Your New OrganisationSouthend-On-Sea City Council is a unitary local authority, providing vital services to meet the needs of the localmunity. We employ around 1,800 staff who work alongside our partners and localmunities to deliver the city vision and make lives better for the people of Southend.Working for Southend-On-Sea City Council offers a challenging and rewarding career in localernment within a collaborative and innovative environment, with the benefit of flexible working practices to support a positive work-life balance. As a Unitary Authority, we are responsible for all localernment functions ranging from social services, transport, public health and parks through to planning, trading standards,munity safety and education, so we offer a wide range of career opportunities. The diversity of our economy andmunities and investment in a number of exciting regeneration projects makes our Council a great place to work, learn and make a difference.
Your new roleSouthend City Council is seeking to appoint an additional Qualified Teacher of the Visually Impaired (QTVI) to join our established and highly regarded Sensory Team. This is an exciting opportunity to be part of a professional, motivated, and friendly group of specialists supporting children and young people with hearing loss across the city.Our current team includes Teachers of the Deaf (ToD), a Multi-Sensory Impairment (MSI) Teacher, a Qualified Teacher of the Visually Impaired (QTVI), a Habilitation Officer, and a Pre-School Family Support Worker, working closely with families of deaf babies and children. Due to service expansion, we are now looking to recruit an additional colleague to help meet growing demand. We wee applications from experienced QTVI’s and those currentlypleting their mandatory qualification, as we offer structured mentoring and guidance from our experienced team.The Sensory Team is part of the wider Specialist Teaching Service, which supports over 700 children and young people with a range of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). This creates regular opportunities for joint working with specialist teachers in Autism, Cognition and Learning, Speech and Language, and Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH). Our collaborative approach enables continuous professional development and knowledge-sharing across a broad range of additional needs. We aremitted to improving oues for children and young people with SEND, working alongside schools and settings to promote inclusive practice and lifelong learning.Key Responsibilities:
1. Support children and young people aged 0–25 who are blind or are visually impaired, in homes, early years settings, schools, and colleges across Southend.
2. Provide specialist advice and support to schools, settings, and families to promote inclusive education and personalised support.
3. Work collaboratively with school leaders, SENCOs, teachers, and external agencies to identify and meet the needs of children with hearing loss.
4. Deliver training, model effective practice, and promote the use of assistive technologies andmunication approaches.
5. Contribute to early identification, assessment, and planning to ensure timely and effective interventions.
6. Ensure all practiceplies with safeguarding, SEND legislation, and local inclusion strategies.
What you'll need to succeed
7. Mandatory qualification as a Teacher of the Visually Impaired (QTVI) is preferred, although applications are wee from teachers currently undertaking QTVI training.
8. Strong track record of inclusive teaching in a mainstream or special school setting.
9. Understanding of the challenges faced by children and young people with hearing loss and how to remove barriers to learning.
10. Knowledge of SEND frameworks, the national curriculum, and current educational policy.
11. Experience of multi-agency working and effective partnership with families.
What you'll get in return
12. A full induction programme, shadowing opportunities, and regular 1:1 and peer supervision.
13. Weekly CPD sessions tailored to the needs of SEND professionals.
14. A collaborative and growing service with 25+ specialist colleagues.
15. Opportunities to develop professionally within a dynamic and forward-thinking local authority.
16. A chance to make a tangible difference in the lives of children and families across Southend.