Education Caseworker

Job details:

Salary:  £27,852 - £32,020 Pro rata

Hours: 22.2 hours per week - Term time only

Contract: Fixed Term up to 1 year

Closing date: 1st October 2023

Portsmouth City Council

Portsmouth is a vibrant university city, with a rich maritime history on the South coast enjoying excellent transport links to the rest of the country.

Portsmouth City Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, and young people, and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. It is also committed to promoting quality childcare across the city that works to improve outcomes for children. 

DBS Disclosure at Enhanced level will be required prior to any offer of employment and this post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. 

Every post is subject to PCC and Portsmouth Safeguarding Children’s Board safer recruitment procedures.

About the Team

The Looked After Children's Education Team are situated with social work colleagues within the Children Looked After Team in the Children's Social Care and Safeguarding Service. They form part of Portsmouth's Virtual School and College for Looked after Children, which is led by the Virtual School and College Headteacher with the remit of improving the educational outcomes for Portsmouth's Looked After Children, wherever they may be placed.

The Role:

We are looking for someone who is able to:

Support social workers in undertaking Personal Education Plan meetings and the monitoring of the educational progress of all Portsmouth Looked After Children. In addition, you will Support the residents and staff of Portsmouth's Residential Hub around education issues.
You will Provide advice, support and liaison with social workers and carers of those Looked After Children who are presenting significant problems regarding school attendance, behaviour and disaffection in Portsmouth and out of city schools.
Liaise with schools to ensure that those Looked After Children whose attendance is causing concern are being given appropriate levels of support. Liaise with other Children's services staff to ensure that individual Looked After Children have access to the support they need to make progress in school. 
Represent the local authority at individual Personal Education Planning meetings/ SEN reviews/LAC Reviews/planning meetings and assist in setting educational targets. Provide direct support to Looked After Children to enable them to make educational progress. 
Work regularly with external agencies, such as LAC Nurses, Community Paediatricians, CAMHS Start. Work on a daily basis with young people, schools, parents and carers to promote the educational achievement of Portsmouth's looked After Children.

What you'll need to succeed

Who is the person?

You need to have:

•   At least three years relevant experience of working with children- e.g., Teaching, Teaching assistant, Social Work assistant. 
•   Evidence of working within a trauma informed framework - evidence to include attachment aware and trauma informed methodology used in practice.
•   Able to demonstrate knowledge of strategies and interventions that improve the outcomes of vulnerable children and young people (academically and social and emotionally)
•   Good knowledge of Early years, Primary or Secondary curriculum 
•   Some experience of working with children in need/looked after children.
•   Experience of working with other agencies e.g.  Education, Health, Social Care
•   Able to liaise with a range of professional colleagues.
•   Ability to work both as part of a small team under the direction of line manager as well as independently.
•   The ability to form productive relationships with young people.

Please read the job profile for the full details of this role  

What you'll get in return

We really appreciate our employees and fully realise they are essential to our success and look to offer an inclusive, supportive working environment where employees can reach their potentials with a healthy work life balance, offering the following rewards:

•   Generous annual leave (27 days per year rising to 31, pro rata for part time hours) with the potential to purchase additional leave .
•   A fantastic pension which allows you the opportunity to pay in more for that greater return.
•   Flexible working hours. 
•   Access to a wide range of training and development opportunities including apprenticeships.
•   Extensive wellbeing support through the Employee Assistance Programme 
•   Discount on travel, travel loans and the bike loan scheme
•   Discounts on a wide range of goods and services – access a range of discounts and offers from thousands of restaurants, shops and more.

Staff rewards: https://careers.portsmouth.gov.uk/working-for-the-council/

Additional Information:

The full job profile is attached here

Contact Details for an Informal Discussion:
Email Tina Henley tina.henley@portsmouthcc.gov.uk

Application process:

We are a disability confident employer - committed to ensuring that our recruitment and selection process is inclusive and accessible and welcome applications from all areas of society.
How to complete your application, https://careers.portsmouth.gov.uk/how-to-apply/

Remember to demonstrate why you are suitable against each of the points described in the 'Who is the Person' points on the Job Profile using examples from your experience or transferable skills. This might be through qualifications or descriptive examples from your work / personal experience, which clearly illustrates what you did and the effect it had.

Applicants will be shortlisted based on their ability to use good examples that meet the criteria of this role.

Please ensure you provide your full education history from secondary school, include name/address of establishment, details of relevant qualifications & awarding body. 
Please explain any gaps - this is essential for all safeguarding children's roles.

You may wish to attach an additional letter or document to supplement you application.

We look forward to speaking with you soon.

We will email applicants from time to time; please ensure you check e-mail folders as sometimes our e-mails may go into spam/junk folders.