Advisory Teacher - Vision Impairment

About us

The Sensory Support Team (SST) works with families, pre-schools, and schools in West Sussex to support the educational and developmental needs of children and young people with a sensory impairment. The SST aims to support educational establishments to ensure that they carry out their statutory duties and work within the requirements of the Children and Families Act and Equalities Act, to support the inclusion of children with sensory impairment across West Sussex.

Central to the Sensory Support Team ethos is strong partnership working with families and schools, to provide a coordinated and holistic multi-agency response to meeting the needs of children and young people with sensory impairment in West Sussex.

For more information, please visit our Education, Children and Families page on our WSCC website.

The opportunity

Salary: MPS £30,000 to £41,333 / UPS £43,266 to £46,525 per annum, + max SEN

Working Pattern: Part time (19.5 hours per week over 3 days)
Contract: Permanent
Location: This post is countywide; your base location will be agreed with you at interview.

This role is an integral part of the Sensory Support Team. You will deliver planned, comprehensive, and co-ordinated support and direct teaching for identified children and young people with Vision Impairments. You'll employ a family partnership approach to supporting parents and carers, working in partnership with schools, to promote the inclusion of children and young people with Vision Impairments.

You will provide advice to families and educational settings and carry out functional vision assessment for children and young people with a Vision Impairment. You will need to ensure that children and educational placements have appropriate support regarding technological aids and guidance, liaising with other agencies where appropriate.

What you need to succeed

Key Skills:

1. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills in order to provide clear and concise advice and information to a range of audiences.
2. Ability to analyse the needs of children and young people with Vision Impairment and their families and to advise on a responsive programme of support to ensure development and inclusion.
3. Ability to plan and organise own work independently and to work as part of a team.
4. To be a confident and capable user of IT and technology.
5. Ability to think creatively, problem solve and work flexibly.
6. Ability to evaluate the quality of own teaching and learning and to adapt to meet the needs of children and young people in schools and other settings.
7. Ability to form professional working relationships with others and promote a positive work culture.
8. Ability to provide advice and support to other staff in a sensitive and purposeful way.

Qualifications and/or experience:

• Qualified teacher status.
• Qualification in Education of the Visually Impaired (QTVI status).
• Working knowledge of Unified English Braille, specialist Braille Codes and the Curriculum Framework for Children and Young People with Vision Impairment.

Benefits

As an employer we recognise that it is our employees that are central to everything we do. We aim to create a supportive and dynamic working environment where employees can achieve their full potential, achieve a healthy work-life balance, and are rewarded for the work they do.

In addition to working within a great team and a competitive salary you will have access to:

• A comprehensive induction programme
• A range of Learning and Development opportunities

For a full list of the benefits offered to you as a West Sussex County Council employee you can find them on our Rewards and Benefits page.

How to apply

The reference number for this role is CAFHE05094

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

This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check, five years referencing and an occupational health check.

West Sussex County Council is an equal opportunities employer committed to promoting an environment that is inclusive and free from all forms of unlawful or unfair discrimination and values the diversity of its people. We actively welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and take every possible step to ensure that no individual will be disadvantaged.

For information regarding your eligibility to apply for this role under our Disability or Veteran's Guaranteed Interview Scheme, this can be found on our application help page .

Note for Recruitment Agencies: We prefer to hire people directly, but we do have a supplier list for when we need a helping hand. We'll be in touch directly if we need you!