The Opportunity
Salary: NJC Grade 8 £31,586 to £34,314 per annum, pro rata £17,073 to £18,548 per annum

Contract Type: Permanent

Working Pattern: 20 hours per week, Part Time, spread over 3 days as agreed with the Line Manager, between 8.30am – 5pm. However, there will be an expectation to work the occasional evening or Saturday if there are any support group invites or events to attend and participate.

Location: Based at Bognor Regis Nursery School, with hybrid working, including working across West Sussex. You will need to be able to drive (but do not necessarily need to own a car) to meet the requirements for this role.

Closing date: 26 February 2025

Interview Date: 05 March 2025

Are you looking for a new and exciting opportunity?

Do you have experience in customer service?

Are you passionate about supporting children and young people with SEND?

As a Child and Young Person Advisor in our Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information, Advice and Support Service (SENDIAS), you will provide clear, impartial information and advice relating to SEND, to support children, young people, and their families.

This is a fantastic opportunity where you will undertake SEND law and legal training with Westminster University in your first year, accredited to the Bar Standards Board of Continuous Professional Development points.

You will work in partnership across WSCC services, Schools, Colleges, Agencies, volunteers, and other stakeholders to provide awareness, information, and a sharing of knowledge regarding SEND.

There are administration, data, and analysis elements to this role, where you will research and interpret complex information without guidance.

Key responsibilities of the role include:

Advocating for young people.
Empowering children, young people, and their parents/carers to positively discuss SEND and their concerns.
Supporting families to understand their rights and responsibilities.
Enabling families to evaluate their choices and make informed decisions.
An empathetic and patient approach to various members of the community.
Conciliation and mediation skills in order to help facilitate a meeting, including diplomacy and negotiation skills.
For more information on the Key Skills, Qualifications and/or Experience required, please refer to the Job Description attached. Please refer to the key skills in your cover letter.

About You
You will be primarily supporting children and young people aged 14 and above, and their parent carers, but at times the service user may be younger if they chose to contact the service.

We are looking for someone who is empathetic with strong emotional resilience, who can remain impartial, build positive relationships, and engage and empower a range of children and young people with SEND.

You will need a calm manner and emotional resilience for dealing with demanding situations or conflicts. You will need to communicate with a range of people, some of which may have communication difficulties.

You will be proficient in giving information and advice over the phone and by email but will also be field based at times supporting children, young people, and their parent carers face to face.

If you enjoy working in a small, committed team and you possess excellent communication skills and an understanding of the needs of children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities then we would like to hear from you.