Job Description

ID 2895

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The Welsh Government operates name-free recruitment. The recruiting panel will not see personal information such as a candidate's name and address during the sifting process. This policy is in line with our commitment to end bias and promote equality and diversity.

Vacancy details

Vacancy title
Professional Advisor - Supporting Learners with Healthcare Needs


Closing date
15/07/2025, 16:00


Advertising basis
Secondment
Actual starting salary
Secondees will remain on the pay, terms and conditions of their home organisation
Salary range or pay band
Grade 7 58,918 to 70,450
Allowances
No
Work pattern
Full time (applications are welcome from people who work part time, as part of a job share or who work full time)
Duration
Up to 1 Year
Group
Education, Culture and Welsh Language
Directorate
Education
Branch
Additional Learning Needs
Location (s)
Pan Wales
Pan Wales' means that the location in which the vacancy can be based is flexible, subject to the needs of the business. A list of the Welsh Government's offices can be found on www.gov.wales/welsh-government-offices. Please note it may not always be possible to accommodate a preference for a specific office location.
Purpose of post
The additional learning needs branch within the Welsh Government are seeking to appoint a secondee: a senior practitioner/manager from within the school's system in Wales or from a local authority for 12 months to undertake a review and any necessarily amends of the Supporting Learners with healthcare Needs Guidance (2017) to understand matters and respond to concerns relating to guidance and if necessary, set out what work is needed to update the guidance to improve understanding by Summer 2026. The post holder will work with internal and external stakeholders to support the development and delivery of the Supporting Learners with Healthcare Needs guidance to ensure it meets the landscape and profile of learners with healthcare needs in schools and also to support local authorities, governing bodies, education settings, education and health professionals and other organisations to support learners with healthcare needs and ensure minimal disruption to their education. The Supporting Learners with Healthcare Needs guidance was published in 2017, and is designed to assist local authorities, governing bodies, education settings, education and health professionals and other organisations to support learners with healthcare needs and ensure minimal disruption to their education. It contains both statutory guidance and non-statutory advice. The Welsh Government is committed to updating the Supporting Learners with Healthcare Needs guidance to reflect the duties placed on local authorities under the Curriculum and Assessment Act and under the Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Act 2018 in relation to Education other than at school (EOTAS) learners. To enable a more comprehensive understanding of the issues and concerns raised, a review process will be initiated. This process will involve engagement with a broad range of stakeholders and collaboration with policy officials to develop recommendations aimed at enhancing both the comprehension and implementation of the guidance. Amendments to the guidance will need to be made with consideration of related frameworks, such as the School Nursing Framework and Continuing Care guidance.

Key tasks
Develop an action plan to set out the scope of the work in the short, medium, and longer term, define key work strands and include detail on key milestones, resource requirements, risks, contingencies and communications. Co-ordinate and manage the review of the guidance to understand matters, identify areas of inconsistencies in practice and develop recommendations to resolve matters and day to day operational issues, improve understanding of roles and responsibilities of the health and education sectors. Engage positively with stakeholders, children and young people and their parents and carers, ensuring that they are kept well informed, actively listened to and involved in continuous and future service development and review. Establish and lead a working group to understand matters in detail and identify areas of effective practice to be shared, including influencing effective practice in further education via the FEI networks. Ensure that all Welsh Government officials and key stakeholders are kept informed of any developments so that appropriate liaison/ joint action may occur. To consider implications and alignment of other legislation and guidance including the Children and Young People's Continuing Care Guidance, school nursing framework and other related guidance. Provide professional advice to Welsh Government officials on healthcare needs matters, including attending the multiagency forum and ALN reform steering group on emerging themes and recommendations. To develop resources to deliver relevant training and education to raise awareness of supporting learners with healthcare needs in school.




Development opportunities
The post holder will need to work at pace at a national level to lead on and delivery of the Supporting learners with healthcare needs guidance to ensure it meets the landscape and profile of learners with healthcare needs in schools in Wales working with a range of external stakeholders. Gain experience of working within a high profile and high performing programme delivering a key ministerial priority.

Other vacancy related information
This advertisement confirms the overall criteria being assessed throughout this recruitment exercise. For further details on the criteria and evidence required at the application stage, you will need toreview the application form. A reserve list may be held for this opportunity. Any candidate who is successful in being offered a reserve status, will remain on the reserve list for 12 months. In the case of more than one candidate scoring the same, the panel has agreed the following criteria will determine merit order: Experience criteria; Leadership; Communicating and influencing. For this recruitment a minimum score of 4 across all behaviours and experiences at application and interview. In the event of a large number of applications, an initial sift will be conducted against the lead assessment criterion: Leadership. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to assessment/interview. A presentation will be required at interview on experience criteria 2: 'Experience of deploying the Supporting Health Care Needs guidance', further details will be provided with interview invitation.

Vetting level
Basic
Number of posts
1
Contact point for further information regarding the post
additionallearningneedsbranch@gov.wales