Connect2Kent
Start date – asap
End date – 3 months (rolling assignment)
DBS – required
IR35 – Inside
Full time (Monday to Friday)
Full time remote working
Pay rate – £240.00 per day Umbrella
Mark up – £35.00 per day
Purpose of the Job:
Working within a defined geographical area the post holder is responsible for all aspects of the SA process including requests, re-assessments, amendments and complex placement decisions within statutory timescales.
The Post holder must work collaboratively and cooperatively with young people and families or carers of children and young people undergoing SA. This could include working directly with young people aged over the age of 16 and who have left compulsory schooling.
This person will be expected to specialise in and mostly work with young people (year 9- age 25) but will be required to cover for colleagues outside of own specialist area
Main duties and responsibilities:
1. To work collaboratively and cooperatively with young people and the parents or carers of children and young people undergoing SA and who have EHC plans from assessment through to decision to issue or decline to issue. The post holder must ensure that families are involved with the process and kept informed about the process and that the child or young person is central to any decision made about them.
2. To conduct the SA process from initiation to issue of final plan within the statutory timescales. This means the post holder will need to write the EHC plan using the information gathered as part of the assessment and work collaboratively with wider professional agencies to ensure the outcomes specified in the Plan are identified and delivered and support the Placements officer to ensure appropriate placement is named.
3. To provide detailed information to key decision making panels, SENDT and other appeals (including ISP) in relation to the young person’s proposed placement, costs (including travel costs) and any other matters pertaining to placement and provision, as well as contribute to the LA’s responses to tribunal appeals and complaints, including those from councillors, as well as parents and schools.
4. Attend, initiate and/or organise meetings ensuring key stakeholder attendance in relation to the Statutory Assessment process, re-assessments, or amendments following Annual Review.
5. To know and be able to explain to others, specifically the families/carers of children and young people and schools how to navigate the Local Offer website and locate relevant information
6. To robustly maintain LA databases including Synergy on a ‘live’ basis, ensuring all records are kept up to date and accurate.
7. To maintain positive and effective relationships with schools and health and ensuring that the service works effectively in partnership with all key stakeholders and professionals and other appropriate services linked to the children and family’s needs.
QUALIFICATIONS
⦁ Good basic education and competency in numeracy and literacy.
⦁ NVQ level 3 in SEN casework or equivalent experience
⦁ or relevant qualification or experience in Information advice and guidance
⦁ or appropriate qualification in early years, counselling, youth and community work, health or social service work or equivalent experience
EXPERIENCE
⦁ Practical experience in a relevant field to include working with parents and schools in challenging situations
⦁ Experience of a customer or service user facing environment.
Experience of managing conflicting priorities
SKILLS AND ABILITIES
⦁ Good negotiation skills and high level of interpersonal and communication skills at all levels.
⦁ Ability to plan and prioritise effectively
⦁ ICT literate with accurate record keeping skills
⦁ Ability to work in a pressurised environment and ensure all actions are conducted in a professional manager and in accordance to national, local or statutory timescales
⦁ Effective written and verbal communication skills with wide range of audiences including diplomacy and sensitivity to the needs of others without the use of jargon.
⦁ To effectively organise, plan and deliver own tasks and workload in order to meet statutory timescales and outcomes in line with the service and corporate objectives.
⦁ Resilient
Ability to establish effective working relationships and support young people and the parents and carers of children and young people undergoing SA process or who have EHC plans
KNOWLEDGE
Good understanding of current SEN legislation and its application within the context of Kent