Caseworkers – Virtual School

• Are you highly motivated, creative and resourceful, with a deep commitment to improving outcomes for Children in our Care?
• Can you build strong, supportive relationships with staff, parents, and carers – helping them feel confident and empowered to champion a child’s education?
• Do you have excellent organisational skills to manage a caseload effectively whilst ensuring the needs of the child are prioritised?

Look no further, Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council has the perfect opportunity for you!

The Virtual School for Children in Our Care and Previously in Care has an exciting opportunity for 2x Caseworkers to join the Virtual School Team here at Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council.

These are fixed term posts, and the expected duration of the contract is 12 months but will be reviewed periodically with the post holder in line with grant funding.

We currently have the following opportunities available:

Virtual School Caseworker – Kinship Care (Fixed Term)

In this role you will work as part of the Virtual School Team to champion the needs of Children with a Social Worker and those within Kinship Care and provide support to educational settings, children and young people, parents/carers and other partners.

You will play a pivotal role in promoting relational-based practice across schools and services, helping staff understand and respond to the unique challenges faced by these children. You should be fully committed to supporting the educational outcomes and emotional wellbeing of children and have the necessary skills and knowledge to be able to support kinship carers to be the best educational advocate for the children in their care.

Virtual School Caseworker (Fixed Term)

In this role you will work as part of the Virtual School Team to champion the needs of Children in our Care (CIOC) and previously in care and provide support to educational settings, children and young people, parent/carers and other partners.

You will have an excellent understanding of attachment and trauma-based practice and will be confident supporting and educating staff on how best to implement this. You should be fully committed to supporting the educational outcomes and emotional wellbeing of the children in our care and have the necessary skills and knowledge to be able to be the educational advocate for children in our care that parents are for others. The Virtual School support children from birth to 18.

As a caseworker you will have the ability to work with all agencies and relevant partners to ensure that children receive the best possible opportunities to reach their maximum educational potential through:

• Holding a dedicated caseload of Children in Our Care/Children in Kinship Care
• Promoting a culture of high aspirations
• High quality Personal Education Plans
• Listening to the views of young people
• Monitoring and evaluation of data
• Ensuring that the relevant statutory guidance is followed
• Supporting schools to meet the specific educational needs of individual children

This is an exciting opportunity for a person who would like to work as part of supportive, innovative, and enthusiastic team, who work passionately to support children and young people within the Virtual School.

This role is Fixed Term, Term Time Only + 10 days, 37 hours per week and the pro rata actual salary is £29,563 – £32,006.

As this is a fixed-term post, secondment opportunities will be considered for internal employees. Please obtain prior approval from your current line manager before completing the application. For further information, please refer to the council’s secondment policy.

For more detailed information about the role, please refer to the Job Description and Person Specification included in the Supporting Documents section.

Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council prides itself on being a great place to work where staff are trusted, valued and supported to make a positive contribution at work.

We offer an excellent total reward package, including:

• A competitive salary of up to£32,006
• 27 days annual leave per year rising to 32 with 5 years’ service (plus bank holidays). Ability to purchase additional leave is also available.
• Generous Pension Scheme through the LGPS with ability to pay extra and plan for retirement.
• Access to a number of other employee benefits including learning & development opportunities, a car lease scheme, discounts at high street and online retailers, an employee assistance programme and physiotherapy services.

And that’s not all – you can also work flexibly where you can work part of your week at home based on service requirements.

For more information about working for Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council, please visit the Careers section on our website:

https://www.stockton.gov.uk/careers

If you would like an informal discussion about the post, please contact Janet Wilson, Virtual School Head Teacher via email at janet.wilson@stockton.gov.uk or by telephone on 07825931284.

Guidance for applicants

You must ensure that anything submitted in your application is factually accurate. Plagiarism can include presenting the ideas and experience of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own. Whilst we accept candidates may use AI tools within job applications; submissions must be truthful and relevant to your own experience.

Please note that all communication regarding your application for this post will be sent to the email address that you have registered with North East Jobs, including your invite to interview if you are short-listed. Please check your email after the closing date for notification from ‘DONOTREPLY@NORTHEASTJOBS.ORG.UK’. All communication will also appear in the ‘My Messages’ section of your North East Jobs account. #J-18808-Ljbffr