Hertfordshire County Council
Practice Development Lead
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Practice Development Lead
Practice Development Lead
Job Title
Practice Development Lead
Base Pay Range
£48,226 progressing to £53,460 per annum, pro rata
Hours
22.2 hours per week
Location
Stevenage
Contract Type
Fixed-term until 1st June 2027
Directorate
Children’s Services
About The Team
Hertfordshire County Council’s Children’s SEND Quality Assurance Team is recruiting for the Practice Development Lead role.
Are you passionate about staff training and development, with a drive to improve services for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)?
We are offering a fulfilling opportunity to enhance the quality of SEND services through the Making SEND Everyone’s Business service transformation and investment programme.
The Practice Development Lead will be based within the SEND Quality Assurance Team, embedding a strong quality assurance (QA) and improvement focus. However, the role collaborates closely with the Learning and Development Team and multiple internal/external stakeholders.
About The Role
The role will primarily focus on designing and delivering staff training through the Hertfordshire SEND Academy and other services. This includes:
- Providing training to internal Children’s Services staff and multi-agency professionals.
- Offering bespoke support and practice improvement sessions, guided by QA work and audits.
You will play a key role in developing a high-quality, accredited training programme to foster a culture of skills-based, support-driven SEND service provision.
Key Responsibilities
The role involves the following core elements:
- Designing and delivering bespoke training to address frontline practice gaps identified via EHCP quality audits, in collaboration with the SEND QA Team.
- Taking a leading role in the development and delivery of Hertfordshire SEND Academy sessions.
- Providing support, guidance, and tailored sessions to drive practice improvement, including legislative updates and QA-informed tools.
- Collecting feedback from internal/external stakeholders—including managers, health/education leads, and representatives of children, young people, and families—to refine training programmes.
- Working with the Learning and Development Team to optimise resource-sharing opportunities.
- Monitoring and reporting on the quality and impact of training, ensuring continuous improvement.
- Assisting with SEND audits and aligning with QA requirements during inspections.
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Note: Flexibility is expected due to the dynamic nature of specialist education needs and disabilities (SEND).
About You
Essential Criteria
- Knowledge of and/or professional experience in SEND.
- Competence in designing and delivering training.
Desirable Criteria
- A basic teaching qualification (e.g., PTTLS / Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector) or relevant experience.
- Quality assurance (QA) expertise or familiarity with audits.
Additional Notes
You will join and drive a staff development initiative, the Hertfordshire SEND Academy, contributing to service improvement while enhancing staff welfare, job satisfaction, and SEND outcomes.
This role will align with the SEND QA Team and involves collaboration with notable areas like Social Care QA.
We welcome applications from candidates who currently reside in the UK and can present valid right-to-work documentation. Employer is unable to offer sponsorship.
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This position follows the Corporate Services Level 12 job profile. For further details, please visit: Job profiles – Corporate Services.
For further inquiries about the role, contact: lauren.sheppard@herfordshire.gov.uk.
Interview Date
30th July 2026
Benefits of Working for Hertfordshire County Council
(Information not formally provided in the description. Usually includes pension schemes, flexible working options, professional development support, and other standard benefits).
How To Apply
- Upload your most recent CV with:
- Updated career history, including gaps.
- Relevant qualifications and training.
- Examples of past work/lifelong learning demonstrating the essential/professional criteria outlined in the advert.
- Include a brief personal statement reflecting your skills, knowledge, and experience that align with the role.
Secondments Welcome
This position is open to professionals considering a secondment. If you are Yorkshire-based and would like to be considered for a secondment contract, please ensure you complete the Secondment Form as part of your application.
Additional Information
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Disability Confident: We are a Disability Confident employer and guarantee an interview to candidates who disclose a disability if their application meets the minimum criteria.
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Safeguarding: DBS check required for this role.
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English Fluency: The role requires proficiency in spoken English (or access to an English-speaking sign language interpreter if applicable) for public-facing communication and service advice.
Formal guidance on this requirement: Safeguarding Policy - Hertfordshire County Council.
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