Inclusion Support Officer - Kirklees Local Offer - INTERNAL

We adopt a ‘name blind’ approach to shortlisting. Recruiting managers will not have access to personal information, including your name and contact details, until a shortlisting decision has been made - please note that this also includes any CV uploaded. Equality monitoring information is not accessible by recruiting managers at any stage.
Kirklees
Children & Families
Learning & Early Support
37 hours
2
Huddersfield and surrounding areas
Permanent
Grade 9

£32,076 - £34,834

Are you experienced in working with children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and looking for a new challenge?

In Kirklees, we want to be innovative and creative in the way we respond to increasing pressures on the SEND support system, focusing on developing meaningful and trusted relationships and working closely with schools, families, partners and communities to understand these challenges and help to identify the right support at the right time.

The Inclusion Support Officers (ISO) co-ordinate high quality information, guidance, advice and bespoke support for education professionals within Kirklees with regard to Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).  Initially developed as a pilot project to support schools, it’s success has resulted in the requirement to expand the scope and remit of these roles to offer early SEND guidance to families, communities as well as other professionals within the SEND system.

This role sits within the Kirklees SEND Local Offer, which delivers information, advice and guidance around SEND through a website, social media, face to face engagement sessions, telephone line support and email.  The ISOs will align with the four Families Together areas (Kirklees rural, Huddersfield, Dewsbury & Mirfield, Batley & Spen) by working with colleagues, schools and families within these areas to ensure that good SEND information and guidance is available across the whole of Kirklees.

Inclusion Support Officers currently provide support to over 180 primary settings, 50 secondary settings, 18 post-16 setting and numerous alternative and independent settings.   

This role is based within Children and Families. Find out more about working for Kirklees. 

Duties will include:

  • Work in a place-based way to support communities of schools, services, activities, third sector and families to provide information, advice, support and signposting around SEND issues. This involves building effective relationships with key stakeholders from each of the Families Together areas to gain a thorough understanding of what support and help is available within that area so that the ISO can better advise schools, professionals and families on what is available locally to them.
  • To contribute, drive and shape the ongoing development of the service to provide holistic SEND advice, guidance and coordination of support to families at the earliest opportunity to prevent emerging SEND needs escalating.
  • Monitor ISO telephone line and email address and respond to calls, requests for support and emails.
  • Provide bespoke advice, support and information to schools and settings on SEND processes and services using a strength based and restorative approach.
  • Provide advice and guidance as to how school SEND staff can utilise new and existing support networks from within health, social care, third sector and the community to reduce the pressure on assessed services and create positive outcomes for families.
  • Develop high level working knowledge of local SEND systems, support mechanisms and services from across education, health and care and communities.
  • Exercise a high degree of independence, initiative, and expertise in the daily running of the ISO by looking at ways to support families, schools, professionals and communities.
  • Lead on promotion of the service within a defined geographical area.
  • Build positive, reciprocal relationships with educational settings, families and key stakeholders (from across education, health and care) across Kirklees.
  • To assist the Local Offer (LO) Lead on the collection and analysis of feedback and data received on the Inclusion Support Offer and maintain mechanisms to collect feedback from stakeholders, ensuring that feedback is reported, monitored, analysed and used for future service improvements.
  • Ensure that safeguarding procedures are adhered to by recognising when it is appropriate to ensure schools/settings are following their specific school guidelines when a concern is shared.
  • Deliver service briefings/presentations to schools/settings/services on the ISO role.
  • Manage and deal with sensitive and confidential information in line with GDPR and ensuring accurate recording and storing.
  • Contribute to the development of the Local Offer with constant relevant information.
  • The role will be hybrid working.

It is essential that you have good IT skills and that you are familiar with a variety of computer packages in particular Microsoft Office.

What we can offer you;

  • Generous annual leave entitlement
  • Ongoing Training and Career development
  • Excellent pension scheme
  • A range of family friendly polices
  • We offer a wide range of well-being initiatives including a cycle to work scheme and discounted KAL membership

Richard Dresser is the manager for this role, please contact them on 01484 221000 for an informal discussion, or if you need any more information. 
This job is subject to a DBS check at the appropriate level, please refer to the Job Description/Profile.  A conviction may not exclude candidates from appointment but will be considered as part of the recruitment process.
We know there’s a wealth of talent among people who have a disability and we encourage applications from people with all differing abilities. So, if you need any support completing an application form, or any other format for the application or Job Description please contact the Recruitment Team for help by email: jobs@kirklees.gov.uk or phone: 01484 221000 and ask for ‘Recruitment’.
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of vulnerable adults and children and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

03 October 2022, 9:00 PM

Important Information

Job profile.pdf – 198KB

This vacancy is closed to applications.