Family Liaison Officer in Jarrow

For children with complex, challenging needs, the level of care and education must go above and beyond. That's what drives us, here at Witherslack Group. With our high staff-to-child ratio and in-house clinical teams, we're proud to have won a reputation for excellence and market leading OFSTED ratings.

There’s a certain kind of person who can build bridges between families in challenging circumstances, the carers working with them and local authorities. Your experience and passion for the role will bring about enhanced life opportunities for families all across the region. Our aspirational homes, schools and ethos help us achieve the best possible outcomes.

Our Family Liaison Officers are a huge part of making sure our children and young people's needs are fully recognised and comprehensively met. Enabling young people to progress and succeed is part of the DNA of Cedar House School and this is achieved by a commitment to truly celebrating the individuality and talents of every young person.

The primary provision ensures that a nurturing environment and extensive therapeutic support allows a seamless transition to a secondary school that boasts a broad curriculum and far-ranging vocational offer. In addition, the state of the art residential offering enables those young people who reside at the school to benefit from the 24-hour curriculum, while living in a truly homely and personalised environment.

The result is that each young person develops the skills and confidence to achieve both academic and life successes, where they are given the launchpad to release their potential and leave ready to live life to the full. We were recently recognised as Good by Ofsted.

Our young people come from all walks of life, diverse backgrounds and with different needs - and our workforce reflects that diversity, so that our teams can engage, encourage and inspire our young people to be themselves. You'll be more than a Family Liaison Officer; it’s a truly special type of person that will thrive here, who has a strong commitment to supporting families and young people.

• Coordinate visits to see parents, talk at length and work out strategies for coping with whatever life throws at them.
• Draw on broad knowledge of local resources to direct families to additional support they might need.
• Organise and take part in admission interviews in partnership with the Head Teacher and ensure full and detailed inductions are given.
• Collaborate with parents, young people, carers and the local authority to explore circumstances and implement collaborative, effective, life-changing resolutions.

• Previous experience with SEN and with working with families in challenging circumstances and expertise to support and resolve difficulties.
• Strong contacts within the local authority, including education, social services and healthcare professionals.
• Experience of multi-agency work with an understanding of legislation, policies and guidance around safeguarding and child protection.
• Genuine passion for wanting to enhance the life opportunities for our young people and their families and the ability to be empathetic and understanding.

At Witherslack Group, inclusion is part of who we are. We’re committed to creating an environment where everyone feels respected, valued and that they truly belong. As a specialist provider of education and care for children and young people with special educational needs, we understand the importance of embracing individuality and championing difference - especially when it comes to neurodiversity.

We celebrate diverse perspectives, lived experiences, and the unique strengths that each person brings to our community. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, identities, and abilities. We are proud to be recognised as an inclusive employer and are committed to making our recruitment and workplace practices inclusive and accessible.

If you need any adjustments to support you through the recruitment process or in the workplace, we’ll be there every step of the way. By building a diverse and inclusive team, we’re better able to support the children, young people and families we serve and ensure every member of our team can thrive, grow, and be their authentic self.

The Witherslack Group is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of its young people. This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check (we will cover the cost) and an online search. We are an equal opportunities employer welcoming applications from all sections of the community.

• Training: A full induction and on the job training.
• Holiday: 35 days holiday including bank holidays.
• Progression: Most of our head teachers and leaders have been promoted from within our group.
• Flexible benefits: meaning you can increase/decrease benefits such as life insurance.
• Wellbeing: a host of wellbeing tools and advice including employee assistance.
• Medical cover: claim back costs of services like opticians or dentist appointments and a range of high-street discounts.
• Beautiful working environments with the best facilities.
• A recommend a friend scheme that offers a £1,000 bonus every time.
• Contributory pension scheme - matched up to 5%.