****Internal applicants only****
This vacancy is open to internal staff only

About us

These are 12 month fixed term posts and could be a secondment if agreed with your line manager. You will be working in the Early Help SEND Family Support team based at the Play and Sensory Centre in Woolston with close links to our Children's Centres. The post holder will report to the Early Help SEND Team Manager.

The role

The  SEND Family Support team works with children and young people with disabilities and their families. 

You will build relationships with families that you work with to undertake whole family assessments and plans to help understand their unique support needs and to identify whether short breaks would be appropriate.

Liaising with partner agencies is important to ensure families have the support they need through multi agency Team Around the Family (TAF) meetings that you will often lead.

The role requires you to undertake direct work with children and young people to gather their views in a variety of ways to ensure their voices are heard and influence the family support plan. You will be visiting families in their home environment and will be expected to undertake interventions to support individual needs that may be in relation to a range of needs identified via the assessment.

You will form positive working relationships with many other services such as Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) team, Occupational Therapy, Adults Services, local special schools and designated provisions, Young Carers, local disability community groups and Children with Disabilities team.

The role is demanding and can be complex to ensure packages of support are coordinated well, but it is also rewarding too. The job is 37 hours per week and operates within the councils flexible working policy.

What's needed?

You should have a passion for working with children with disabilities and have the ability to advocate for them to ensure services meet their support needs. The role requires you to have excellent communication skills including verbal and written with the ability to find creative ways to understand children and young people whereby verbal communication is not their preferred method.

You will need to have experience of undertaking whole family assessments and leading multi agency support plans.

You must have the ability to be empathic and show sensitivity to the families you will be working with.

An understanding of the SEND Code of Practice and what short breaks for children with disabilities means is essential. You will need to understand Warrington's continuum of need and have the ability to respond to safeguarding in a timely and appropriate way ensuring that processes are followed confidently to keep children and young people safe.

Benefits

As well as a competitive salary, working for us means you get:

• 26 days annual holiday - raising to 31 after 5 years of service (pro-rata)
• Access to our attractive and competitive benefits package
• Access to our Health & Wellbeing Programme
• Flexible working

Key Dates & Further Information

If you are shortlisted you will be invited for interview and can expect to undertake a task and answer a number of questions related to the job description. You can call Sally Bristow (Early Help SEND Team Manager) for an informal chat to find out more about the role on 01925 817347

DBS clearance is required.

The ability to converse at ease with customers and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post.

If you are a permanent WBC employee you will need to apply for this fixed term position as an internal secondment opportunity and will need to discuss this with your current line manager prior to applying.

DBS clearance is required.

Warrington Borough Council is a Disability Confident employer