Advocate in Lowestoft

Company Description

At Catch22, we are proud of our reputation as a modern and progressive employer. Our 1,300 colleagues and 300 volunteers work at every stage of the social welfare cycle, supporting over 60,000 individuals from cradle to career. Our work spans education, social justice and rehabilitation, children's social care, family support, social action and getting people into work.

Catch22 Include schools help vulnerable young people with challenging behaviours to realise their full potential. With extensive experience of delivering services to children and young people, who have experienced difficulties in mainstream schools and whose education has irretrievably broken down, we support learners to achieve academic and vocational targets and progress into education, training and employment. This approach delivers significant long-term benefits to learners, parents and carers, communities and local authorities.

Our independent schools and a range of tailored support programmes are targeted at young people who fall into high risk groups in all key stages, including those who are excluded, or at risk of exclusion from mainstream schools, or Pupil Referral Units (PRUs), and those with social, emotional and/or mental health needs (SEMH) or special educational needs (SEN).

Job Description

• Provide tailored advocacy and support for individual pupils across the school, delivering and managing agreed interventions in collaboration with the Pastoral Manager and SENCo.
• Work directly with pupils, families, teaching staff, and support staff to ensure the emotional, social, and learning needs of vulnerable children are identified and effectively met.
• Support the Assistant Headteacher in their managerial role by contributing to the planning, implementation, and monitoring of pupil support strategies.
• Deputise for the Assistant Headteacher during short-term absences, ensuring continuity of support, decision-making, and leadership within the relevant areas of responsibility.
• Undertake line management responsibilities for designated support staff, including providing guidance, supervision, and support to ensure effective delivery of interventions.
• Build and maintain trusting relationships with pupils and families through regular communication, family liaison, and personalised interventions.
• Fulfil the responsibilities of Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) for the site, including attending weekly safeguarding meetings with the Assistant Headteacher and monthly DSL meetings with the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) to ensure effective oversight of safeguarding concerns and actions.
• Contribute to a holistic, person-centered approach for each child, ensuring collaborative work with TAs, teachers, and external professionals to support individual progress.
• Play a key role in developing, implementing, and reviewing pupil support plans that promote inclusion, wellbeing, and academic development.
• Contribute to and promote implementation of EHCPs and SEN Support Plans under the guidance of the SENCo.
• Embed safeguarding, inclusion, and emotional wellbeing principles into all areas of practice, ensuring these remain at the core of all support strategies.
• Use assessment tools such as the Boxall Profile to identify pupils’ social and emotional needs and monitor progress over time.
• Oversee the tracking, analysis, and reporting of intervention outcomes to measure impact and inform future planning.
• Liaise effectively with internal staff and external agencies to ensure consistent, joined-up support for pupils and their families.

Qualifications

• Relevant qualification in education, social work, youth work, counselling, or related field (or working towards)
• Safeguarding training or willing to undertake
• Understanding of SEN and inclusion practices (or working towards)

Additional Information

• Salary: £27,184 - £40,231 - based on experience
• Hours of work: Full time, 37 hours per week
• Contract: Permanent.
• Start Date: ASAP (subject to clearances)

This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check. Catch22 Independent school is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff, volunteers and other third parties to share this commitment. Safer recruitment practice will be followed and pre-employment background checks will be undertaken before any appointment is confirmed.

At Catch22 we value equality, diversity and inclusion. We are wholeheartedly committed to the principle of equality of opportunity, both as an employer and as a provider of services. Diversity and Inclusion is part of what we do every day, working to deliver our vision to build a strong society where everyone has good people around them, a purpose, and a good place to live.