Specialist Advisory Teacher

Job Title: Specialist Advisory Teacher - (Qualified Teacher of Children and Young People with Vision Impairment – QTVI)
Starting Salary: £32,916 - £52,490 pa + SEN - Hertfordshire locally agreed Teachers minimum and upper pay range
Hours: 32.5
Location: Hertfordshire - based in either Hemel Hempstead or Stevenage
Contract Type: Permanent
Directorate: Childrens Services

About the team

Would you like to make a difference to the lives of children and young people in Hertfordshire?

This is an exciting opportunity for you to join the SEND Specialist Advice and Support Service (SEND SAS) who have a vacancy for a Specialist Advisory Teacher (Qualified Teacher of Children and Young People with Vision Impairment – QTVI).

Our SEND SAS teams work with babies, children and young people with a range of special educational needs.

In this role you can enjoy the support of a very experienced and dedicated team working together to improve the outcomes for CYP with Vision Impairment.

About the role

This role is peripatetic, working with babies, children and young people with vision impairment (CYPVI) aged 0-25 years, their families and educational settings (Early Years/School/College) to facilitate provision and enable best outcomes.

Key Responsibilities:

• Responsible for ensuring that the educational and developmental progress of CYPVI is met, in line with the Hertfordshire Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Strategy and HCC’s strategic objectives.
• Holding your own caseload, organising visits and writing reports.
• There will be many opportunities to work collaboratively with specialists within our Team and other agencies; each day is different.
• Working with Parents/Carers and Health professionals from the point of diagnosis to support vision and/or tactile development, language development, social/emotional wellbeing and independence skills
• Provide effective high-quality advice and support to children, young people, their families, and educational settings including the development, delivery and evaluation of training packages.

About you

Essential:

• Educated to degree level, hold Qualified Teacher Status (QTS)
• Extensive years’ experience of relevant and successful teaching experience, including recent classroom experience, practice knowledge in the area of vision impairment or be employed within an advisory service
• Knowledge of SEND legislation and Education Health Care Plans
• Committed to safeguarding, inclusion and continued professional development
• Willingness to undertake and attain the mandatory qualification to teach children and young people with vision impairment
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Proficient in ICT
• Ability to work independently and contribute as part of the wider team within the service
• Well-organised and able to meet deadlines
• Full UK Driving Licence and regular access to a vehicle, or ability to travel independently

Desirable:

• Hold the mandatory qualification to teach children and young people with vision impairment or in the final year of working towards this qualification

The Vision Impairment Team welcome applications from candidates from diverse backgrounds. Hertfordshire champions Equality and Fairness. We are a Disability Confident employer, and we encourage people to contact us using their chosen communication method.

We can offer you a friendly, supportive working environment, a full induction and ongoing professional development. If this seems like the opportunity for you, we would welcome your application.

We welcome applications from candidates who currently reside in the UK with established proof of right to work documentation. We are not able to offer sponsorship at this time for this role.

To hear more about this opportunity please contact Rebecca Payne at rebecca.payne@hertfordshire.gov.uk or Sharon Hill at sharon.hill@hertordshire.gov.uk for an informal discussion about the role.

Interview Dates:

28th January in person at our Farnham House, Stevenage offfices; and

30th January in person at our Apsley, Hemel Hempstead offices

Benefits of working for us

How to apply

As part of your application, please upload your most recent CV. Ensure your CV is up to date with your employment history (including any employment gaps), and including any training/qualifications. We encourage you to include examples of where you have demonstrated the requirements/criteria in the advert / job outline, to allow the panel to fully recognise your skills and abilities. You will have the opportunity to include a short covering paragraph within your application to give us a little more information about your skills, knowledge, and experiences.

Additional information

Disability Confident
We are proud to be a Disability Confident employerand guarantee an interview to anyone disclosing a disability whose application meets the minimum criteria for the post.

Safeguarding
This role has been identified as requiring a Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check.

Driving required
You’ll need to have the ability to drive and/or travel around Hertfordshire, either using your own mode of transport or a company car to travel to other locations.

English Fluency
The ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post (for those whose language is a signed language the provision of a sign language interpreter who speaks English to the necessary standard of fluency will be required). Further information about the legal requirement can be found here.

Available documents

• Specialist Advisory Teacher - Visual Impairment Job Outline.pdf