Inclusion Officer in Northampton

We are looking to recruit an Inclusion Officer to cover planned maternity leave for the Education Inclusion & Partnership Team within North Northamptonshire Council. You would be joining a highly motivated, committed team which has been brought together from a wide range of experiences to ensure pupils have full access to and are safe in education and to support access to education and positive educational outcomes for vulnerable learners.

The role of Inclusion Officer involves working closely with schools and families, alongside other partners, to support children and young people to ensure they have access to their full educational entitlement and achieve positive outcomes.

• To work within the Education Inclusion Partnership Team for vulnerable children and young people as part of a wider multi-disciplinary team, to challenge and support schools across the County to ensure they are fulfilling their educational responsibilities by following statutory guidelines.
• Champion the needs and aspirations of vulnerable children and young people in ensuring they receive a high-quality education enabling them to fulfil their potential and achieve economic wellbeing, by working directly with the young person, family and schools in a range of settings.
• Have a good understanding of the statutory guidelines outlined by the Government in advice to parents and schools around Elective Home Education, Permanent Exclusion, CME, and Attendance.
• Work with schools and settings to ensure that alternative educational provision fulfils statutory entitlements and is relevant to the needs, interests and aspirations of pupils disengaging from school and or at risk of permanent exclusion.
• Work with the Education Inclusion Partnership Service Manager and Team managers to ensure that no school or setting is at risk of not fulfilling their statutory obligations in relation to the education of vulnerable children and young people.
• Manage and prioritise an allocated caseload, ensuring records are kept in line with service expectations and agreed operational policy, practice, and procedures. This includes preparing legal documentation for presentation at Magistrates Court.
• Undertake home visits to families, parents, carers independently and use personal judgement on regularity.
• Support in the training, induction, mentoring and shadowing of new members of staff.
• To attend multi-agency meetings as and when required e.g., Team Around the Family Meetings, Assessment Meetings, and Early Help Meetings.
• Have regard for the Code of Practice on the identification and assessment of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities and other relevant legislation.

Our values define who we are and how we operate, by forming the foundation for how we interact with our customers, colleagues and provide our services. They are also at the forefront of our decision making and delivery and are: Customer-focused, Respectful, Efficient, Supportive, Trustworthy.

Our key commitments help ensure that the priorities we make, now and in the future, maintain the necessary breadth of focus in those areas that we believe matter most. We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workforce which reflects the community we serve. We aim to create a workplace that celebrates diversity as we know our greatest strengths are the people who make up our team. We want talented, ambitious and passionate people like you to come and take on this challenging and rewarding role.

With excellent oral and written communication skills, you will be a clear thinker and outcome focused. Collaborative multi-agency working is key to this role alongside being resilient and determined.

• Equivalent to "A" Level or NVQ 3.
• Continuous Professional Development across a range of courses undertaken to inform practice.
• Awareness and understanding of safeguarding procedures in relation to a variety of settings.
• Relevant Legislation and Guidance relating to Electively Home Educated Children, Children Missing from Education, School Attendance, Exclusion and SEND.
• Ability to understand and interpret data in the areas of exclusion, attendance, CME and EHE to support schools, parents/carers, and professionals.
• Experience of working with children, young people and families within social care, education, or health settings.
• Experience of team working, contributing to team development, team planning and decision making.
• Previous experience of working in a school or working closely with schools to ensure the needs of pupils are met.
• Ability to write reports to a high standard that demonstrates accuracy, professionalism, and depth of knowledge.
• Organisational skills to manage a case load, prioritise tasks and manage a diary range of responsibilities with competing demands.
• Interpersonal skills to be able to mediate with schools and families, colleagues, and a range of professionals.
• Information Technology ability across a range of software to input data, analyse data and maintain case records.
• If this is a customer-facing role, spoken English fluency must be included here (refer to the guidance for managers on the English Fluency duty).
• Ability to demonstrate awareness/understanding of equal opportunities and other people's behaviour, physical, social and welfare needs.

We provide a range of great benefits such as an Employee Assistance Programme, an Employee Benefits Scheme, wellbeing support, travel rates at HMRC rates, as well as supporting a range of active Employee Network Groups. Here at North Northamptonshire Council, we’re transforming for the better, using all our creativity and imagination to create the best life for our local people. You’ll find that we have a wide range of careers that may be more surprising than you think!

Why choose us? We offer a vibrant working environment with:

• a competitive salary
• a pension scheme, where we pay a significant contribution on top of your contribution. It provides life cover and ill-health protection.
• lots of opportunities to develop your skills, knowledge and potential in a large unitary council
• generous leave entitlement (28 days, rising to 33 days) and bank holidays, plus the option to buy up to an extra 10 days
• hybrid and flexible working arrangements, where practicable for service needs to help you with a healthy work-life balance.