Role Responsibility

Kent County Council

Job Description:   Strategic Reset Programme – Programme Officer (SEND Transformation Safety Valve)

Directorate:                  Strategic and Corporate Services

Unit/Section:                 SRP Team

Grade:                           KR11

Responsible to:           Safety Valve Programme Manager

Purpose of the Job:

Kent is part of the Department for Education (DfE) Safety Valve Programme. This is voluntary programme which involves the DfE providing funding to partly extinguish the cumulative debt arising from the existing and forecast future overspend on High Needs Funding. The programme requires Kent to review its local High Needs systems so that it is on a more sustainable footing and better placed to respond to pupil needs, while ensuring that the in-year spend is in line with the in-year grant funding within a 5-year period.

The Programme Officer (SEND Transformation Safety Valve) will work closely with the Safety Valve Programme Manager to ensure the effective delivery of the programme. The Programme Officer (SEND Transformation Safety Valve) will be expected to pro-actively contribute risk management across the programme, preparing reports and presentations, milestone tracking and working with project leads across the Safety Valve Programme. The Programme Officer will also be responsible enabling the delivery of a number of projects within the programme by providing project management support to the responsible project leads.

Main duties and responsibilities:

• Proactively support the Safety Valve Programme Manager in the management of the reporting process, programme risks and escalations, dependencies and milestone tracking. 

• Build positive relationships with individual project leads across the programme , including regular engagement with project leads and Transformation Operational Group chairs.

• Develop an overall view of progress for the Safety Valve Programme Manager by completing analysis of highlight/status reports from individual projects (e.g. progress, risk, issues and , benefits).

• Review and maintain the programme risk register, proactively spotting programme trends, themes and implications. Liaising with the Corporate Assurance and Risk Team as appropriate as well we identified risk owners and the Safety Valve Programme Manager. 

• Provide expert advice and guidance on project management across the programme to build project management knowledge, skills and capacity across the programme through presentations, workshops, acting as a ‘critical friend’ and other forms of development.

• Provide project management expertise to a number of projects within the programme working closely with identified project leads to plan their project, monitor progress and identify risks and issues.

• Contribute to and support the management of the Safety Valve MS Team site, ensuring all programme documentation is up to date and maintained effectively.

• Proactively support the Safety Valve manager to produce, develop and maintain a range of programme documentation and status/highlight reports. 

• When requested, attend meetings on behalf of the Safety Valve Programme Manager and reporting back key outcomes as appropriate.

• Attend key programme meetings and contributing, as appropriate, to the discussions and taking away agreed actions.

Contact Details

For more information about this role please contact Michelle Fleming, 03000 411218, michelle.fleming@kent.gov.uk

About the Company

KCC is committed to building a workforce which reflects the diversity of the county's working residents, encouraging applications from people of all ages, abilities, genders, sexual orientations, ethnic backgrounds and faiths, and aspires to create an inclusive workplace where everyone can be themselves at work.

Please note – if you are interested, please apply as soon as possible as the closing date for this advert may be earlier than stated should a number of suitably qualified candidates apply.