Inclusion Worker

Job title: Inclusion Worker for STARS/SEMH Inclusion Teams

Salary: SO1 £33,366 - £35,235 pro rata

Hours: 37 hours per week (Term Time Only)

Contract: Permanent

Location: Office: TechNorth, Harrogate Road. (With consultations within school settings.)

As an Inclusion Worker you'll thrive on the day-to-day variety of the role in supporting school staff to make a difference for their pupils with Autism and/or SEMH. As a team we work closely to support each other, developing our own knowledge and skills to build capacity in Leeds schools and settings.

Leeds City Council is one of the largest employers in the region with over 14,000 employees. We seek to recruit and develop talented individuals who embody our council values and ambitions.

About you

As a STARS or SEMH Inclusion Worker, you will bring to the role:

• An enthusiasm to work alongside other professionals to improve outcomes for vulnerable children and young people.
• Extensive experience of removing barriers and supporting children and young people with a range of social, emotional, and mental health Needs (SEMH).
• Extensive experience of removing barriers and supporting autistic children and young people.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal and social skills alongside good IT capabilities.
• A flexible and 'can do' approach and attitude.

About the role

You will be part of a small, dedicated team of enthusiastic and skilled professionals. We are all involved in working with schools and settings to develop their capacity to implement a robust graduated approach to improve outcomes for pupils with SEMH and/or autism.

Using a consultative approach, you will work with SENCO's and school staff to think holistically about pupil profiles- strengths and barriers, working with school staff to develop plans to implement appropriate strategies to maximise inclusion and raise achievement. You will also contribute to our training offer, as well as developing supportive resources.

As our next Inclusion Worker, you'll have excellent communication skills, verbal and written, good assessment skills, to ensure that settings effectively meet the needs of all children. You will work collaboratively with staff and other agencies to support the inclusive placements of children with SEN.

The role is integral to our SENIT and STARS team -a multidisciplinary team of specialist teachers and inclusion workers, with expertise in the areas of SEMH, autism, early years, as well as learning and cognition needs. We work across all phases of education from Nursery to post 16. We are part of the bigger Learning Inclusion team and work closely with our colleagues to offer 'One Send Service'.

What we offer you

We take pride in offering the best employee experience, with benefits including a full induction package; regular supervision, access to in-house training, as well as guidance and support from the wider team.

How to apply

Please complete the online application form.

Read our guidance for further advice. Please check your information carefully and ensure you complete all sections before submitting your application.

If you have any queries or would like an informal chat about the role please contact Jill Igoe, SENIT School Age Team Lead, (email jill.igoe@leeds.gov.uk or call 0113 378 6868); or Philippa Sheikh, STARS Team Lead (email philippa.sheikh@leeds.gov.uk ).

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults.

A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check against the Children's barred list will be carried out on preferred candidates. Read our recruitment of ex-offenders policy .

We promote diversity and want a workforce that reflects the population of Leeds and the communities we serve. Leeds City Council is recognised in Stonewall's Workplace Equality Index 2024. We are also an Age-friendly Employer, a Mindful Employer and a Disability Confident Leader.

All new Leeds City Council appointments are made subject to the satisfactory completion of a six month probationary period.

This role is based in the UK. Home Office guidance states that candidates must evidence their right to work in the UK prior to commencing employment, either as a UK or Irish citizen, under the EU Settlement scheme or having secured any other relevant work visa.

If you do not have the right to work in the UK, candidates must consider their own eligibility for sponsorship for a particular role through the Skilled Worker route before applying. To be eligible for sponsorship you'll usually need to be paid the 'standard' salary rate of at least £38,700 per year or meet one of the other eligibility criteria. For more information visit Skilled Worker visa on the government website. Please ensure you are eligible before applying.

Job Description

Job Purpose: Under the general direction of a Team Manager provide a high quality and comprehensive service to schools and settings in one of the following areas; autism, SEMH needs, early childhood development in accordance with the organisational needs, policy and practices of the Directorate and within statutory guidelines.

Responsibilities:

• Responsible for the development of good SEND practice in mainstream settings through assessment of need, advice, training and empowerment of professionals who teach and support pupils with SEND in mainstream settings.

• Empower staff to develop their understanding of SEND to identify needs early and to put systems in place to meet those needs.

• Assist setting staff to meet their statutory duties, by creating an inclusive and enabling environment and ethos, conducive to the achievement of positive outcomes.

• Contribute to setting improvement through the implementation of the SEND Code of Practice.

• Raise achievement and maximise the well-being, engagement and inclusion of CYP with SEND through consultation, assessment of need, empowerment and through capacity building.

• Be an advocate for the difference not deficit approach to understanding SEND and promote the social model for understanding disability.

• Be an advocate for CYP with SEND to ensure settings meet their legal and statutory responsibilities.

• Use assessment of need and observation techniques informed by a comprehensive knowledge, understanding and experience in SEND, and in particular a specified area of specialism, to inform the advice given to settings.

• Use evidence informed strategies to meet identified CYP needs to improve their social skills, communication and interaction skills, self-help, well-being, independence, self-awareness, self-advocacy, learning and inclusion.

• Provide strategies that enable staff in settings to meet the needs of the child; promoting effective universal, targeted and personalised provision and individualised learning programmes, when required

• Ensure that the views of the CYP (appropriate to their age and development) and parent voice are sought and taken into account when planning provision.

• Identify and remove barriers to learning, inclusion and engagement through establishment of good SEND practice across the setting

• Develop and maintain effective working relationships with other professionals within the council and partner agencies (such as targeted services, AIP, Health, social care), to ensure an integrated, holistic and multidisciplinary approach to understanding and meeting the needs of individual CYP.

• Work with settings to prevent exclusion of CYP from settings and escalation to statutory services.

• Provide guidance, training and support at transition; across all phases of education with a range of stakeholders and for return to mainstream provision

• Plan, deliver and promote training to settings, and parents as required, in order to build their knowledge, understanding and capacity in meeting the needs of CYP with SEND

• Manage ...