About the role
The West Northants SEND IAS Service (SENDIASS) are looking to recruit caseworkers to work with children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and their families.
This will be an exciting opportunity to contribute to the delivery of SEND support as part of a dedicated and experienced team.
The SENDIASS is a statutory service that provides free accurate and impartial information, advice and support to children, young people and their families on matters relating to education, health and social care.
We are seeking a motivated and dedicated individual to join our team in a part‑time role. The successful candidate will work 22.5 hrs each week, term time only with an agreed weekly work pattern to be confirmed at appointment.
This role is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore subject to an enhanced DBS certificate. It is also a regulated activity and will be subject to a Children and Adults Barred List check. West Northamptonshire Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
What will you be doing?
You will be responsible for provide a high quality point of contact for service users to address their queries and requests, provide them with information, advice and support to help them to understand SEND legislation and local practices, procedures and interventions and empower service users to express their views and have their voice heard in decision making. The post holder will support children and young people and / or their parents during the Statutory Assessment process including supporting them in Mediation and at the SEN 1st Tier tribunal process and ensuring that they fully understand and can take part in the processes and that their voices are heard. Hold a caseload and provide tailored support directly to parents / carers of children with Special Educational needs and Disabilities (SEND) and directly to children, young people with SEND, including for young people aged over 16 on their own, if requested, and will work closely with teams in education, Health, Social Care and voluntary groups to support high‑quality service provision.
About you
The successful candidate must have outstanding interpersonal skills, including oral and written communication, listening skills, empathy and ability to build rapport. The ability to be flexible in approach in dealing with difficult situations, working with sensitive and confidential information and working well under pressure is also essential.
A demonstrable understanding and knowledge of current SEND working practice and educational legislation would be a distinct advantage. It is essential that you can work as part of a team as well as independently. You will be computer literate.
The post holder may be required to travel across the local area.
If you would like to discuss this position, please email Careers@westnorthants.gov.uk
Our benefits
You can also see our full list of employee benefits on our careers site here: Why you should work for us | West Northamptonshire Council
About us
At West Northants Council, it’s about our people. People who thrive with ambition, bubble with new ideas, demand better ways of working, caring about every detail, and who never shy away from a challenge. Our culture is a gateway for new experiences. A place to forge new opportunities. To empower you in your career and unite you with like-minded people.
Our vision is ‘to make West Northants a great place to live, work, visit and thrive’. We truly stand by this and work hard every day to make this a reality. Our corporate values, THRIVE, stand for: Trust, High Performance, Respect, Innovate and Empower, they underpin everything we do and how we deliver services.
We are committed to ensuring diversity, equality, equity, and inclusion is woven into the fabric of WNC and everything we do, to enable all colleagues to develop and maximize their full potential. We are a disability confident employer, a member of the Armed Forces Covenant, and a Care Leaver Covenant partner
The following film was created by us to communicate our intentions - watch WNC colleagues explain what DEI means to us.
If you need additional support or reasonable adjustments during the application process, including needing the job description in another format or language, please email careers@westnorthants.gov.uk for support.
West Northants Council, where careers thrive.
Attached documents
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