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Job requirements
Essential
36 listedRequirements the employer expects applicants to meet.
- Attributes
Demonstrable high level of personal professional autonomy and accountability.
- Attributes
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.
- Attributes
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.
- Attributes
Excellent interpersonal skills to encourage facilitation, diplomacy, and negotiation.
- Experience
Have substantial clinical experience as professional in the field of SEND or other related areas of care.
- Experience
Ability to coordinate complex assessments using a person-centred planning approach ensuring clear outcomes are identified for children and young people.
- Experience
Have good negotiating and leadership skills - negotiate on difficult and controversial issues including performance and change.
- Experience
Able to demonstrate an understanding of professional issues, their relevance and application across all health care interfaces.
- Experience
Knowledge and experience of developing needs-based services specific to SEND.
- Experience
Evidence of ongoing personal clinical supervision.
- Experience
Evidence of post qualifying and continuing professional development.
- Qualifications
Educated to Degree level or equivalent level of clinical experience, working at a senior level which includes SEND as a specialist area.
- Qualifications
Masters level degree in related subject or equivalent experience.
- Qualifications
Professional qualification as a health professional (occupational therapist, speech & language therapist, physiotherapist, or registered nurse), with experience in working with children and young people/SEND.
- Qualifications
Evidence of partnership/cross organisational working to promote clinical excellence.
- 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).
- Skills and Competencies
Knowledge and skill to write, update and implement SEN policies, practice guidance.
- Skills and Competencies
Knowledge and understanding of the main issues affecting outcomes for children, young people, and families, particularly children and young people with SEND.
- Skills and Competencies
Demonstrable knowledge and understanding of childrens services at both a local and national level.
- Skills and Competencies
Knowledge and understanding of key issues affecting health services/modernisation/local commissioning agendas including national policy on reforms in the NHS.
- Skills and Competencies
Clear and precise presentation, reporting and teaching skills in both informal and formal settings with focused aims and outcomes.
- Skills and Competencies
Ability to develop and provide education, training, and supervision as appropriate to the role.
- Skills and Competencies
Problem solving skills and ability to respond to sudden unexpected demands.
- Skills and Competencies
Ability to analyse complex facts and situations and develop a range of options.
- Skills and Competencies
Able to makes decisions on difficult and contentious issues where there may be several courses of action.
- Skills and Competencies
Ability to anticipate and resolve problems before they arise.
- Skills and Competencies
Demonstrated capability to plan short, medium, and long-term timeframes and adjust plans and resource requirements accordingly.
- Skills and Competencies
Must be able to use initiative to decide relevant actions and make recommendations to supervisor and stakeholders.
- Skills and Competencies
Ability to make decisions autonomously, when required, on difficult issues, working to tight and often changing timescales.
- Skills and Competencies
Experience of identifying and interpreting national policy.
- Skills and Competencies
Experience of researching best practice and interpreting its relevance.
- Skills and Competencies
Competent in use of Microsoft Programmes, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook.
- Skills and Competencies
Ability to challenge poor practice and support individuals to improve.
- Skills and Competencies
Ability to motivate colleagues/peers leading through example.
- Skills and Competencies
Ability to work effectively within a team.
- Skills and Competencies
Effective communication skills, including electronic, written and verbal which are empathetic to the clients needs as well as staff.
Desirable
Not listed in the available specification.
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 & 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 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 healths 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
Details
- Date posted: 20 October 2026
- Pay scheme: Agenda for change
- Band: Band 8a
- Salary: £57,528 to £64,750 a year
- Contract: Permanent
- Working pattern: Full-time
- Reference number: D9133-2001
- Job locations: Eyre Street, Sheffield City Centre, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S1 3FG, United Kingdom
Job responsibilities
For further information with regard to this vacancy, please see the attached Job Description and Personal Specification.
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
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Applying for this NHS job
This advert is for Designated Health Officer - SEND with NHS South Yorkshire Integrated Care Board in Sheffield, England. It is listed as a Band 8 Officer (discipline unspecified) role. The advertised salary is £57528.00 to £64750.00. The contract type is Permanent. The application deadline is 27 Oct 2026.
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