Outreach Mentor

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This is an exciting opportunity to support the Access, Inclusion and Participation Service, within the Children and Young People Directorate at Lewisham Council. The role provides the opportunity to support the Council's obligations to fulfil its responsibilities towards inclusive education for all Lewisham children and young people, by ensuring that key priorities within the Lewisham Inclusion Strategy are met i.e. reducing exclusion and supporting statutory assessments.

The successful candidate would become part of the Outreach Team, working across several Lewisham mainstream schools. They would provide high quality outreach support to enable schools to be inclusive whilst helping to manage pupils' behavioural differences and Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH). The role would also provide an opportunity to:

• Advise and assist in the development and implementation of appropriate behaviour management strategies, to provide an inclusive environment in schools and settings.
• Liaise with schools and other relevant agencies to feedback information regarding pupils being supported.
• Plan and deliver personalised programmes aimed at improving the presentations and ability of targeted pupils to engage confidently in mainstream schools.
• Support children with SEMH difficulties and their families by providing high quality outreach support.
• Monitor pupils and assess, record and report on pupils' achievement, progress and development.
• Work alongside school staff, pupils and their parents/carers to ensure consistency and the best outcome for the pupil in their mainstream school.
• Plan and deliver training to school staff and other professionals on inclusive practice.
• Be committed to continuous professional development.

The role would include keeping up to date records of all current pupils and providing INSET in mainstream schools, when required. The successful candidate should be an excellent ambassador for the OIS, enabling the service to respond positively and effectively to local and national initiatives. The Outreach Inclusion Service is a Lewisham Service based at Laurence House but with the majority of time spent delivering outreach support to mainstream schools.

What’s in it for you? Excellent training and development opportunities, plus a range of benefits including:

• Generous holiday allowance
• Local Government Pension scheme
• Flexible working and family friendly policies
• Season ticket and bicycle loans
• A range of staff discounts including local subsidised gym memberships
• Supportive staff networks

We are looking for a hardworking, enthusiastic person with a pro-active approach to work and knowledge of:

• The additional educational needs of children and young people with social and emotional difficulties in mainstream schools.
• The theoretical framework of appropriate interventions for children with social and emotional difficulties in mainstream schools.
• Current and impending Special Educational Needs legislation and its relevance to pupils with social and emotional difficulties.
• Classroom organisation and teaching strategies, to facilitate access to the curriculum for children and young people with social and emotional difficulties in mainstream school settings.

The successful candidate should also have the ability to advise teachers, learning support assistants and parents on effective and relevant learning strategies and have significant experience of supporting children with social and emotional difficulties in school settings. To be successful you should have previous experience in a similar role and have excellent communication and organisational skills.

The job is primarily based in Laurence House, Catford, London, SE6 4RU, but we operate a hybrid approach where you will be required to work both in the office and from home on a regular basis.

The job is subject to an enhanced DBS check. Please note: Interviews will be scheduled to take place Wednesday 20th and Thursday 21st May 2026. The recruitment process is anonymous and we don’t accept CVs. Applicant handbook - please read the guidance in this handbook when applying. It is essential that you complete the application fully and that your supporting statement covers how you meet each of the person specification criteria listed.

For an informal discussion about this job, please contact Adrian Cairns, Lewisham Outreach Inclusion Service Manager on OIS@lewisham.gov.uk.

Salary £42,912-£44,235 per annum (SO2), pro rata term time only (39 + 4 weeks). N.B: All appointments will be offered at the minimum spinal column point (SCP) for the grade of the role. The only exception to this will be when matching current salary (up to the maximum of the scale), which is subject to evidential proof.

Lewisham Council is a Disability Confident employer. We welcome and encourage job applications of all abilities. If you require any reasonable adjustments in the application or interview, please contact the lead contact on this advert. We will make reasonable adjustments to make sure our disabled applicants and those with health conditions are supported throughout our recruitment process.

The Council has a dedicated employment support service, Lewisham Works, which offers Lewisham residents guidance in relation to applying for jobs. If you want to join Lewisham Works, please email JobsAndSkills@lewisham.gov.uk and an advisor will be in touch with you.

The Council reserves the right to close adverts early if there is a large response.