Bilingual Liaison Officer - Arabic-speaker

Salary: Pro rata £24,613 to £26,501 per annum
Full time equivalent salary: NJC Grade 9 £35,235 to £37,938 per annum
Contract Type: Permanent
Working Pattern: 30 hours per week, part time, Term Time Only 39 weeks, working 9:00 - 15:00 Monday to Friday (or flexible alternative)
Location: Countywide. Your base location will be agreed with you.
Please note: You must be able to travel throughout the County including to locations that are not always accessible by public transport.

Closing date: 22 June 2025
Interview date: w/c 30 June 2025

We are looking for an Arabic speaker. We have an exciting opportunity to join our Ethnic Minority and Traveller Achievement Service (EMTAS) as Bilingual Liaison Officer, working closely with our EMTAS Advisory Teachers. We are looking for individuals who can use their language skills to support pupils and their families where English is an Additional Language (EAL). We are committed to developing and retaining a workforce that is representative of the diverse communities we serve, and welcome applications from individuals from all backgrounds.

You will act as a link between home and school to enable effective communication and partnership, providing interpretation and outreach support for pupils. You will liaise between pupils, families, schools, agencies, education settings and WSCC colleagues, promoting inclusion and access to learning. You will play a key part in developing the role with your ideas, providing cultural understanding and support to newly arrived families in West Sussex. Understanding of arriving in the UK is desirable. The ability to communicate fluently in spoken and written Arabic is essential. You will need a good level of written and spoken English to translate.

We are looking for someone who is passionate about supporting pupils and families where language may be a barrier, with a professional manner to build positive relationships. You will need good attention over lengthy periods for producing reports and maintaining records.

Key Skills:

• 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.
• Ability to communicate effectively with children as part of assessments and through providing support in one-to-one interventions.
• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively in both written and verbal format, including the ability to explain complicated information to a wide range of people and negotiate and persuade others to adopt a particular course of action.
• 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.
• Ability to analyse and interpret information and data in order to prioritise needs and formulate plans for intervention and service provision.
• Ability to remain up to date with key legislation and apply legislative requirements within social work practice.
• Ability to recognise the limits of own accountability and responsibility, and to seek appropriate support, advice, and supervision.

Qualifications and/or experience:

• Educated to A-Level standard, or equivalent qualifications or experience.
• A good level of written and spoken fluency in identified priority language.
• Evidence of good assessment skills, including the ability to ensure regular reviews and risk management with a variety of individuals, carers, or families.
• Evidence of effectively prioritising work and meeting deadlines.
• Experience of working in partnership with those who access or need the service and maintaining a focus on the needs of the individual whilst handling conflict and disagreement.
• Experience of forming effective working relationships within a multi-agency/ multi-disciplinary setting.
• Experience of working with those who access a service to identify issues and agree specific action by means of creative and pragmatic solutions.
• Experience of managing levels of risk within a caseload.
• Sound and accurate IT knowledge.
• Valid, full driving licence.

We are looking for an Arabic speaking Bilingual Liaison Officer to join our Ethnic Minority and Traveller Achievement Service (EMTAS), which is part of the Education and Skills Service within WSCC. Our 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.

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.