SENDIASS Support Worker

Salary: £23,857.60 pro rata, £26,936 FTE

Contract: Part Time, 12-month fixed-term contract, maternity cover

Hours: 31 hours per week, working pattern will be negotiated with your line manager

Base Location: Home-based, with expected travel to regular meetings within Richmond and Kingston

Benefits:

• 30 days' annual leave, increasing to 35 days with length of service
• Bank Holidays
• Company Pension
• Life Assurance x2
• Employee Discount Scheme
• Medical Cash Plan

About Us:

We are Polaris, one of the UK's largest leading communities of children's services providers. Within the community, we have independent fostering and adoption agencies who have been passionately improving the lives of young people for over 30 years, as well as leaving care services, education and bespoke children's services contracts. Our nurturing community works collectively to support the very best outcomes for each and every child in our care. We're ambitious for our children and young people, families and staff, and believe in their futures.

PCS SENDIASS:

PCS SENDIASS provides timely, confidential and impartial information, advice and support for parents, carers, children and young people with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND). The aim of PCS SENDIASS is to ensure that children and young people with SEND and their families are empowered to play an active and informed role in their education.

Requirements:

We are looking for a SENDIASS Support Worker to join our friendly team based in Richmond and Kingston on a 12-month fixed-term contract. The successful applicant will have a track record or personal experience in special educational needs, disabilities, education, health or social care. They will provide customers with confidential, impartial, one-to-one support on issues relating to SEND. They must be professional, approachable and outcome-focused. You will also require the following:

• Have a qualification in SEND law or be willing to work towards achieving IPSEA SEN Law Training at Level 1, 2 and 3 within the first year of employment
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Strong knowledge of the London Boroughs of Richmond upon Thames and Kingston upon Thames, including an understanding of local communities, services, schools and support networks
• Personal or professional experience in a leadership position, a calm but assertive manner and an aptitude for managing complex conversations with a range of stakeholders
• Confident working with Outlook, Microsoft packages and databases

Responsibilities:

• Provide individual support to a caseload of children and young people with SEND and/or their parents
• Support customers with common topics including EHCP applications, SEND tribunals, attendance issues, social care provision, exclusions and SEN support
• Provide support including explaining documents, co-writing applications, attending meetings or mediation with the customer, monitoring deadlines on the customer's behalf, and supporting or representing the customer at any stage of the SENDIST appeal process
• Help customers to have clear expectations of your role by using 'What to Expect' eligibility criteria and outcomes documents to agree the purpose and boundaries of the support you provide
• Explain and refer to relevant SEND legislation and policy when providing advice or support
• Spend time understanding the barriers customers face, identifying and advocating for things that will enable them to engage with SEND services
• Signpost to, and engage these services as required
• Proactively support children, young people and/or their parents to self-advocate as much as possible
• Coach and encourage customers to take control and complete some tasks themselves
• Work at least one advice shift per week, answering phone calls and emails to the Polaris SENDIASS helplines
• Listen generously to parents, carers and young people who contact the helpline
• Make an accurate record of your advice and support
• Continuously maintain database records, including duration of contact with cases, individual case details and documents relating to casework
• Cultivate professional relationships with colleagues and stakeholders
• Contribute to the development of content and resources for the SENDIASS website and social media

Polaris Children's Services is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff to share this commitment. The successful candidate will be required to complete an enhanced DBS check, the cost of which will be met by Polaris Children's Services. Polaris Children's Services is an equal opportunities employer and positively encourages applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates.