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.
About us:
Southwark Virtual School is dedicated to achieving the best educational outcomes for Southwark’s Looked After Children and young people. As part of the Children and Adults’ Services, we provide comprehensive support to ensure our pupils/ students receive a high-quality education, irrespective of their circumstances. We are a cohesive workforce with senior level visibility and close support networks dedicated to your personal development. 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.
Our team is passionate and committed to making a difference in the lives of vulnerable children and young people. We work collaboratively, bringing together diverse expertise to support and enhance the educational experiences of our pupils/ students. We 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 now looking individuals who are passionate about improving the educational experiences of vulnerable young people.
The role:
In this role you will advise and collaborate with teachers and professionals to promote the educational progress of looked after children. You will be responsible for monitoring and promoting the education of looked after children through Personal Education Plans (PEPs), securing education for children missing education (CME), children with special education needs (SEND) and unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC). You will work closely with the Deputy Headteacher to promote the education of looked after children by attending and contributing to team meetings, attendance and CME panels as well as contributing to EHCP annual review meetings and network/professional’s meetings. You will be able to manage a caseload that features children and young people with complex needs, ensuring each child receives educational intervention in a timely manner in line with statutory guidelines.
Additional details
About you:
We are seeking individuals who are outcomes driven and able to motivate, challenge and support a team in a sometimes complex but very rewarding environment. You will be a qualified teacher with a successful track record of improving outcomes for vulnerable groups and formulating cross-service strategies with a deep understanding of statutory guidance for local authorities and the SEN Code of Practice. You will have the ability to work in a team and handle change in a politically sensitive environment. You will possess excellent communication and analytical skills. More importantly, you will have the ability to work collaboratively with schools and social care practitioners.
This is an exceptional opportunity for someone wanting to develop their skills in a supportive and developmental environment in a post that has real impact on the lives of Southwark Looked After Children and children with Social Workers.
We will only consider applications from internal candidates, that are current employees or agency workers on an active assignment. We encourage any internal staff to to gain agreement from their substantive line manager if considering this is as a secondment opportunity.
This post requires a satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) DBS check at Enhanced level.
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.
Recruitment timetable
Advert close: 28th August
Shortlisting date: 30th August
Interview date: 9th September
Guaranteed Interview Scheme:
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
SWCINT
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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