Knowsley Council is an award-winning Local Authority, named Local Authority of the Year in the Municipal Journal Awards 2024.

We are an Accredited employer under the Liverpool City Region Fair Employment Charter, demonstrating that we are committed to the principle of fair employment and we are dedicated to providing a healthy, fair, inclusive and just workplace.

Our local authority is in a strong financial position, with a balanced budget that ensures stability and growth. This is an excellent opportunity to be part of a Senior Leadership Team committed to making a positive impact in our community.

Come join us and be part of our success.

Knowsley Council is seeking an experienced and passionate Service Manager to lead our Statutory SEND Services and Transport. 

You will provide strategic and operational leadership across statutory EHCP processes, SEND sufficiency and commissioning, mainstream top‑up funding, Preparation for Adulthood and SEND employment pathways, and education and social care transport. 

This senior role includes oversight of significant budgets (circa £40m), inspection readiness, governance and service transformation, ensuring high‑quality, lawful and person‑centred SEND services. 

We are looking for a proven SEND leader with strong statutory knowledge, commissioning and financial management experience, and the ability to influence at senior level within a political environment. 

If you are committed to improving outcomes for children and young people with SEND and want to make a real impact, we would welcome your application. 

At Knowsley Council we will consider requests for flexible working.  For most roles, the following types of flexibility are usually possible: flexible hours, working from home, compressed hours, part-time. You will be required to work from the office along with your teams on a hybrid basis.

We welcome applications from residents and beyond, regardless of background, belief, or identity, recognising the value that diversity brings to our organisation. We particularly welcome applications from individuals from Black and Minority Ethnic backgrounds and candidates with disabilities as we acknowledge their underrepresentation in our workforce.

Please note sponsorship is not available for this role.

See the benefits of working for Knowsley MBC https://www.knowsley.gov.uk/yes.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy earlier than the specified date should we receive sufficient applicants.

At Knowsley we value our applicants and want them to feel well-informed and welcomed. If you have any questions about this specific job role or what it is like to work at Knowsley, please contact Ben Blake, Head of Inclusion,  for a confidential discussion by email at Ben.blake@knowsley.gov.uk who will then arrange a follow up call with you.

If you are intersted in this post, please upload your CV along with a supporting statement as one document in PDF or Word format. Your CV and supporting statement should be tailored to reflect the competencies within the person specification.

Please note if a CV and supporting statement does not reflect the person specification it is unlikely to be shortlisted

Interview Date: 19 May 2026