Job summary
The Designated Health Officer (DHO) for Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) will work in partnership with the Designated Social Care Officer (DSCO), the NHS South Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (NHS SYICB) Quality and Patient Safety team and Head of Transformation and Delivery for Children and Young People (CYP). The DHO will work in collaboration with the local authority.

The post holder will provide the strategic leadership necessary to ensure that the NHS SYICB and providers for whom it has responsibility for, meet the statutory duties of the Children and Families Act (2014) and the SEND Code of Practice (2014) for CYP with SEND, aged 0 to 25 years.

The post holder will:

• Act as a strategic health lead for the Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) identification, planning, process and pathway.
• Provide professional and clinical leadership and be a source of expertise on matters relating to SEND for the NHS SYICB, local authorities, health care providers and other local agencies and organisations.
• Ensure health compliance with the legislation and spirit of the SEND Code of Practice to improve outcomes for CYP with SEND.

Ensure that the outcomes for CYP with SEND are maximised by working to improve quality of life, school absences, mental and physical health problems, personal autonomy and involvement in further education and employment, independent living and community inclusion.

Main duties of the job
The post holder will be part of the quality, safety and improvement function and work closely with CYP transformation teams in each Place. They will provide expert input into strategic and clinical planning, standard setting, and assurance process in the service provision for CYP with SEND.

The post holder will be a source of expertise and specialist knowledge for all issues relating to the local and national SEND agendas. The post holder will provide specialised clinical advice in safeguarding and children looked after in association to SEND.

About us
NHS South Yorkshire Integrated Care Board oversees health and social care for a population of 1.4m people. Working through our 4 places, Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, and Sheffield, we are building on the strengths, capacity and knowledge of all those directly involved with our local communities to deliver our four key aims of Improving outcomes in population health and healthcare; Tackling inequalities in outcomes, experience and access; Enhancing productivity and value for money; and Helping the NHS support broader social and economic development.

Our near 1,000 staff are committed to addressing the broader health, public health, and social care needs of the population across South Yorkshire through our values of One Team, Empowered and Innovative. We work as a key partner with the Integrated Care Partnership (ICP) of health and care providers within the South Yorkshire Integrated Care System (ICS) to collectively deliver health and care services that meet the needs of the local population. In total there are 186 GP practices in the region, 72,000 health and social care professionals working across seven NHS trusts and four local authorities, and a further 6,000 voluntary, community and social enterprise sector (VCSE) organisations. We work alongside all these colleagues through local councils, our VCSE partners and other partners to address health inequalities and wider determinants of health in South Yorkshire.

South Yorkshire ICB is a Disability Confident Employer.

Essential Experience

• Have substantial clinical experience as professional in the field of SEND or other related areas of care.
• Ability to coordinate complex assessments using a person-centred planning approach ensuring clear outcomes are identified for children and young people.
• Have good negotiating and leadership skills - negotiate on difficult and controversial issues including performance and change.
• Able to demonstrate an understanding of professional issues, their relevance and application across all health care interfaces.
• Knowledge and experience of developing needs-based services specific to SEND.
• Evidence of ongoing personal clinical supervision.
• Evidence of post qualifying and continuing professional development.

Essential Skills and Competencies

• In-depth knowledge and understanding of the Children and Families Act 2014, Care Act 2014, continuing care frameworks and SEND Code of Practice 0-25 (2014).
• Knowledge and skill to write, update and implement SEN policies, practice guidance.
• Knowledge and understanding of the main issues affecting outcomes for children, young people, and families, particularly children and young people with SEND.
• Demonstrable knowledge and understanding of children's services at both a local and national level.
• Knowledge and understanding of key issues affecting health services/modernisation/local commissioning agendas including national policy on reforms in the NHS.
• Clear and precise presentation, reporting and teaching skills in both informal and formal settings with focused aims and outcomes.
• Ability to develop and provide education, training, and supervision as appropriate to the role.
• Problem solving skills and ability to respond to sudden unexpected demands.
• Ability to analyse complex facts and situations and develop a range of options.
• Able to make decisions on difficult and contentious issues where there may be several courses of action.
• Ability to anticipate and resolve problems before they arise.
• Demonstrated capability to plan short, medium, and long-term timeframes and adjust plans and resource requirements accordingly.
• Must be able to use initiative to decide relevant actions and make recommendations to supervisor and stakeholders.
• Ability to make decisions autonomously, when required, on difficult issues, working to tight and often changing timescales.
• Experience of identifying and interpreting national policy.
• Experience of researching best practice and interpreting its relevance.
• Competent in use of Microsoft Programmes, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook.
• Ability to challenge poor practice and support individuals to improve.
• Ability to motivate colleagues/peers leading through example.
• Ability to work effectively within a team.
• Effective communication skills, including electronic, written and verbal which are empathetic to the client's needs as well as staff.

Essential Qualifications

• Educated to Degree level or equivalent level of clinical experience, working at a senior level which includes SEND as a specialist area.
• Masters level degree in related subject or equivalent experience.
• Professional qualification as a health professional (occupational therapist, speech and language therapist, physiotherapist, or registered nurse), with experience in working with children and young people/SEND.
• Evidence of partnership/cross organisational working to promote clinical excellence.

Essential Attributes

• Demonstrable high level of personal professional autonomy and accountability.
• Adhere to the core principles of the professional code of conduct, demonstrating respect and dignity and be open and honest, acting with integrity, upholding the reputation of your profession.
• Excellent inter-personal and communication skills with the ability to build personal and professional credibility at all levels of the organisation as well as with external partners.
• Excellent interpersonal skills to encourage facilitation, diplomacy, and negotiation.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website.

Location: Eyre Street, Sheffield City Centre, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S1 3FG
Band: Band 8a (Agenda for Change)
Working pattern: Full-time
Closing date: 27 October 2026
Contact: Angela Fawcett, Programme Director SEND/Lead Nurse, angela.fawcett@nhs.net

Apply through our website.