The Role

Does the sound of helping children and young people with SEND reach their full potential excite you?

Would you like to work in a team that wants you to realise your creative side whilst ensuring children and young people with SEND voices are heard and acted upon?

Are you able to adapt from front line facilitation in a youth setting to a team’s meeting with professionals?

If the answer is yes, we would love to hear from you!

Wandsworth SEND Participation Service is seeking a full time permanent practitioner to work within our team. Come and join us!

Our vision

We are passionate about young people influencing change in decisions that affect their lives organisations and communities

It’s our aspiration for every child and young person in Wandsworth to be safe from harm and abuse, be enabled to reach their full potential and develop skills for life, enjoy healthy lifestyles and be happy and active members of the community.

About the Early Help Service

Early Help support is targeted and responsive, ensuring that children and their families can access services easily and coordinated around the individual needs of the family.

In order to do this well we need the right people to join us on our journey that places children at the heart of our practice. We already have a highly skilled and experienced team of practitioners who support these ambitions

About the role

You will be working with children and young people aged 11-25 with SEND, who need targeted support in a youth work setting. You will be providing a creative programme for learning and development in an environment that is led by the children and young people. You will be managing a youth work team and a building that houses numerous projects that support our short breaks offer.

You will be active in the participation of children and young people with disabilities ensuring their voices are heard at an operational and strategic level.

The successful candidate in this role will:

• Work closely with specialist services to ensure children and young people. voice is captured in consultations across service areas 11-25 for children and young people with SEND.
• Lead on the development of the George Shearing specialist offer including managing the effective use of the building by in house and commissioned services (11-25).
• Have an ability to adapt to an evolving service area.
• Actively support Participation in the borough to ensure the voice of children and young people with disabilities is heard and acted on.
• Have past experience in working with children and young people with disabilities would be an advantage in this role.

Contact details

For an informal discussion about the role please contact Catherine Keevil by email Catherine.keevil@richmondandwandsworth.gov.uk or if you have technical issues please contact our recruitment team on recrutiment@richmondandwandsworth.gov.uk 

Benefits

We recognise the importance of a good balance between work and home life so we do everything we can to accommodate flexible working including, working from home and other arrangements. Please just let us know in your application or at any stage throughout the process (and beyond) if these are options you’d like to explore.

We also offer a generous holiday allowance of 39 paid days (pro rata) including bank holidays and a wide range of learning and development opportunities. In addition, we offer a comprehensive range of staff benefits such as membership of the Local Government pension scheme, childcare vouchers, new technology scheme, interest-free loans on annual travel cards, discounts with many leisure activities, restaurants, shops and other establishments.

Indicative Recruitment Timelines

• Closing date: 11:59pm on Sunday 22nd January 2022
• Shortlisting date: Monday 23rd January 2022
• Interview date/s: Wednesday 25th January 2022

Useful information: The closing date is given as a guide. We reserve the right to close this vacancy once a sufficient number of applications has been received. We strongly advise you to complete your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. 

Please note that the advertised dates for interviews may change due to the current Covid-19 situation. If they do, we will let you know as soon as possible. Your health and wellbeing is our top priority. Should you become unwell due to Covid-19 during the recruitment process we would very much appreciate receiving an update from you as soon as possible.

Equality Statement

Richmond and Wandsworth Councils are committed to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone. We are committed to promoting equality and diversity and developing a culture that values differences, recognising that employees from a variety of backgrounds bring important and positive contributions to the Councils and can improve the way we deliver services. We are pleased to be Disability Confident employer.

At Wandsworth, we particularly welcome applications from sections of the community who are currently underrepresented within our teams, including differing ethnicities and disabilities. We understand the value of what a diverse workforce brings to our local authority and therefore, strongly encouraging candidates from these backgrounds to apply to this position.

Important Information

This post is exempted under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and as such appointment to this post will be conditional upon the receipt of a satisfactory response to a check of police records via Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) helps employers make safer recruitment decisions and prevent unsuitable people from working with vulnerable groups, including children. It replaces the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) and Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA).

How to apply?  

To be considered for interview your CV and supporting statement (no longer than 1 side of a4) must highlight your knowledge, skills and experience listed in the Job Profile located at the bottom of the advert.

Richmond and Wandsworth Councils