Emotional Wellbeing and Support Officer in Ballyclare

Contract: Full time (36 hours per week), 1 year fixed-term with possible extension up to 3 years.

Location: Ballyclare High School

Reports to: Vice Principal Pastoral

Purpose of Role: Work alongside the teacher responsible for pupil emotional health and wellbeing support across all key stages. Work with other relevant postholders to ensure all pupils fully access and benefit from curriculum, interventions and support programmes to improve their emotional health and wellbeing.

Take professional responsibility for and lead emotional wellbeing interventions. In conjunction with the Vice Principal Pastoral and Teacher in charge of Emotional Health and Wellbeing, develop and facilitate action plans for aspects of student emotional wellbeing and support in school.

Support school staff by providing specialist knowledge and integrity in decision making that is required for effective pupil support.

Specific duties/responsibilities:

• Contribute to school improvement through the delivery of evidence-based group and individual interventions in line with school development priorities and the EHWB Framework.
• To improve the emotional wellbeing of all year groups through the delivery of evidence-based programmes of intervention to identified pupils within groups or as individuals.
• Identify, in partnership with HoYs, pupils who would benefit from support. Demonstrate an in-depth understanding of their individual needs and priorities and develop appropriate strategies to meet them.
• Intervene with personal issues that are affecting pupils’ performance at school and advise senior and middle leaders on appropriate action.
• Monitor the development and success of interventions, including the provision of data, to show evidence of impact and progress, in line with the whole school reporting protocols.
• Implement strategies and support for pupils to enable them to positively regulate emotions, build self-esteem, confidence and resilience.
• Contribute to the co-ordination of support for pupils in lessons who are experiencing difficulties.
• Support pupils with integration issues within their wider social environment.
• Contribute to the development of best practice across the school in all areas of pastoral care.
• Provide regular and systematic feedback to pupils, staff, and parents/carers (where appropriate), on targets and progress made towards them.
• Flexibly meet the needs of targeted pupils, amending practice to facilitate positive outcomes and progress by placing the child at the centre of the provision.
• In line with school protocols, develop effective relationships with parents of pupils requiring support, advising them on strategies to support their child’s emotional health and wellbeing where appropriate.
• Support the Pastoral Vice Principal as required with providing feedback to members of staff and other professionals working with the pupil and assist in making further recommendations.

External Agencies:

• To manage contact with other agencies, on behalf of the school and parents/carers and to liaise when required, including attendance and input at multi-agency meetings.
• Network with other appropriate professionals e.g. social workers and CAMHS as advised by Pastoral Vice Principal.
• Be responsible for positive and effective communication with school teams, external agencies and stakeholders.
• Manage conflicting priorities and various workplace demands.
• Be accountable for personal performance management, setting challenging objectives/targets in line with the school priorities.
• Actively monitor provision to ensure efficiency and value for money, providing feedback to the Pastoral Vice Principal and Teacher in charge of Emotional Health and Wellbeing.
• Ensure high quality records are kept and information is shared appropriately in line with guidance, including the preparation of written reports when required.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date pupil information on school’s management information systems and own pupil filing records in line with school protocols.

Other:

• All service providers and staff are expected to uphold the duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of pupils.
• Maintain up-to-date role specific knowledge.
• Develop trusting and professional relationships with each other and with pupils in order for them to access support with the outcome of improving emotional wellbeing.
• Work flexibly to meet the needs of pupils; this may include evening work where appropriate.
• Facilitate open and clear lines of communication with all stakeholders.
• Contribute to the school’s development and implementation of policies designed to achieve the school’s priorities and targets.
• Ensure parents are well informed about the school and their child’s progress.
• Contribute to sustaining an inclusive environment and support the development of strategies to improve attendance.

The job description is not necessarily a comprehensive definition of the post. It will be subject to modification or amendment, after consultation with the post holder. The post-holder should also avail of regular, professional supervision.

