Service Lead – Experts at Hand
- Hackney, United Kingdom
Posted 3 days ago
About the role
Salary - Grade
GBP £63,816 to £64,938 63816 - PO8
Contract Type
Fixed Term / Secondment
Contract Length
until 31/03/2028
Contracted Hours
Full Time - 36 hours per week
DBS Required
No
Department
Children & Education
Service
Children & Families Service
Closing date
20/09/2026
Fixed Term Contract / Secondment Opportunity until 31/03/2028 with opportunity to extend
Hackney is one of the most dynamic and progressive local authorities in the UK. We are a resilient, vibrant, and creative borough in the heart of London, with strong, diverse communities and a powerful set of shared values.
Over the past twenty years, the Council has built up first-class services, outstanding public infrastructure, and a reputation for excellence, innovation, and ambition. We are leading the way on essential work such as our fight for equity in Hackney with a particular focus on becoming an actively anti-racist borough. But the work doesn’t stop there, we are proactive in our approach to bringing fairness to all aspects of life including gender, neurodiversity and across the poverty divide.
Experts at Hand (Locality Inclusion Teams)
Hackney’s Locality Inclusion Teams (LIT) form our innovative “Experts at Hand” service, bringing together a dedicated multi-disciplinary network of Educational Psychologists, Speech & Language Therapists, Occupational Therapists, and Specialist Teachers to transform local SEND provision and build capacity. Designed to shift the system away from reactive statutory assessments, our LIT workforce delivers early, proactive, and data-driven support directly to schools, early years settings, and community hubs across four borough localities. By offering readily accessible advice, targeted interventions, and strategic guidance, our “Experts at Hand” build workforce capacity, strengthen inclusive environments, and ensure children, young people, and their families receive seamless, high-quality support at the earliest possible stage.
Experts at Hand Service Lead
The Experts at Hand Service Lead will hold a pivotal system-leadership role, responsible for operationally launching, scaling, and evaluating Hackney’s Locality Inclusion Teams (LITs) to deliver our innovative “Experts at Hand” offer. Reporting to the Principal Educational Psychologist and working closely with the SEND Reform Programme Manager, you will direct a transdisciplinary workforce of across education and health specialisms, driving a shift from statutory-led assessments toward a proactive, data-driven, early-intervention model. Across Hackney’s four localities, you will build workforce capacity in mainstream settings, establish streamlined single-point-of-access pathways, oversee joint-commissioning partnerships, and deploy targeted support menus grounded in systemic, trauma-informed, anti-racist principles to ensure every child with additional needs thrives without unnecessary statutory escalation.
If you would like to find out more information, please email Ed.chilton@hackney.gov.uk
As a Council, our most outstanding asset is our staff, who are highly dedicated to serving our residents and committed to our goals as an organisation.
If you want to work in a place where you can represent our values so we achieve the best for our residents, please click on the apply button below.
We operate a fair and open anonymous selection process. Therefore, we do not accept supporting statements or CV’s.
To proceed with your application, you will need to create an account and submit your application.
As part of the application process, you will need to complete a number of competency based questions. These questions allow you to demonstrate your suitability for the role and provide examples of your skills, knowledge and experience outlined in the job description.
We understand the benefits of using AI in the workplace. However, if you are thinking of using this tool to submit your application, we ask you to think about what value it will add. AI tools tend to lack the personal touch and authenticity we value in candidates. We encourage you to showcase your unique knowledge and skills using your own voice.
This application process replaces a supporting statement.
Prior to applying for a vacancy for a secondment opportunity, please liaise with your line manager and inform them of your interest in applying for the role
Closing date for applications: 20 September 2026 (22:59)
Interview date: W/c 05 October 2026
Please note, we reserve the right to close applications early if we receive a high volume of applications.
We are also working towards our vision, which is to be a place for everyone; where residents and staff can be proud. In order to achieve this, we are seeking individuals who embody our “PROUD” values: Purpose and Respect, where we foster belonging through active inclusion, kindness, and open dialogue; Ownership, where we champion proactive collaboration and accountability for our shared success; and Unity and Diversity, where we work as one Council to break down silos and champion anti-racist behavior.
Hackney Council works to eradicate discrimination on the basis of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation.We also recognise that people can be disadvantaged by their social and economic circumstances, so we will also work to eliminate discrimination and disadvantage caused by social class. We also welcome those interested in flexible working. We particularly welcome applications from disabled people, as this group is currently under represented in our workforce.
The Council has a dedicated employment support service (Hackney Works), which offers Hackney residents guidance in relation to applying for jobs. If you are thinking about applying for a job, please contact the Hackney Works team to find out what support is available: hackneyworks@hackney.gov.uk