SEND Reform Project & Change Manager

Salary: Grade 9, ranging from £43,149 to £47,665 per annum.

Contract: Fixed Term Contract - 3 Years

Hours: 37 Hours a week.

Closing date: 9 November 2026

About the Role

Lead projects that make a lasting difference for children and young people across Somerset.

As a Project and Change Manager, you will play a key role in delivering Somerset's SEND Reform Programme, with a particular focus on the innovative Experts at Hand model for children and young people aged 0-25. This programme aims to improve early identification of needs, strengthen support across education settings, and create a more inclusive SEND system across Somerset.

You'll be responsible for delivering complex projects on time, within budget, and to a high standard, using effective project planning, governance, stakeholder engagement, risk management, and benefits realisation. Working with partners across education, health, and council services, you'll develop and oversee project plans, coordinate resources, manage dependencies, and provide clear reporting to support successful outcomes.

Collaborating with stakeholders at all levels, you'll help implement new processes, systems, and ways of working, ensuring sustainable change is embedded while maintaining business continuity. Above all, you'll champion best practice in project and change management, driving continuous improvement and helping to deliver better outcomes for children, young people, families, and communities across Somerset.

For more information about Experts at Hand (EAH) and SEND Reforms see:

Experts at Hand: what those leading and working in mainstream settings need to know - GOV.UK

Somerset's SEND Reform Plan submitted to the Department for Education

How You'll Make a Difference

As a Project and Change Manager, you will help enable the SEND Reform Partnership Board (Education Settings, Council Services, the NHS, Parent Carers and Children and Young People) to:

• Mobilise and deliver the SEND Reform Projects across Somerset
• Drive implementation of the EAH Locality Delivery Model.
• Manage programme plans, risks, milestones and governance reporting.
• Build strong relationships with education settings, health partners and SEND stakeholders.
• Coordinate programme communications, evaluation and performance reporting.
• Support recruitment, procurement and contract management activity linked to delivery.

What You'll Bring

We are looking for someone with:

• Stakeholder engagement skills.
• Knowledge and experience of public sector service improvement (ideally in SEND).
• Proven knowledge and experience of managing multiple projects end-to-end from initiation to delivery to closure.
• Ideally someone with technical project management qualifications or proven applied knowledge and experience.
• Experience of recruitment, commissioning/procurement and contract management.

Why Join Us?

At Somerset Council, we're a progressive organisation committed to improving lives and shaping better services for our communities. Based in one of England's most beautiful counties, it's a great place to build your career and enjoy an excellent quality of life.

• Generous annual leave plus bank holidays, with the option to purchase additional leave.

• Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS), one of the UK's most enhanced and secure pension schemes.

• Flexible and hybrid working arrangements to support work-life balance, where service needs allow.

• Health and wellbeing support, including access to confidential employee assistance services.

• Paid volunteering opportunities, helping you make a difference both inside and outside of work.

Find out more about working at Somerset Council

https://www.somerset.gov.uk/jobs-and-careers/working-at-somerset-council/

Further Information

• 30 day's annual leave (additional to bank holidays).
• We are happy to consider flexible working patterns - we work hard to sustain a good work-life balance and are passionate about maintaining a positive and supportive working culture
• This role offers hybrid working, allowing you to work either from home or from our offices at County Hall, Taunton.
• This post is fixed term for up to three years subject to Department for Education funding and is anticipated to expire on (3-year date). During this period, the Department for Education will undertake an annual review to determine the following year's funding. Should that review conclude that the funding will not be renewed, the fixed term contract will end upon the expiry of the funding, and you would be entitled to your contractual notice

Unfortunately, we are unable to offer sponsorship for this role. We are only able to proceed with candidates who already have the right to work in the UK without the need for VISA sponsorship.

For an informal chat about the role, please contact:

Andrew Hedges, DMP & Strategy Lead - Education at Andrew.Hedges@somerset.gov.uk

We believe diversity makes us stronger and are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels valued and respected. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and experiences, whose unique perspectives help us better serve the people of Somerset.

You can find a copy of the job description here: AG0736 Project and Change Manager.pdf

Ref: 1303/AB