PERSON SPECIFICATION NOTES TO JOB APPLICANTS:

• You must clearly demonstrate on your application form under each question, how, and to what extent you meet the required criteria as failure to do so may result in you not being shortlisted.
• You should clearly demonstrate this for both the essential and desirable criteria, where relevant.
• The stage in the process when the criteria will be measured is outlined in the table below.
• Shortlisting will be carried out on the basis of the essential criteria set out in Section 1 below, using the information provided by you on your application form.
• Please note that the Selection Panel reserves the right to shortlist only those applicants that it believes most strongly meet the criteria for the role.
• In the event of an excessive number of applications, the Selection Panel also reserves the right to apply any desirable criteria as outlined in Section 3 at shortlisting, in which case these will be applied in the order listed.
• It is important therefore that you also clearly demonstrate on your application form on how you meet any desirable criteria.

Section 1 - Essential Criteria:

• A relevant degree or professional qualification in education, youth or social work or equivalent experience.
• An understanding of child protection and safeguarding policies and legislation.
• Committed to personal and continued professional development.

Experience:

• Proven experience of working in an organisation/agency that supports children and young people’s emotional health and wellbeing.
• An up-to-date understanding of the specialist support service available to young people.
• Experience of working successfully with young people aged 11-19 with emotional and mental health difficulties; experience of working in a post-primary school will be an advantage at interview.
• Experience of working with pupils experiencing social, emotional and behaviour issues (including loss, bereavement, separation, anxiety, self-harming, low mood).
• Experience of planning, delivering and evaluating individual and group work.
• Competence in the use of relevant ICT packages including a knowledge of SIMS.

Knowledge:

• Understanding of mental health and emotional wellbeing issues including knowledge of academic, emotional and social issues which may affect young people.
• Knowledge of a range of evidence-based interventions used to deliver group and individual work to improve young people’s emotional wellbeing.
• Knowledge of basic structure and organisation of inclusive education including knowledge of how young people learn.

Skills / Abilities:

• Good interpersonal skills and the ability to interact positively and develop good working relationships with pupils and staff.
• Communicate effectively with pupils, parents and other school staff.
• Proven ability to coordinate, plan, monitor and deliver evidence-based interventions and demonstrate/evaluate their impact.
• Ability to motivate and engage young people to address the difficulties they are experiencing at home/school that affect their ability/willingness to learn.
• Ability to use initiative and have problem solving skills.
• Ability to ensure completion of tasks while working to a high level of accuracy, including working effectively under pressure, particularly when dealing with conflicting priorities.
• Ability to prioritise and plan.
• Excellent team-working skills, as well as the ability to work creatively and independently.
• Coaching/counselling skills.
• Mentoring skills.

Values Orientation:

• Committed, resilient, robust and resourceful.
• A record of reliability and integrity.
• Demonstrate fairness, honesty and integrity in his/her existing practice and conduct as a professional.
• Humour, optimism and ambition.
• Willingness to participate in further training and CPD.
• Ability to understand and be committed to equal opportunities for all members of the school community.
• Ability to work flexibly if and when required.

Please note: the successful candidate will be required to work on a term-time only basis. Term-time basis is to work during school term plus up to two weeks annually. The timing of the additional two weeks is at the discretion of the Principal of the school. Payment will be for hours worked.

DISCLOSURE OF CRIMINAL BACKGROUND: The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups (Northern Ireland) Order 2007 defines working directly with children or young people or in specified places as ‘regulated activity’. In the event that you are recommended for appointed to a post that involves ‘regulated activity’, the Education Authority will be required to undertake an Enhanced Disclosure of Criminal Background. Please note that you WILL be expected to meet the cost of an Enhanced Disclosure Certificate.

Further information can be accessed at NI Direct or the Department of Justice.

APPLICANT GUIDANCE NOTES: To view the applicant guidance notes, please click here. To learn about the many great benefits of joining the Education Authority, click here. The Education Authority is an Equal Opportunities Employer.