The ESOL department is a busy area of DurhamLearn (part of Durham County Council’s Education and Skills department) delivering a range of educational programmes including ESOL Skills for Life, Tailored Learning, vocational programmes and functional skills. An opportunity has arisen for TWO Specialist Support Interpreters to support the department and learners in ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) classes at lower levels of ability. The contract will be on a sessional basis and you will be asked to support at a variety of locations as and when the need arises. WHAT IS INVOLVED? The role will entail both interpreting and supporting ESOL teachers to deliver high quality lessons which develop learner’s ability in English reading, writing and speaking & listening. You may also be required to translate for the wider service on an ad-hoc basis. The ideal candidate will have recent experience of supporting in an ESOL classroom with proven ability to translate in a learner’s first language. This will be to support in a variety of situations including paperwork completion and resource/delivery support. We currently support new refugees arriving in the County, and are particularly interested in people fluent in both English and the Afghan languages (Dari or Pashto) or Ukrainian. The post may involve extensive travel between centres in County Durham. This may involve long periods of standing, manual handling, lifting, carrying and erecting of equipment. A small amount of paperwork to record learner progress will be required. We encourage you to contact RACHEL MINTO via email at rachel.minto@durham.gov.uk to arrange an informal discussion about the role. WHAT WILL I NEED? GCSE Grade A to C in English and Maths, or equivalent Recent and demonstrable experience in translating and supporting in an ESOL-related environment One or more of the following (or a willingness to work towards these) are desirable but not essential: Teaching support qualification at Level 3 Teaching support qualification from Level 3 Level 2 Award in Volunteering to Support English Language Teaching and Learning Level 2 Certificate In Preparing for the Community Interpreting Role DPSI – Diploma in Public Services Interpreting The successful applicant for this post will be required to apply for a Disclosure & Barring Service Enhanced Disclosure. INTERVIEWS Interviews will be held week commencing 8th December 2025. We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants that can show they meet all the essential criteria and have indicated they have a disability, are a looked after young person, care leaver or a veteran. OUR OFFER TO YOU We offer a competitive rewards package that includes attractive salaries, a generous annual leave entitlement of 27 days (rising to 32 after five years’ continuous local government service), membership of the excellent contributory career average Local Government Pension Scheme, and a range of flexible working arrangements including hybrid working (home and office) where applicable. Explore the full range of rewards and benefits on our website Rewards and benefits are subject to individual terms and conditions. EQUALITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION We are a proud equal opportunities employer and believe a diverse workforce brings fresh ideas and drives service improvement. We welcome applications from everyone and make employment decisions based on skills and ability. As a Disability Confident Leader, we actively encourage applications from disabled people and offer support throughout the recruitment process. HOW TO APPLY Please note, we do not accept CVs. All applications must be submitted online via the Northeast Jobs portal. Use the ‘Person Specification’ section of the form to clearly demonstrate how you meet the essential (and where possible, desirable) criteria. Applications that do not evidence the essential requirements will not be shortlisted. For guidance on completing your application, visit our website If you require assistance when applying for this role, please contact our Recruitment Helpdesk on 03000 26 27 27, or via email RecruitmentCYPS@durham.gov.uk All correspondence relating to your application will be sent from donotreply@northeastjobs.org.uk. Kindly check your spam/junk folder regularly to ensure you don’t miss any updates. CONNECT WITH US Follow us on Instagram Like us on Facebook Visit our website VPRS/161