Are you looking for the next step in your career? Are you passionate about making a positive difference to children and families? Are you experienced at supporting learners pastoral needs, liaising with families and ensuring every child thrives? If so, we would love to hear from you!

Due to the relocation of the current post holder, we are looking to recruit a new Family Liaison and Pastoral Lead to start in September 2024.

Purpose of the role

This role is a crucial role within our school. The Pastoral and Family Liaison leader will be expected to effectively support vulnerable learners to thrive and to ensure that their social, emotional and mental health needs are well supported. They will need to liaise effectively with families and take a key role in the safeguarding of all learners.

Summary of role:

·       To work with children, parents, carers, staff and external services to enable children at risk of not achieving, due to low level unmet needs, to have full access to educational opportunities and overcome barriers to learning.

·       To prevent needs escalating to require intervention by more specialist services

·       To effectively support vulnerable learners and their families to be able to thrive

·       To be a role model of excellence for pastoral support and family liaison

·       To work strategically alongside the leadership team to develop our pastoral provision and support for families

Key Responsibilities

Pastoral support

·       Undertake direct intervention work with children, e.g., Protective Behaviours, Drawing and Talking

·       To be the Deputy Mental Health Lead, providing advice and support to children, staff and parents.

·       Coordinate transition processes for in-year admissions, entry to Nursery and Reception as well as transition to secondary school. This to include: leading school tours for prospective parents/carers, home visits for new Nursery and Reception children, and meetings for in-year admissions families.

·       To manage medical needs including developing and reviewing individual health care  plans

·       To support learners who need support with self-regulation

·       To coordinate the schools lunch club provision

·       To be one of the schools STEPs trainers and support staff with implementing a therapeutic approach

·       To ensure our school environment is well equipped to support learners social, emotional and mental health needs.

·       To monitor attendance and develop plans to tackle persistent absence

·       To work closely with external agencies such as DESC & ESMA to ensure the right support at the right time is sought

·       Make sure each member of staff has access to, understands and can apply consistently, the school’s pastoral procedures and strategies, especially new staff

·       Act as the lead point of contact for parents/carers in relation to pastoral and behavioural issues, involving relevant staff members as necessary

·       Communicate with parents/carers following behavioural incidents to discuss the effectiveness of the support in place for their child 

Family liaison & Safeguarding

·       To provide targeted support to children and their families with unmet needs by engaging them in one to one support by:

Working with children to build their engagement in learning

Providing appropriate intervention programmes for vulnerable children and their families

Providing targeted work with children who have persistent absence

Provide information and advice to families, including signposting and referral to relevant services in response to identified need.

·       To engage in the Early Help Module, Families First Assessment process and organisation of the Team Around the Family (TAF).

·       Attend Child Protection Conferences, Core Groups meetings and Child in Need meetings, providing reports and acting as the school’s representative.

·       As a Deputy DSP, be responsible for promoting and safeguarding the welfare of children.

·       Support class teachers in meeting with and liaising with parents and carers.

·       Plan and implement a range of workshops and programmes of support to help families

·       Record, maintain and share data as appropriate, including evaluation of outcomes following planned programmes of work.

Skills, Abilities & Personal Qualities

1.       Ability to engage positively with families and to negotiate with professionals from a range of services to access appropriate support for children and families.

2.       Good written and oral communication skills.

3.       Good organisational, administrative and time management skills including record keeping and computer literacy.

4.       Ability to work flexibly without close supervision and to work effectively as part of a team.

5.       A full driving licence and use of a car with business class insurance in order to travel to meetings (e.g. child protection, child in need)

6.       Ability to remain calm under pressure and be able to prioritise effectively

7.       Positive and solutions focused attitude and work ethic

8.       Fully committed to safeguarding, equality, diversity and inclusion

Knowledge and Experience

1.       Experience of direct work with children and parents and carers, and the knowledge and understanding of how to respond to a diversity of needs, challenges and backgrounds.

2.       Secure knowledge of safeguarding policies and procedures including knowledge and experience of integrated practice and processes, including the Common Assessment Framework and the role of the Team Around the Family and the Lead Professional.

3.       Knowledge of confidentiality, professional boundaries, child protection and safeguarding policies and procedures.

4.       Experience delivering interventions to support children and their families demonstrating a positive impact.

This job description will be reviewed annually and may be amended at any time following discussion between the Senior Leadership Team and member of staff.

Please note: The salary for this role is pro-rata

We can offer:

·         A friendly and welcoming working environment.

·         A comprehensive benefits package including:  local government pension scheme, competitive salary, Employee Assistance Programme, Refer a friend payment, free flu vaccination, milestone birthday day off.

·         A free school lunch for all staff.

·        Opportunity to collaborate across the trust with other Pastoral Leads, Family Liaisons & DSLs

·         Excellent training and development opportunities.

Safeguarding & Equal Opportunities

Aspire Academies Trust is committed to protecting and safeguarding children and young people and our recruitment checks will always assess the suitability of the candidate to work with children. The successful candidate will be subject to an enhanced DBS check. 

Aspire Academies Trust is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all sectors of the community.

If you are interested in the role, please get in touch.

Visits are warmly welcomed.

Please note: We reserve the right to close this advert early should sufficient and strong applications be received before the closing date. Therefore, please submit your application ASAP.