Liaison Officer - Traveller Education Support

The Opportunity

Salary: Pro rata £30,491 to £32,830 per annum

Full Time Equivalent Salary: NJC Grade 9 £35,235 to £37,938 per annum

Contract Type: Fixed Term / Secondment until 31 July 2026

Working Pattern: 37 hours per week, Term Time Only 39 weeks

Location: Countywide. Your base location will be agreed with you at interview.

Please note:

You will be required to travel independently throughout the county, including to locations that are not always accessible by public transport.

Internal candidates wishing to apply for this role will be considered for a secondment position. Please can you discuss and agree this with your manager before applying.

Closing date: 20 July 2025

Interview date: 23 July 2025

Join our Ethnic Minority and Traveller Achievement Service (EMTAS) as a Traveller Education Support (TES) Liaison Officer, working closely with schools, families, Local Authority, and EMTAS.

As a TES Liaison Officer, you will collaboratively develop best practice, working to remove barriers to education, connect families with support services, and ensure children from these communities have access to and can benefit from educational opportunities.

You will support Advisory Teachers and schools in providing care and support for vulnerable children and their families. Building effective working relationships with customers and stakeholders is vital to this role.

Key responsibilities of the role include:

• Working with individuals, families, carers, groups and communities to:
  • Prepare and implement care packages.
  • Evaluate and monitor progress.
  • Consider best value care package options.
• Managing a small caseload under regular supervision.
• Using professional knowledge to negotiate with, and on behalf of, people who access a range of providers and professionals.
• Safeguarding through reporting any allegations or suspicions of abuse.
• Working with others to resolve complex and emotional issues.
• Contributing to project work.
• Maintaining detailed records and producing reports over lengthy periods.

About You

We are looking for someone with good attention to detail, who is passionate about supporting children and their families.

You will need to respond independently to problems and situations as they arise and know when to access a Senior Manager for advice and guidance.

If you have experience in partnership working and forming positive relationships within multi-agency / multi-disciplinary settings, as well as with the public, we would love to hear from you.

Key Skills (used for shortlisting):

1. Ability to undertake direct work with those who access or need the service in order to support individuals. Ability to work in partnership with carers, colleagues and a variety of external agencies in order to deliver the most effective service.
2. Ability to communicate effectively with children as part of assessments and through providing support in 1-2-1 interventions.
3. Ability to work proactively as a member of the team to make an accurate assessment of needs and negotiate and implement effective plans and outcomes.
4. Ability to analyse and interpret information and data in order to prioritise needs and formulate plans for intervention and service provision.
5. Ability to remain up-to-date with key legislation and apply legislative requirements within service appropriate practice.
6. Ability to communicate clearly and effectively in both written and oral format. Ability to explain complicated information to a wide range of people and to negotiate and persuade others to adopt a particular course of action.
7. Sound and accurate ICT and keyboard skills.
8. Ability to recognise the limits of own accountability and responsibility, and to seek appropriate support, advice and supervision.

For more information on the Responsibilities, Key Skills, Qualifications and/or Experience required, please refer to the Job Description attached. Please refer to the key skills in your cover letter as these will be used for shortlisting criteria.

About Us

The Ethnic Minority and Traveller Achievement Service (EMTAS) is part of the Education and Skills Service within WSCC.

The EMTAS team works with schools to deliver the best support possible for pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds, including Gypsy Roma Traveller (GRT) & Showman pupils and those with English as an Additional Language (EAL).

As part of EMTAS, we offer advice, guidance and support for children, parents, and community engagement. EMTAS also offers training for school staff, and works with families to overcome barriers to education, giving advice on the English education system and the importance of continuing the home language.

Benefits

As an employer we recognise that it is our employees that are central to everything we do. We aim to create a supportive and dynamic working environment where employees can achieve their full potential, achieve a healthy work-life balance, and are rewarded for the work they do.

For a full list this can be found at our Rewards and Benefits page.

Upon joining us you will have access to a range of benefits including the following:

Employer Pension Contribution: 18.70% (this alters per annum on the 1 April each year).

Annual leave: 27 days holiday + Bank holidays = 35days.

How to Apply

The reference number for this role is CAFHE05850.

For an informal conversation or for further information regarding the role, please contact Olly Davidson, Team Manager, at

To apply, please follow the links below to upload your CV and Cover Letter.

In your cover letter please outline your motivations for applying and explaining the skills and experience you can bring to the role (please refer to the key skills) ensuring that any gaps in employment are covered in your CV. Please ensure you have saved the job description attached to the main advert on our website as, once the job has closed, you may not have the opportunity to download again.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults.

This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check, five years referencing, and an occupational health check.

Equity, inclusion, and accessibility is very important to West Sussex County Council. We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, as this helps us build a diverse and talented workforce, that reflects the communities we serve. We ensure our approach to recruitment is flexible and supportive to enable all applicants to be at their best and to ensure they have the best possible chance of success.

We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants that have a disability, are a veteran or are a care leaver. More information can be found on our application help page.