SENDIASS Support Worker in Southampton

Salary: £19,882.12 actual pro-rated salary (£23,195.81 FTE)

Contract: Part Time, Permanent

Hours: 30 hours per week, with the working pattern negotiated with your line manager

Base Location: Home-based

Travel: You will be expected to travel to regular meetings within Hampshire

Benefits:

• 30 days' annual leave, increasing to 35 days with length of service
• Bank holidays
• Company pension
• Life Assurance x2
• Employee Discount Scheme
• Medical Cash Plan

Benefits will be pro-rated for part-time employees.

About Us:

We are Polaris, one of the UK's largest communities of children's services providers. Within the community, we have independent fostering and adoption agencies that have been passionately improving the lives of young people for over 30 years, as well as leaving care services, education and bespoke children's services contracts. Our nurturing community works collectively to support the very best outcomes for each and every child in our care. We're ambitious for our children and young people, families and staff, and believe in their futures.

Hampshire SENDIASS:

SENDIASS services are part of the Children's Services branch of Polaris. Hampshire SENDIASS provides timely, confidential and impartial information, advice and support for parents, carers, children and young people with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND). The aim of Hampshire SENDIASS is to ensure that children and young people with SEND and their families are empowered to play an active and informed role in their education.

Requirements:

We are looking for a SENDIASS Support Worker to join our friendly team based in Hampshire. The successful applicant will have relevant professional or personal experience relating to special educational needs, disabilities, education, health or social care. You will provide customers with confidential, impartial, one-to-one support on issues relating to SEND. You must be professional, approachable and outcome-focused.

You will also require the following:

• Have a qualification in SEND law or be willing to work towards achieving IPSEA SEN Law Training at Levels 1, 2 and 3 within the first year of employment
• Have excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Personal or professional experience in a leadership position, a calm but assertive manner and an aptitude for managing complex conversations with a range of stakeholders.
• Be confident working with Microsoft Outlook, other Microsoft Office applications and databases
• Have a full UK driving licence and access to your own car

Responsibilities:

• Provide individual support to a caseload of children and young people with SEND and/or their parents
• Provide support on common topics including EHCP applications, SEND tribunals, attendance issues, social care provision, exclusions and SEN support
• Explain documents, support customers to write applications, attend meetings or mediation with customers, and monitor deadlines on their behalf
• Support or represent customers at any stage of the SENDIST appeal process
• Help customers develop clear expectations of your role by using the What to Expect eligibility criteria and outcomes documents to agree the purpose and boundaries of the support provided
• Explain and refer to relevant SEND legislation and policy when providing advice or support, including the Children and Families Act 2014, SEND Code of Practice 2015, Equality Act 2010, Care Act 2014, SEND Regulations 2014 and SEN support guidance
• Spend time understanding the barriers customers face
• Identify and advocate for support that will enable customers to engage with SEND services, such as translation services, accessible forms, specific communication provision and emotional support
• Signpost customers to relevant services and engage those services as required
• Proactively support children, young people and/or their parents to advocate for themselves wherever possible
• Coach and encourage customers to take control and complete some tasks independently, even when you may be able to complete them more quickly
• Work at least one advice shift per week, answering phone calls and emails to the Polaris SENDIASS helplines
• Listen carefully to parents, carers and young people who contact the helpline, providing information and advice that enables them to advocate for themselves
• Make accurate records of the advice and support provided
• Continuously maintain database records, including the duration of contact, individual case details and documents relating to casework
• Cultivate professional relationships with colleagues and stakeholders, including local authority SEN, to achieve swift and positive outcomes for children and young people
• Contribute to the development of content and resources for the SENDIASS website and social media

Polaris Children's Services is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff to share this commitment. The successful candidate will be required to complete an enhanced DBS check, the cost of which will be met by Polaris Children's Services. Polaris Children's Services is an equal opportunities employer and positively encourages applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates.