SEND Preparing for Adulthood Lead

• Suffolk County Council
• Address: Endeavour House, Ipswich, IP1 2BX, Hybrid working
• Salary: £62,119 - £73,998 per annum (pro rata for part time)
• Hours: 37 hours per week, flexible working options available
• Status: Permanent

We’re looking for a Strategic Preparing for Adulthood (PfA) Partnership Lead to bring together partners across Suffolk and lead our shared approach to improving how young people with SEND prepare for adulthood.

Preparing for adulthood is about much more than one service or transition point. It brings together education, health, social care, employment, independence and participation in the community. You’ll take a holistic view across these areas, helping partners work together so young people experience a more joined-up approach as they move towards adult life. 

Your role and responsibilities

You’ll provide strategic leadership and coordination across the Preparing for Adulthood partnership, leading key priorities within Suffolk’s SEND improvement work. You will:

• Lead and coordinate delivery of the Preparing for Adulthood priorities within the Local Area Inclusion Plan, providing oversight across the four PfA workstreams.
• Build strong partnerships across young people’s and parent/carer groups, education, children’s and adults social care, health, employers, housing and the voluntary and community sector. 
• Influence across organisational boundaries, bringing partners together around shared priorities without relying on direct authority. 
• Make sure the different strands of Preparing for Adulthood connect, taking a holistic view of young people’s journeys and outcomes. 
• Put co-production at the heart of the work, ensuring young people and families help shape, deliver and evaluate improvement.
   

You will need

We’re looking for someone who can take a strategic and holistic view of Preparing for Adulthood. You might bring particular expertise from one part of the system rather than all of it; what matters is your ability to see the bigger picture and understand how different parts of the system connect.

You’ll need:

• Strong strategic leadership and experience of driving complex improvement.
• A good understanding of SEND and Preparing for Adulthood.
• Excellent partnership-building and influencing skills, including working across organisational boundaries.
• Strong planning and delivery skills, with the ability to coordinate priorities and use evidence to understand progress and impact.
• A strong commitment to co-production with young people and parent/carer groups.

Preparing for Adulthood is complex, and bringing different parts of the system together won’t always be straightforward. You’ll need resilience and persistence, staying focused on what will make a difference for children and young people. In return, you’ll have a real opportunity to improve their experiences and opportunities as they move into adulthood, working alongside supportive and committed people who want to make a difference too.

You can view a full list of requirements in the Job and Person Profile (JPP), which you can find in the ‘How to apply’ section towards the bottom of this advert.  

If you believe you can succeed in this role, apply. Even if you don't meet all requirements, still apply. We would appreciate the opportunity to consider your application.

Empowering Everyone 

We’re big believers in potential, possibility and the power of different ideas. We’re always searching for ways to encourage, respect and enable everyone to be the best they can be. We want to represent the diverse communities we serve. We welcome applications from all individuals, especially those from groups that are currently underrepresented in the organisation, as shown in our Workforce Equality Report (suffolk.gov.uk). 

For more information 

If you’d like to find out more about the role, please email [email protected] and we’ll arrange an informal conversation with the Assistant Director for SEND and Inclusion.

How to apply

Step 1 - Read the Job and Person Profile (Word). 

Step 2 - Click ‘Apply Now’ to start your online application.

Step 3 - Please upload the following to your application: 

1. An up-to-date copy of your CV.
2. A supporting statement (maximum 500 words) explaining why you are interested in the role, what you would bring and how your skills, knowledge and experience make you suitable.
3. Case studies (up to two examples, maximum 250 words each) demonstrating where you have led or coordinated complex improvement across services, organisations or partners. Please include the scale and complexity of the work, your personal role and contribution, how you brought different people and perspectives together, and the outcomes and impact achieved.

Please note: Without a supporting statement and CV, your interest will not be progressed. Any supporting documents must be in either PDF or MS Word format. 

For guidance on completing your application, please see our How to Apply page.

Planning to use Artificial Intelligence (AI)? Please ensure your application still reflects your own skills, experience and ideas. If used inappropriately, your application may not be processed. Please read our guidance for using AI to understand what’s acceptable.

Do you need any reasonable adjustments to help you to apply? If you are disabled and/or have additional support needs, you can request reasonable adjustments. You can do this by contacting our Recruitment Team at [email protected] or 03456 014412.  You can find examples of possible adjustments on our Reasonable Adjustment pages. 

Closing date: 11.30pm, 11 October 2026.

Interview date: To be confirmed.

This authority is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checks or police vetting will be required for relevant posts. #LI-Hybrid