Teaching Assistant-Hearing Impaired Children

Overview

We value diverse perspectives and experiences and are striving to create a workplace culture that is inclusive, accepting of all, and free from discrimination and bias.

The Coventry Special Educational Needs & Disabilities (SEND) Support Service exists to deliver the aspirational challenge set to us by young people with SEND and their families: “To Lift the Cloud of Limitation and enable them to enjoy an ordinary life”. We are a creative, connected and forward-thinking service, working with families, partners in schools, settings, the NHS and the third sector to push SEND work to the cutting edge.

The Sensory Team are specialist (hearing and vision) teachers and support staff providing highly specialist support and advice for children and young people with hearing or vision difficulties in Coventry aged 0–25. The team provides information, equipment and direct teaching in homes, early years settings and schools to promote inclusion, empower families and raise achievement.

Our Values (aligned with One Coventry) emphasise inclusion, diversity and partnership. We particularly welcome applicants from minority ethnic, LGBT+, disabled and neurodiverse communities to ensure equity and respect remain at the heart of what we do.

Open and fair, nurture and develop, engage and empower, create and innovate, own and be accountable, value and respect.

Role

What is the job role? Required to start as soon as possible, an experienced and highly motivated teaching assistant to join a well-established team. This position is 28 hours per week, term time only. Under the advice of a qualified Teacher of the Deaf you will support the fullest possible inclusion of deaf children within their educational peer group and provide support to hearing-impaired children in a range of settings including family homes, schools, pre-school settings and Hearing Resource Bases.

All candidates must have the Right to Work in the UK. We are currently not offering sponsorship for this role. This post is exempted under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and appointment will be conditional upon a satisfactory DBS check.

Who we are looking for

• Demonstrated experience of working with children with special educational needs and/or a hearing impairment in an educational setting
• Understanding of child development and learning processes, particularly communication and language acquisition
• Know-how of current educational organisation and practices within schools
• Excellent communication skills and ability to adapt language to meet diverse communication styles
• British Sign Language (BSL) Level 1 qualification (or equivalent) with willingness to progress to BSL Level 2

For an informal discussion about this post, please contact: Lorna Lingard, Deputy Lead Sensory Team – Hearing Impairment, Sensory Team, Coventry City Council. Email: lorna.lingard@coventry.gov.uk

Additional information

• Guaranteed Interview Scheme: eligible groups include Armed Forces personnel and veterans, those currently in care or previously in care, and individuals with disabilities or long-term health conditions.
• Application process notes and help to apply available on the council’s jobs page; if evidence of AI use is found, applications may be rejected unless justified.
• Interview dates: week beginning 6 October.

About Coventry: Coventry has a proud, innovative and creative spirit, with around 5,100 staff, committed to delivering excellent services to residents. If you join us, a rewards and benefits package is available. For details, visit the Coventry Council vacancies page.