Family Liaison Support Worker in Wick

General duties

• Adhere to all school policies and procedures, particularly those in relation to equality of opportunity, health and safety, data protection and safeguarding.
• Attend home visits as appropriate.
• Maintain and record all relevant pupil information in line with the school’s Records Management Policy, ensuring that appropriate data protection procedures are followed.
• Work with school staff and parents regarding pupil progress, behaviour and attendance.
• Support pupils and parents during transition periods.
• Promote the school’s vision and ethos, encouraging the inclusion and acceptance of all pupils.
• Ensure that appropriate policies and procedures are implemented to allow effective learning to take place, including child protection procedures and behaviour management processes.
• Attend relevant training and undertake appropriate CPD activities.
• Act as a role model for pupils, setting high expectations and acting in a professional manner.

Pastoral care

• Demonstrate a commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of pupils, ensuring that pupil wellbeing is the focus of all actions undertaken in the role.
• Assist with the pastoral care of pupils, ensuring that the school meets all pupils’ personal and social needs.
• Provide one-to-one pastoral support to pupils, where necessary.
• Work with staff members and parents in order to remove practical, social and emotional barriers to learning.
• Follow up concerns and provide individual support for pupils.
• Ensure that any concerns are appropriately recorded and reported to DSL, including those in relation to attendance, academic performance and pupil wellbeing.
• Plan and implement any specific arrangements for individual pupils, such as intervention programmes, ensuring that relevant staff members are aware of any measures in place.
• Discuss individual pupils’ needs with relevant members of staff and parents.
• Monitor and assess the implementation of interventions and support programmes, reviewing these and making informed changes where necessary.
• Maintain accurate records regarding the implementation of intervention programmes, including any referrals that are made.
• Continuously motivate and challenge pupils, whilst promoting and reinforcing self-esteem.
• Place a strong focus on pupils’ social, mental and emotional health (SMEH) needs, and contribute to the creation of the school’s SMEH Policy.
• Promote independence, recognising and rewarding self-reliance.

Supporting staff

• Act as a point of contact for staff members regarding the wellbeing of pupils and provide the necessary support.
• Liaise with staff members to ensure the wellbeing of pupils and their full participation in school life.
• Make necessary staff members aware of individual pupils’ specific needs.
• Provide staff members with advice regarding pupil support strategies to ensure pupils’ academic, social and emotional needs are met.
• Assist with implementing individual pupils’ learning plans, pastoral support plans and acceptable behaviour contracts.
• Liaise with staff members to plan, assess and adapt learning activities to meet pupils’ needs.
• Advise staff members on how to effectively support pupils’ SMEH and meet their individual needs.
• Ensure resources are suitable for learning activities and effectively support the needs of pupils.

Safeguarding support

• Ensure all safeguarding records are up to date for pupils with attendance concerns.
• Work closely with parents to support their children.
• Support with home visits, welfare checks and pupil collection when necessary.

Attendance and exclusions

• Encourage attendance and punctuality at school.
• Monitor and review pupil attendance, identifying and reporting concerns to the DSL.
• Maintain an up-to-date record of absence, identifying patterns and trends in pupil attendance.
• Advise staff members on strategies to promote the regular and punctual attendance of all pupils and assist in the implementation of these strategies.
• Liaise with the attendance officer on attendance issues, facilitating the planning and delivery of appropriate interventions, in order to improve pupil attendance and punctuality.
• Liaise with parents of absent pupils, ensuring that appropriate interventions are being implemented at school and at home.
• Work closely with the attendance officer in order to set appropriate attendance targets, including whole‑school, year group and individual pupil targets.
• Liaise with parents and the LA regarding exclusions.
• Produce reports regarding pupil attendance and exclusions for each phase lead and the headteacher.
• Facilitate the reintegration of pupils who have been excluded, ensuring that they are appropriately supported and necessary interventions are implemented.

Communication

• Establish positive, productive and constructive relationships with pupils, parents and colleagues to assist home‑school communication and facilitate the support provided.
• Develop innovative methods of engaging with parents and families, encouraging increased parental participation in pupils’ education.
• Liaise with the school nurse and SENDCO, to ensure that pupils’ needs are effectively met and appropriate support is provided.

Qualifications and training

• GCSEs or equivalent qualification in at least English and maths.
• Safeguarding training.
• Behaviour management training.
• Degree in a relevant subject.
• Valid DBS check.

Skills and experience

• Experience of developing and delivering individual and group-based support to pupils.
• Experience of working with pupils with behavioural issues.
• Experience of supporting pupils’ SMEH needs.
• Experience of implementing behaviour management strategies.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Have an ability to motivate colleagues.
• Be able to work as part of a team, as well as independently.
• Be able to adapt activities to ensure they are inclusive.
• Be able to effectively delegate tasks and responsibilities.
• Be able to manage projects and lead a group.
• Be able to collate and summarise information and data.
• Be proactive in the protection of children in reference to safeguarding procedures and protocols.
• Be able to effectively liaise with external agencies.
• Be able to develop and implement effective support strategies.
• Be able to identify triggers of poor behaviour and barriers to learning.
• Be able to assess pupils and their families, and identify their needs to ensure effective support is provided.
• Be able to maintain accurate and up-to-date records.
• Experience of creating individual intervention programmes for pupils.
• Experience of handling child protection and welfare cases.

Knowledge

• Knowledge of statutory requirements regarding the education sector and pupil wellbeing.
• Knowledge of legislation regarding pupil attendance, safeguarding and data protection.
• Knowledge of common pastoral issues and how to respond to the different situations which may arise.
• Knowledge of local and national support services that are available to pupils and schools.
• Proven awareness and respect for the highly sensitive status of information and its confidentiality.
• Knowledge of child protection and safeguarding procedures.
• Knowledge of intervention strategies, including those in relation to behaviour and attendance.
• Have a good understanding of child development, learning processes and barriers to learning.

Personal traits

• Able to build positive and productive relationships with staff members, pupils and parents.
• Able to consistently promote good behaviour throughout the school.
• Able to effectively motivate and encourage pupils.
• Able to work flexibly, attending meetings and training outside of their specified work hours.
• Able to commit to contributing to the wider school and its community.

Additional requirements

• Excellent communications skills.
• Good time management and the ability to prioritise tasks effectively.
• A well-developed sense of empathy.
• A good attendance and punctuality record.
• High expectations of self and professional standards.
• The ability to maintain successful working relationships with other colleagues.
• A willingness to work outside of the timetabled day, where necessary.
• High levels of drive, energy and integrity.