Salary range: £49,854 - £56,565 per annum
Work location: London
Hours per week: 36
Contract type: Permanent
Vetting requirements: Enhanced DBS Check
Closing date: 25th August 2024
Interview date: Week Commencing 9th September 2024
Use your skills to help some of the most vulnerable children and young people in our community
At the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, we put local people and businesses at the heart of everything we do, working in partnership with them to provide quality services that are responsive, effective, and efficient. Rated as outstanding by Ofsted, we’re committed to improving the life chances of all our children, including those with special educational needs. Working in collaboration with the neighbouring borough of Westminster, our SEN service offers family-centric support from early years to preparation for adulthood.
In this vital frontline role, it’ll be your responsibility to ensure the experiences of our most complex caseload of children with Education, Health and Care plans are as smooth as possible, and that their access to our services is timely and effective. Building respectful, transparent, and effective relationships with a caseload of children and young people aged 0 to 13 as well as their families, you’ll contribute to the development of initiatives that encourage them to build strong links with the local community, and work closely with colleagues in education, social care, mental health services, therapists, and paediatricians to make sure all relevant services work together to meet the young person’s needs. You’ll have a number of additional responsibilities, including acting as an advocate for the use of technology to manage and monitor the way we work, and ensuring that systems are clearly and consistently updated with any relevant information, providing advice and support to the wider team as well as deputising for the Team Manager on occasion. Keeping in constant touch with parents, schools, and professionals, you’ll attend progress meetings, use the quality assurance process to ensure EHC plans are of consistently high quality, and support the effective commissioning of suitable educational provision and placement for children with a plan.
Please refer to the Job Description for more information.
Respectful, empathetic, honest, and always willing to learn – these qualities will be key to your success in this role, but you’ll also have a wealth of experience in an educational setting, with a local authority or with children and young people in a similar field. Educated to degree level, a relevant professional qualification – preferably in SEN – would be highly desirable, and it’s essential that you have detailed knowledge of all applicable legislation and codes of practice. Highly organised and with the ability to manage competing demands and meet tight deadlines, you’ll have detailed knowledge of the pathways through the education system for children and young people, and a clear understanding of matters relevant to preparation for adulthood. This is a high-pressure, challenging role, but you’ll have the backing of a highly organised and supportive team, and as a superb communicator with effective negotiation and conflict resolution skills, your ‘can-do’ attitude will make you an inspirational and motivating colleague. Join us, and you can look forward to a package that includes a competitive salary, a high-quality pension scheme and generous annual leave plus bank holidays. And as a key member of our team, you’ll also enjoy plenty of opportunities for development and progression within our organisation.
Please apply online explaining how you meet the requirements set out in the person specification and job description. CV’s will not be considered for this role.
We reserve the right to extend or close this vacancy early without warning subject to the volume of suitable applicants.
Application process
Please do not upload any documents, including CVs/Covering Letters or supporting statements, as these documents will not be reviewed and could result in your application not being shortlisted.
You should describe how you meet the person specification requirements for the position you are applying for in Section G of the application form.
Additional information:
The council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff to share this commitment.
We make sure all our staff are vetted to a high standard by conducting pre-employment checks to assess and assure the trustworthiness, integrity, and ability of prospective employees. This includes validating identity, right to work in the UK, qualifications (where applicable), work history (including the investigation of gaps) and referencing. They may also involve criminal record checks (UK and overseas).
We promote equality, welcome diverse applicants, and ensure inclusivity in our recruitment and selection process.
This post is covered by the Fluency Duty, as outlined in the Code of Practice on the English language requirements for public sector workers.
Information about the safeguarding of children and support for families: https://www.rbkc.gov.uk/children-and-education/safeguarding-children
Information about protecting and safeguarding yourself and others from abuse and neglect: https://www.rbkc.gov.uk/health-and-social-care/adult-social-care/safeguarding-adults
We do not accept speculative CVs.
If you have any queries, please contact: recruitment@rbkc.gov.uk