General duties 

§  Build trusting relationships with parents and pupils to help support their needs, to develop independence and resilience rather than dependence.

§  Work alongside colleagues to assess the needs of the families referred for support and participate in the reviews and evaluation of the support.

§  Plan creative and innovative responses to families’ needs and keep high-quality records and assist with the preparation of reports.

§  Act as a DDSL, raising any immediate concerns with the Headteacher.  Make referrals to FPOC, following discussion with Headteacher, use the Threshold Document complete MARF forms, attend strategy and other meetings as needed.

§  To receive line management and supervision as agreed with the line manager.

Supporting families

§  Act as a point of contact for families in need of support.

§  Establish and foster good relationships with families.

§  Promote the self-esteem of parents and help them to communicate openly.

§  Discuss issues, e.g. difficulties at home, with parents in a confidential manner and in accordance with the school’s Confidentiality Policy.

§  Support inclusive practices, focusing on preventative and early intervention measures.

§  Support vulnerable and ‘at risk’ pupils and families in a manner appropriate for individuals’ needs.

§  Share information on practical childcare and parenting skills with families who request it.

§  Facilitate group family support sessions and conduct them in a positive, holistic and confidential manner.

§  Be knowledgeable of the range of agencies available locally; working with them directly or signposting parents towards suitable assistance.

§  Ensure the Essentials for Engagement are in place:

§     Consent is in place where appropriate.

§     There will have been an assessment taking account of the needs of the whole family.

§     There is an action plan that takes account of all (relevant) family members.

§     To act as the Lead Professional, where appropriate.

§  Be a DDSL at the school and act in accordance with the Children Protection and Safeguarding Policy.

§  Participate in training events as required to ensure your knowledge is up-to-date and reflects good practice advice.

§  To provide guidance and support for families experiencing difficulties in a way that does not bring them into conflict with neighbours, the community and housing agencies. To maintain contact with families for an agreed length of time to help families develop more effective strategies and skills to improve outcomes for the whole family.

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Supporting pupils

§  Complete common assessment forms with families to ensure they receive appropriate support.

§  Liaise with teachers, the Headteacher, SENCO, DSLs, and any other relevant persons regarding pupils.

§  Work across all of the both the Infant and Junior schools to support vulnerable children within the same family as needed.

§  Provide pastoral support to pupils as required, implementing pastoral support plans as appropriate.

§  Establish good relationships with pupils, acting as a role model and setting high expectations of pupils.

§  Assist with the development of behaviour plans to ensure pupils have the support in place to positively engage with learning.

§  Encourage pupils to interact and engage with activities and learning and develop pupils’ confidence and self-esteem.

§  Under guidance from teachers, provide feedback to pupils in relation to their progress and achievement to help them make meaningful and positive progress.

§  Provide one-to-one support for pupils as and when required, including during typically more stressful times such as the lunch period.

§  Be available as timetabled during break and lunchtime to offer drop-in and/or planned support to identified children.

§  Withdraw and support pupils whose behaviour is proving a significant barrier to their own or others learning, in consultation with assistant heads or headteacher.

Supporting the school

§  Be aware of, and comply with, all policies and procedures relating to child protection, health and safety, security and data protection.

§  Report all concerns to the Headteacher and conduct progress meetings surrounding action plans for improving the school environment.

§  Contribute to the overall aims and vision of the school.

§  Establish and maintain effective working relationships with colleagues within the team, local area and organisation.

§  Assist in the supervision and training of learning assistants where required.

§  Assist in the planning of opportunities for pupils outside of the school.

§  Accompany teaching staff and pupils on school trips and visits and develop appropriate support plans for pupils attending trips as required.

§  Provide advice and guidance to staff, pupils, parents and others.

§  To attend and participate in the Early Help Partnership meetings, professionals’ meetings, case conferences, Strengthening Families Locality meetings and relevant neighbourhood meetings, and prepare reports when required.

§  To develop good relationships with a range of staff across both Adult and Children’s Services as well as with non-statutory partner agencies.

§  To receive specialist training, as identified by the line manager, and facilitate intervention programmes when required.

§  To complete home visits with another colleague under the direction of the Headteacher.

Supporting staff

§  To communicate effectively with all appropriate staff to ensure all are aware of vulnerable children’s needs e.g. via CPOMs, face to face.

§  Assist in supporting learning through intervention measures.

§  To maintain high standards of professional integrity and respect for others.

§  Assist in the implementation of behaviour plans and other support plans as required.

§  Liaising with all school staff where appropriate, e.g. providing supporting resources for them to use, training support.

§  With the support of the class teacher direct teaching assistants to deliver interventions.

§  Work with teachers to employ strategies to support pupils’ achievements and learning goals.

§  Promote good pupil behaviour and deal with conflicts and incidents in line with the schools’ Behavioural Policy.

Administration

§  To maintain records securely (CPOMS), participate in data monitoring activities, and undertake evaluation procedures as advised by the line manager.

§  Respond to and conduct correspondences with parents regarding their child’s needs, which may involve complex matters.

§  Manage complex attendance procedures where required, e.g. liaising with the office team, EWO, preparing information for court prosecutions, visiting parents, and making sure parents understand their responsibilities regarding their child’s education and their child’s regular attendance.

§  Provide detailed analysis and evaluation of data and produce detailed reports/information as required.

§  Be responsible for the completion and submission of complex forms, returns, etc., including those to outside agencies, e.g. persistent absence reports.

§  To provide written and verbal reports as required.