Job Description

About the role

We are seeking to recruit a Senior Inclusion Officer in the Education Inclusion & Partnership Team in North Northamptonshire Council. You would be joining a highly motivated, committed team which has been brought together from a wide range of experiences to ensure pupils have full access to, are safe in and are able to achieve positive outcomes in education.


The Educational Inclusion and Partnerships Team fulfil the statutory duties of the local authority pertaining to children and young people of statutory school age including Elective home Education (EHE), Children Missing Education (CME), Child Employment and Entertainment (CEE), securing 6th day provision following Permanent Exclusion and investigations for the offence of failing to secure regular school attendance. This Senior Inclusion Officer role will lead and manage the team in all areas, with a focus on Elective Home Education and Children Missing Education.



We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workforce which reflects the community we serve. We aim to create a workplace that celebrates diversity as we know our greatest strengths are the people who make up our team.



We want talented, ambitious and passionate people like you to come and take on this challenging and rewarding role. With excellent oral and written communication skills, you will be a clear thinker and outcome focussed. Collaborative multi-agency working is key to this role alongside being resilient and determined.



For any further information relating to the role please contact the Recruiting Manager, Ryan Jarvis. Email: ryan.jarvis@northnorthants.gov.uk


What will you be doing?

1) To manage a team within the inclusion service (Inclusion officers, CME officers, EHE officers and administrative staff) reviewing and allocating cases, to ensure the needs of each child and young person are met and that each child has the opportunity to reach their full potential, through effective and regular guidance, supervision and appraisals of staff, tackling challenging issues, effective recruitment and ensuring the team is resourced appropriately


2)Work within the Education and Inclusion Team with vulnerable children and young people as part of a wider multi-disciplinary team, to ensure that vulnerable learners receive a high quality education enabling them to fulfil their potential and achieve economic wellbeing.


3)Hold a small number of complex cases to ensure positive outcomes are achieved whenever possible to ensure all vulnerable children meet their full potential and that early intervention and inclusion prevents more intrusive and costly interventions being required later in the child's life. 4)Challenge and support schools across the County to ensure they are fulfilling their educational responsibilities.5)Provide guidance and advice to schools, settings, parents and other service areas on a specific area e.g. exclusions, to bring about best practice in providing for the needs of the most vulnerable. 6)Champion the needs and aspirations of vulnerable children and young people or with complex needs, ensuring the voices of children and young people are heard, to ensure their full potential is achieved.7)Work with the Education Inclusion Service Manager and other officers where appropriate to ensure that no school or setting is at risk of not fulfilling their statutory obligations in relation to the education of vulnerable children and young people. 8)Facilitate the sharing of best practice and broker school-to-school support.9)Have regard to the Code of Practice on the identification and assessment of special educational needs and other relevant legislation in relation to excluded pupils, pupils missing education, attendance and children who are electively home educated as well as in relation to management responsibilities. About you

Minimum level of qualifications required for this job

Qualifications Required

Subject

Essential/

Desirable

Educated to degree or equivalent level



Degree or NVQ level 5



Essential



Demonstrable evidence of continued professional development



For example in behaviour management, safeguarding, or Curriculum provision (Education or Social Care)



Essential



Management qualification



NVQ Level 5 in management. ILM management course



Desirable




Minimum levels of knowledge, skills and experience required for this job

Identify Describe

Essential/ Desirable

Knowledge

Knowledge experience and expertise to be able to deliver advice to a wide range of schools and associated professionals.



Experience of working in a school or working closely with schools.



Essential



Detailed knowledge and understanding of schools, their systems and of the potential opportunities for inter-school collaboration.



Experience of working in a school or working closely with schools.



Essential



Detailed knowledge and understanding of the needs and entitlements of a wide range of children and young people including those excluded from school, educated at home, those with behavioural difficulties, missing from education, persistently absent, with Special Educational Needs.



Knowledge of relevant legislation, child development, social impact, disabilities. Experience of working with some of the listed groups.



