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.
Responsibilities
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. The post holder will:
* Provide a high‑quality point of contact for service users to address their queries and requests.
* Offer information, advice and support to help service users understand SEND legislation, local practices, procedures and interventions.
* Empower service users to express their views and have their voices heard in decision making.
* Support children, young people and/or their parents during the Statutory Assessment process, including mediation and the SEN 1st Tier tribunal process, ensuring they fully understand and can take part.
* Hold a caseload and provide tailored support directly to parents/carers of children with SEND and directly to children and young people with SEND, including for those aged over 16 on their own if requested.
* Work closely with teams in education, health, social care and voluntary groups to support high‑quality service provision.
* Travel across the local area as required.
Qualifications
* Outstanding interpersonal skills, including oral and written communication, listening, empathy and the ability to build rapport.
* Flexibility in approach when dealing with difficult situations, sensitive and confidential information, and ability to work well under pressure.
* Demonstrable understanding and knowledge of current SEND working practice and educational legislation (distinct advantage).
* Ability to work as part of a team as well as independently.
* Computer literacy.
About West Northants Council
People who thrive with ambition, bubble with new ideas, demand better ways of working, care 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’. Our corporate values, THRIVE, stand for Trust, High Performance, Respect, Innovate and Empower.
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.
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