Designated Social Care Officer - SEND Specialist

Project overview

Designated Social Care Officer (DSCO) - SEND Specialist (Maternity Cover)

Are you a qualified Social Worker with expert knowledge of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) legislation looking for a high-level strategic advisory post without managing a caseload?

Rochdale Borough Council is recruiting a qualified Designated Social Care Officer (DSCO) to cover a maternity leave within their Children's Social Care Directorate. Offering a top-tier rate of £46.00 per hour, this role serves as the lead specialist advising senior leadership, quality-assuring Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), and driving service improvements across SEND pathways.

• Location: Rochdale, Greater Manchester
• Authority: Rochdale Borough Council (Children's Social Care)
• Pay Rate: £46.00 per hour (Umbrella)
• Contract: Locum Assignment (Maternity Cover)
• Caseload: Zero Caseload (Advisory, Quality Assurance, and Strategic Support Role)

Responsibilities

What We Are Looking For:

Why Apply?

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Randstad Care acts as an employment business when supplying temporary staff and as an employment agency when introducing candidates for permanent employment with a client. Randstad Care is an equal opportunities employer and decisions are made on merits alone.

Did you know that Randstad Care have been awarded a place on the National Clinical Staffing Framework for the NHS? This means we will be able to bring you more opportunities within nursing & midwifery and clinical staffing.

experience

Children services

skills

be able to manage challenging situations

• Strategic Advisory: Act as the lead advisor to Assistant Directors and Heads of Service regarding statutory local authority duties and responsibilities under SEND legislation.
• EHCP Quality Assurance: Contribute to and quality-assure social care inputs into Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) assessments and multi-agency reviews.
• Service Development & Training: Identify gaps in service knowledge across Children's Social Care, designing and delivering targeted training to upskill social work teams.
• Complex Case De-escalation: Support key projects and de-escalation processes for children and young people with highly complex needs.
• Zero Caseload Remit: Focus entirely on quality assurance, strategic alignment, inter-agency collaboration, and practice improvement without managing a personal caseload.
• Qualifications & SWE: Recognized Social Work qualification with active Social Work England (SWE) registration.
• SEND Legislation Expertise: Expert, in-depth knowledge of SEND legislation, the Children and Families Act 2014, and EHCP statutory processes.
• Leadership & Influence: Proven track record in providing expert consultation, quality assurance, and practice guidance to senior managers and multi-agency partners.
• Top Hourly Rate: Earn £46.00 per hour.
• Non-Caseload Role: Focus on strategic advisory, quality assurance, and service improvement without direct casework responsibilities.
• High-Level Visibility: Work directly with Assistant Directors and Heads of Service to shape SEND provision across Rochdale.

Requirements

university

education

BA in social work

Project details

• Start: flexible
• Location: Rochdale, Greater Manchester, GB
• Rate: 46-46 EUR/h