countywide overview of placement demand, capacity and risk
Leading consultation processes
Providing assurance to senior leaders and acting as a key escalation point for complex cases

Through relational, solution‑focused engagement with schools and settings, and close working with Commissioning and Finance, your role will support effective decision‑making, manage risk and help secure sustainable placements and successful transitions.

Your Application

In order to be considered for shortlisting, your application will clearly evidence the following skills and align with our behaviours:

Teaching qualification, degree or relevant qualification or substantial experience in SEN
Extensive knowledge of SEND legislation including the Children and Families Act 2014 and the SEND Code of Practice (0–25)
Comprehensive understanding of consultation duties, placement decision-making and legal compliance in SEND
Knowledge of SEND placement sufficiency and the education landscape across mainstream, specialist and alternative provision
Proven experience at senior manager level in SEND, education or a Local Authority context
Experience of contributing to multi-agency planning or decision-making forums
Strong analytical skills and ability to manage large amounts of data accurately
Excellent negotiation, communication and partnership-building skills

An enhanced DBS ‘Disclosure and Barring Service’ check for regulated activity (formerly known as CRB) will be required for this role.

To apply, we request that you submit a CV and answer the following 4 questions:

Please describe your experience of applying SEND legislation and statutory guidance to placement or service decisions, while also considering wider system impact. How did you balance individual case requirements with lawful, defensible and sustainable decision making, particularly where there was challenge?
This role requires both day to day operational collaboration and longer term partnership working. Please give an example of how you built strong relationships with schools, families or partners to resolve a complex issue and support shared outcomes. How did your approach support both immediate and longer term aims?
Please describe your experience of overseeing complex or high volume activity (such as placements, services or resources). How did you maintain operational control while also developing a strategic overview of demand, capacity and risk to inform planning and decisions?
Please tell us about a time you used data, information or multiple sources of evidence to understand demand, capacity or risk across the SEND system. How did your analysis influence both short term actions and longer term strategic decisions or recommendations?

The job advert closes at 23:59 on 20.05.2026 with interviews planned to follow.

Before submitting your application, we recommend you read the job description and our Life at Surrey Handbook to get an insight into working at Surrey.

Contact Us

Please contact us for any questions relating to the role. This could be to discuss flexible working requests, transferable skills or any barriers to employment. Please contact sendoperations@surreycc.gov.uk

We look forward to receiving your application, please click on the apply online button below to submit.

Local Government Reorganisation (LGR)

Surrey County Council is undergoing Local Government Reorganisation, moving from a two-tier system to two new unitary councils in April 2027. If you are employed by Surrey on 1st April 2027, your role will transfer with current terms and conditions to one of the new organisations, supporting local devolution and greater powers for our communities.

Join our dynamic team and shape the future of local government. Make a lasting impact with innovative solutions and improved services for our community. Help us build a brighter future for our residents! Please see more information here: Information for applicants on Local Government Reorganisation - Surrey County Council.

Our Commitment

We are a disability confident employer which means if you have shared a disability on your application form and have evidenced you meet the minimum criteria, we guarantee you an interview.

Your skills and experience truly matter to us. From application to your first day, we’re committed to supporting you with any adjustments you need, we value inclusion and warmly welcome you to join and help build a workplace where everyone belongs.

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