Teacher (Residential Homes)
Permanent, Full Time
£35,674 to £41,970 per annum
Location: Colchester
Working Style: Fixed-base worker
Closing Date: 18th August 2024
Interview Date: 5th September 2024
Opportunity
At the heart of our community, you'll find Children and Families, a beacon of collaboration, integrity, and compassion. We are dedicated to nurturing the growth and wellbeing of children and young people, shielding them from neglect and abuse. Our mission is to work hand-in-hand with our partners to deliver a spectrum of early help, family support, and effective social work interventions. Our goal? To build resilience, dismantle barriers, and empower children and young people to envision a future filled with promise and potential.
We are thrilled to announce the opening of our two new children's homes in the towns of Colchester and Basildon. These homes will serve as safe havens, offering stable, short-term, and supportive placements for children aged 11 -17 who, for the time being, are unable to live with their birth families.
In these homes, the role of a teacher extends beyond the classroom. As an integral part of our residential staff team, the teacher will not only educate but inspire. They will foster a positive learning environment within the home, bridging the gap between home and school. Their role is to cultivate strong partnerships with local education settings, Designated Teachers, the Virtual School, local authority SEND services, and other partners who contribute to our children's learning journey.
Join us as we strive to create a brighter future for our young people, one where they are loved, valued, and understood. Together, we can make a difference. Together, we can change lives.
Accountabilities
- Ensure the educational achievement of children and young people is promoted and priority is given to creating a culture of high educational aspirations.
- Maintain effective communication with the wider team about children and young people's educational progress, attainment, achievements and concerns.
- Provide high-quality, one-to-one additional support and enrichment to children, based on their individual learning needs and interests. Learning beyond the classroom is an important part of children's and young people's education, encouraging them to develop skills and attitudes for life-long learning and meet their educational potential and this requires time, resources, space and support.
- Develop a positive home/education partnership with Designated Teachers, professionals in education settings and the Virtual School to ensure effective communication which meets the needs of children and young people on a day-to-day basis and supports good attendance and punctuality.
- Support the Personalised Education Planning (PEP) process, sharing appropriate information, and working with education settings, social workers, the Virtual School and others, to ensure a child's educational, social, and emotional needs are met holistically.
- Promote a culture that takes account of children's/young people's views about education and the PEP process and help them to articulate these views according to age and understanding.
- Provide additional support and guidance around educational transitions especially at the point children enter or leave the home, but also during transitions that are part of a child's educational journey, especially where this involves a change of educational setting.
- Maintain accurate and up-to-date records of additional support and enrichment activities and communication with schools and other professionals and share these with the Virtual School so that they can be added to the child's/young person's PEP record.
- Work with considerable autonomy, within professional guidelines including KCSiE and the overall framework of Children and Families Services' policies and procedures including safeguarding and health and safety policies, at all times.
- Celebrate Equality and Diversity and ensuring it is considered as part of all decisions taken and contributing to Essex County Council's commitment to Anti Racist Practice.
- Specific individual and shared targets and objectives are defined annually within the performance management framework.
Skills and Knowledge
- Possesses a professional qualification in teaching with Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) or Qualified Teaching Learning Skills Status (QTLS) and teaching experience, with experience of working with children with a range of additional needs and disabilities.
- Has evidence of continuing professional development and expert knowledge in relevant professional area.
- Is a qualified teacher with a passion for working with children in a trauma-informed/perceptive way and has experience of working with children with a range of additional needs and abilities.
- Demonstrates excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build effective relationships with children, parents/carers, and other professionals involved in the children's care.
- Shows knowledge, understanding and experience of the PEP processes, Essex Virtual School, SEND, Educational Safeguarding and initiates such as Trauma Perceptive Practice and 'Let's talk …We Miss You'.
- Is highly organised, with excellent planning and time-management skills, and has the ability to work flexibly, adapt to changing priorities and circumstances and create opportunities for learning in the home and community.
- Shows a strong commitment to inclusive education, with a clear understanding of the importance of personalisation and meeting the individual needs of children.
- Is committed to continuous professional development, and has a willingness to undertake training and development to enhance knowledge and skills.
- Holds a driving licence and has access to a vehicle, or has the ability to meet the mobility requirements of the role through other means, as the job role requires the post holder to be mobile throughout an operational area.
Please note this role is not offered on Teachers Terms & Conditions for further information on pay and reward please visit: Pay and Reward
Why Essex? Essex County Council has a location to be proud of. Our 1,300 square miles stretch from Constable Country to the Thames Estuary, from the dynamic M11 corridor to the traditional seaside resorts of Clacton and Walton. England's oldest town, Colchester, and two of its newest - Basildon and Harlow - are right here. Along with the City of Chelmsford, the county town, they form our major population centres. It means real choice and makes Essex the ideal place for your career. Read more about us.
Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We're committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our Recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments during the process.
We're also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying.
As part of employment with Essex County Council (ECC) should your role require a DBS check you will be required to register with the DBS update service. The DBS update service ensures all registered DBS certificates are kept up to date and allows authorised parties to view the status of your certificate. This is an annual subscription, and you will be responsible for ensuring this is maintained. For further information on the DBS update service please go to https://www.gov.uk/dbs-update-service
Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.
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If you have queries on this role or require anything further, please email resourcing.team@essex.gov.uk
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