Essential



Detailed knowledge of current guidance and legislation on entitlement issues.



Experience of the use of data to critically evaluate the achievement of children or young people. Knowledge of relevant legislation.



Essential

Skills

Proven leadership /leadership skills in order to raise standards of achievement through planning, cooperative working, target setting, and analysis of performance data.



To have skills to identify and issue work


within the service to resolve the issue, to monitor outcomes and implement strategies based on proven research findings and robust data analysis.


Review practice.



Desirable



Displays positive creative leadership, motivating enthusiasm in others



Demonstrates personal enthusiasm for and commitment to the learning process. Has high moral code, high standards of


self professionalism, able to demonstrate, initiative and self motivation.


Has an excellent record of attendance and punctuality.


Is well organised, manages time well and able to meet deadlines.


Has a strong commitment to team working and distributed leadership.


Is able to find solutions to problems quickly and willing to take calculated risks.


Is empathetic to needs of others.


Works with high degree of accuracy and pays attention to detail.


Able to remain positive and calm in all scenarios, including when under pressure and in difficult circumstances.



Essential



Have good management skills sufficient to sensitively manage motivate and support staff working in a complex area and sometimes challenging circumstances.



Lead by example listen and evaluate.


Solution focused practice.


Bases decisions on best practice. Have processes in place to ensure staff are fully supported.


Supervision, appraisal, team meetings, reflective practice sessions, lone working policies.


Clear expectations so staff are clear of their role. Consistent and fair decision making.



Essential

Experience

Give an idea of the type and level of experience required

do not

specify years of experience.



Proven and successful experience in a school and/or Local Authority with specific professional expertise working with vulnerable learners.



Significant experience of working in a child care profession i.e. Teacher, Social Worker, Youth Worker.



Essential



Proven experience of working with vulnerable children and young people.



Significant experience of working in a child care profession i.e. Teacher, Social Worker, Youth Worker.



Essential



Previous experience of supervising or managing staff.



Previous experience as a supervisor/ manager.



Essential



Experience of the use of data to critically evaluate the achievement of children or young people.



Experience of recording data and analysing and implementing change founded on sound research and data analysis.



Essential



Experience of multi-agency working and the ability to establish and maintain good working relationships with stakeholders and partners.



Evidence of working with a wide range of professionals and evidence of multiagency working.



Essential




About us

Our values define who we are and how we operate, by forming the foundation for how we interact with our customers, colleagues and provide our services. They are also at the forefront of our decision making and delivery and are:


Customer-focused

Respectful

Efficient

Supportive

Trustworthy


Our Key Commitments


Our key commitments help ensure that the priorities we make, now and in the future, maintain the necessary breadth of focus in those areas that we believe matter most.


We are proud to be a recognised Disability Confident Employer and is committed to providing an inclusive recruitment process and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role.


North Northamptonshire Council re-signed the Armed Forces Covenant in June 2024 which highlights the Council's pledge to support the Armed Forces community. The council obtained the silver status award for the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) and we are now currently working towards achieving Gold status.


Further information can be found at Jobs and careers | North Northamptonshire Council (northnorthants.gov.uk)


Our benefits

Here at North Northamptonshire Council, we're transforming for the better, using all our creativity and imagination to create the best life for our local people.



You'll find that we have a wide range of careers that may be more surprising than you think!


Why choose us?


We offer a vibrant working environment with:

a competitive salary a pension scheme, where we pay a significant contribution on top of your contribution. It provides life cover and ill-health protection. lots of opportunities to develop your skills, knowledge and potential in a large unitary council generous leave entitlement (28 days, rising to 33 days) and bank holidays, plus the option to buy up to an extra 10 days hybrid and flexible working arrangements, where practicable for service needs to help you with a healthy work-life balance.


We provide a range of great benefits such as an Employee Assistance Programme, an Employee Benefits Scheme, wellbeing support, travel rates at HMRC rates, as well as supporting a range of active Employee Network Groups.