Zone Manager – SEND and Inclusion Support Model

Overview

In this Zone Manager role, you steer the local delivery and development of the SEND & Inclusion Support Model (SISM) within a defined geographic zone. You’ll lead cross‑agency collaboration, set priorities, and secure actions across partners to improve support for children and families. You’ll operate with autonomy, using local intelligence to drive improvements and ensure timely delivery. The position aligns with Norfolk’s FLOURISH ambition to build a more inclusive and locally delivered system.

Pay / Benefits

• Competitive salary
• Generous holiday entitlement
• Health and Wellbeing services
• Flexible working including flexi-time, remote and hybrid
• Local Government Pension Scheme with employer contributions
• Relocation expenses (where applicable)

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and operational leadership for SISM activity across your zone or phase area, coordinating engagement, planning, and improvement work
• Own local delivery within your zone, setting priorities and making timely decisions within the strategic framework
• Bring education, health, social care and other partners together around shared priorities and clarify responsibilities and accountability
• Plan, negotiate and deploy resources based on local need and risk to support effective use of personnel and expertise
• Coordinate requests for support and multidisciplinary responses, prioritising complex issues and ensuring actions progress
• Chair zone or phase meetings, drive decisions and escalate barriers as needed
• Use zone data and performance information to identify themes and inform senior leaders with clear recommendations
• Provide quality assurance and share learning to improve consistency and impact of support
• Safeguard children and young people, manage risk, ensure safeguarding and statutory compliance across the zone

Key requirements

• Significant experience in education, SEND, inclusion or related partnership environments
• Strong understanding of how education settings support children with additional needs
• Ability to lead system-wide initiatives without direct line management authority
• Autonomy to own local delivery and make decisions amid complexity and risk
• Data analysis skills and ability to translate insights into priorities and actions
• Experience coordinating work across teams or organisations and contributing to service improvement
• Excellent communication, meeting leadership and relationship-building skills

• leadership
• strong communication
• relationship-building
• data analysis
• use of performance information for reporting
• planning and governance

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