The role
About Southwark:
We are the largest local authority social landlord in London, managing 55,000 homes lived in by 40% of Southwark’s residents. We are home to over 18,300 businesses including iconic London venues and social enterprises and we have a young, diverse and growing population.
At Southwark we are committed to making our borough just and fair and are taking positive action to tackle inequalities. Our residents and communities are our greatest asset and the passion we have for Southwark is shared by millions of Londoners who enjoy our outstanding cultural offer, use our hospitals and attend our universities. Our refreshed borough plan and focus on Southwark Stands Together, (which is our work with Southwark’s communities and the council’s staff to tackle racism, injustice and inequality) underpins all that we do.
The role:
We are looking for an individual who is passionate about improving the educational experiences of vulnerable young people. You will be responsible for managing a team of educational advisors whose primary responsibility is to work with schools to maximise outcomes for Southwark Looked After Children.
You will be a qualified teacher that has had some experience of managing a team. Experience of working with vulnerable students or using a multi agency approach would also be helpful. More importantly, you will have the ability to work collaboratively with schools and social care practitioners. You will be outcomes driven and able to motivate, challenge and support your team in a sometimes complex, very rewarding environment.
Being part of Southwark’s Virtual School means joining a dynamic, creative and supportive network of professionals and skilled colleagues, who are committed to improving the education attainment of children in care and children with a social worker. You will work in partnership with multi-agency partners, including schools and social workers, to promote the inclusion of children with a social worker to ensure they reach their full potential in education. We are a cohesive workforce with senior level visibility and close support networks dedicated to your personal development.
About you:
This is an exceptional opportunity for a candidate wanting to develop their leadership skills in a supportive and developmental environment in a post that is senior enough to have a real impact on the lives of Southwark Looked After Children, Previously Looked After Children and Children with a Social Worker.
To thrive in this post, you will be an experienced leader and have experience of developing strategy and driving innovation to improve outcomes across education and social care. You will have experience of analysing, interpreting, and presenting quantitative and qualitative data, using it to monitor performance and to raise standards. You will be able to develop positive and productive relationships with partners in order to influence practice and improve outcomes. You will have a wide range of communication skills to liaise with a range of internal and external stakeholders in the education sector.
Benefits and more information:
In your role, we want you to feel supported, challenged and rewarded. You will benefit from our family-friendly policies including flexible working, home working, and a local government pension scheme, plus many other staff benefits. You will join a motivated, driven and supportive team that strives for excellence and values its members. You will also be part of a successful and high-achieving development team that is making a real difference to the lives of residents in the borough. For more information about the wide variety of benefits you can take advantage of please visit our Staff Benefits page.
Additional details
This post is being offered as a fixed term contract for 12 months.
Applicants must have Qualified Teacher Status.
Please note a satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check is required at enhanced level.
Guaranteed Interview Scheme:
Southwark Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. As part of our commitment to inclusion, we offer guaranteed interviews for specific groups of people. To qualify, you'll need to meet the minimum requirements for the role, and identify with one of the below criteria:
• Members of the Armed Forces and veterans
• Are currently in care, or have previously been in care
• If you consider yourself to be disabled or if you have a long-term health condition
Recruitment timetable
Closing Date: Monday 28th August 2023 at 23:59
Interview Date: Wednesday 6th September 2023
SWCHTF
We are an organisation who is passionate about our people and understands that richness of diversity is a requirement to provide the best possible services to our communities. This is demonstrated through our council-wide ambitious commitment to tackle racial inequality in our communities and workforce through our Southwark Stands Together programme. We particularly welcome applications from members of the Black, Asian and ethnic minority communities to increase representation at senior management level in the Council.
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