Education Support Worker (Fixed Term, Part Time)

Balerno, Scotland, United Kingdom

10/21/2024

Application Deadline: 4 November 2024

Department: Education

Location: Balerno, Edinburgh

Compensation: £19,375 - £19,849 / year

Description

Harmeny Education Trust is a charitable organisation providing therapeutic care and education to children who have experienced early years trauma through abuse, neglect and family disruption, referred from all over Scotland. We currently work with children and young people aged 5-18, both on a day and all-year-round residential basis.

Our core service, Harmeny School, comprises:

· An education service, which includes an outdoor learning team.
· A care service, with five residential cottages and one day service cottage.
· Support services, made up of a therapies manager coordinating evidence-informed approaches for children and young people, finance, estates, catering and domestic services, fundraising, IT, HR, learning and development, and admin teams.

Harmeny is committed to achieving the highest possible standards of care and education and to continuously improving our work. We have recently developed a practice framework, The Harmeny Way, which describes the unique combination of therapeutic approaches used to guide our work and ensure consistent practice with children and young people placed with us.

We are currently seeking an Education Support Worker to join our dedicated Education Team to support a child on a 1:1 basis who has significant gaps within their learning due to previous life experiences. The position is offered on a fixed-term basis for one year.

Working closely with the Class Teacher and Education Teams, the post holder will provide learning support and promote engagement with learning within the classroom and other environments. This will require the post holder to have a significant amount of knowledge in working with children and young people who are care experienced and who have found learning in a classroom environment particularly challenging.

The post holder will contribute to a culture and ethos within a highly nurturing and supporting environment, in order to provide the secure base that children require to engage in their learning.

The post-holders will be required to work 30.5 hours per week (0.87 FTE) during term time only.

The roles offer a competitive salary of £19,375 to £19,849 per annum (full-time equivalent salary is £25,134 to £25,748 per annum) plus an additional 5% allowance for extra duties within residential school, and an additional 5% allowance depending on qualifications.

Candidates should have a willingness and ability to work with children who have additional support needs. We are particularly keen to employ members of staff who have previous experience of working in a school or care setting. They must be flexible and adaptable to the needs of the children and their environment. It is also necessary for the post-holders to have a good sense of humour, to be calm under pressure and to put the child at the centre of everything they do.

This is an excellent opportunity for motivated individuals to join an established and successful organisation. The post-holders, together with colleagues in Care, Education and Support Services, will have the opportunity to contribute positively to the lives of some of the nation's most remarkable children, ensuring that Harmeny continues to offer an excellent service.

Successful applicant will be required to join Disclosure Scotland's Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme. A driving licence allowing the use of our vehicles is desirable.

This is an excellent opportunity for a motivated individual to join a friendly organisation making a difference to the lives of remarkable children in Scotland. Harmeny is a values-led organisation and a good fit with our ethos is as important to us as having relevant experience.

If you would like to find out more about this opportunity, please contact, Mandy Shiel, Head of Education, on 0131 449 3938.

Key Responsibilities

• Promote a positive ethos in the school consistent with Harmeny's vision, purpose and core values.


• Support EMT with the implementation of the School Improvement Plan and Harmeny Strategic Plan.


• Provide learning support within the classroom and other environments, following the guidance of Class Teachers and EMT.


• Support teaching staff with the delivery of the curriculum.


• Provide support to children during transitions within the school, outdoor education / environmental activities and on educational outings.


• Promote children's engagement with learning, through building positive relationships and encouraging children to remain 'on-task'.


• Provide support on a one-to-one or group basis as required.


• Encourage positive and appropriate behaviours, through the use of effective strategies that recognise the complex behaviours of children at Harmeny.


• Where required, as a last resort, implement physical intervention techniques.


• Prepare classroom teaching resources, maintain audio-visual and ICT equipment and assist with the layout and tidiness of the classroom.


• Ensure whole-school educational equipment, resources and spaces are maintained to an excellent standard, with responsibility for overseeing a specific resource area.


• Provide administrative support, including the maintenance of accurate records, filing and photocopying.


• Support the development of children's Personal Learning Planning and help children work towards individual goals and targets.


• Gather evidence for individual plans and through preparation of displays.


• Work in accordance with all Harmeny policies and procedures.


• Communicate with education and care colleagues, parents/carers and a range of other professionals to ensure coherent working and positive outcomes for children.


• Contribute to our multi-disciplinary approach to working with children and their families, including contributing to children's meetings, where appropriate.


• Ensure that the highest possible standards of professional practice are maintained.


• Attend supervision, APR, training and other meetings, as required.


• Provide absence cover for colleagues.


• Safely drive children and staff to and from outings, activities and external meetings via minibus or fleet vehicle.


• Undertake any other duties delegated by EMT or other Senior Management Team member, which are consistent with the role.

Qualifications, Skills, Knowledge and Experience

Essential

• Experience of working with children and young people within a learning environment.


• Knowledge of the needs of children with social, emotional and behavioural needs.


• Understanding of the practice issues of physical intervention and ability to undertake such physical intervention when required.


• A good understanding of the learning needs of children, both within the classroom and other environments.


• Knowledge of the Curriculum for Excellence.


• Good organisational and administrative skills and computer literacy.


• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.

Desirable

• A relevant qualification equivalent to SCQF Level 7.


• Knowledge of social pedagogical approach.


• Experience of organising and delivering children's activities/group work and/or supporting children's learning.


• A full driving licence and the ability to drive fleet vehicles and transport children as required.

Benefits

• A salary of £19,375 to £19,849 per annum (full-time equivalent salary is £25,134 to £25,748 per annum)


• 5% allowance for extra duties within residential school (£968.76 to £992.43 per annum)


• 5% allowance depending on qualifications (£968.76 to £992.43 per annum)


• 7 weeks' holiday per year, inclusive of public holidays (incorporated into the salary)


• Pension scheme


• Life assurance scheme (three times salary)


• Policies and practices that promote health and wellbeing, including massage therapy, access to fitness equipment and a wellbeing space


• We are highly committed to the professional development of all our staff and the post-holder will have access to comprehensive training and development.