Assistant House Coordinator

Today, Ochil Tower School is a thriving educational and residential community, where 27 children and young people, aged 8-21, with special and complex additional support needs live, learn and grow together.
The school is part of the Camphill Community which comprises 11 different Camphill sites in Scotland. Camphill is an international movement. Inspired by the work of Rudolph Steiner, it was founded by a group of Austrian refugees in Aberdeen at the start of WW2. At this time people with any form of learning disability were often excluded from many aspects of society in general and education in particular. Camphill took a different view and created the first Camphill school to care for and educate children with special needs. It is now a global ideology and movement.
The aim is to create a beautiful and calm experience. Ochil Tower School is set in seven acres of stunning Perthshire countryside. This enables its children and young adults to feel more relaxed and better able to forge relationships with peers and staff. They are then more able to build self-esteem, confidence and their capacity for resilience.
The School provides excellent care and education and is not short on ambition. In October 2018, it opened a new Life Skills Centre. This facility is for young adults aged 18 – 21 and is designed to help them so that they are better prepared for the challenges of living an independent adult life by developing their skills in learning, life and work. OTS is now focused on extending the residential provision to 52 weeks. This is already being provided to eight young people with plans in place for this to be extended to all young people residing in the school by January 2023. As a result there are exciting opportunities to join Ochil Tower School as we increase and develop our workforce. Experience working with children or young adults either with social, emotional or behavioural difficulties or with people with learning disabilities/ADHD/autism (either as paid employment/voluntary/personal life). The Board of Trustees have a commitment to further enhancing and developing their residential houses, and plans to build new educational facilities for the school.
Job Purpose
Support the House Coordinator by providing leadership, care and support to all the pupils in the house and assisting with the support and supervision of residential care workers. As the main support for the House Coordinator you will be required to be highly responsible, professional,intuitive and flexible with the drive to support the team.
Responsible for providing care and education in the residential house as part of the 24-hour curriculum.
This role will include involvement with the direct care of children, young people and young adults acting as a key-worker when necessary. The Assistant House Coordinator will support the House Coordinator and help lead the care team in compiling individual Shanarri Care and Education Plans, termly SMART aims, reports for reviews, annual reports etc. The Assistant House Co-ordinator will provide support and supervision to residential care staff and also co-workers/volunteers who are part of our care delivery model at Ochil Tower.
The post holder will support their line manager lead and develop a team of employees and co - workers/volunteers who together will create a positive environment in which all young people and young adults can thrive and achieve their full potential. The Assistant House Coordinator role has responsibility to support the House Coordinator in the leadership, operational management and standards of care in the residential house.
The Assistant House Co-ordinator will liaise with families and a range of external professionals (educational psychologists, social workers, medical professionals), that provides the support around the young person and will attend young people’s reviews in the absence of the House Coordinator.
Duties

• Provide young people with a nurturing, active, healthy and safe environment where they will feel included, respected and supported in the development of skills, confidence and self-esteem
• Support implementation and development of the aims and objectives of the house in consultation with House Coordinator and Senior Management.
• Ensure effective delivery of individual care planning requirements for children, young people and their families.
• Support young people to follow the SHANARRI wellbeing indicators through supporting them to be safe, healthy, active, nurtured, achieving, responsible, respected and included.
• Provide the young people with an individualised educational experience (24 hour curriculum) in a nurturing learning environment.
• Create a homely, nurturing and supportive environment for young people, volunteers and residential care staff based on the principles and values of social pedagogy within Camphill communities
• To practice at all times in accordance with the Scottish Social Services Council Code of Conduct, and to monitor and appropriately record and respond to the care teams’ compliance/non compliance with this requirement.
• Act as a main support for the House Coordinator, including taking responsibility for the house in his/her absence.
• Work closely together with colleagues in sharing best practice and raising the standard of care and education in the houses.
• This role includes acting as a role model and providing structure, routine and clear boundaries

Essential:

• SVQ 3 Social Services (Children and Young People) at SCQF level 7 (or equivalent)
• Registration with Scottish Social Services Council
• Excellent communication skills
• Experience working with young people with learning disabilities, social, emotional or behavioural issues.
• To be resilient to the pressures of working with challenging behaviours.
• Flexible work approach so as meet with the needs of the children, care team and wider school community
• Resilient in the face of challenging behaviour
• To be positive, open, honest and flexible in your approach
• Sense of humour
• Must be physically able to take part in outdoor activities (hill walking, cycling, sports, etc)
• Empathic and non-judgemental (treat everyone fairly and as an individual)
• Strong work ethic
• Able to engage in reflective practice
• A genuine interest in working with young people
• To be organised, efficient and have the ability to multitask and prioritise in what is a busy and fast moving environment
• Reflective practitioner
• Uphold and maintain the values of Ochil Tower School
• Must have eligibility to work full-time in the UK
• Must live in a commuting distance from Ochil Tower School
• Must have own mode of transport

Desirable:

• SVQ 4 Social Services (Children and Young People) at SCQF level 9 (must be willing to work towards this)
• BA (Hons) Social Work (or equivalent)
• HNC Social Care
• A qualification that satisfies full registration with the Scottish Social Services Council.
• Knowledge of Social Pedagogy
• Experience working in a residential setting
• Leisure or Recreational skills
• Highly recommended that applicants have a driving license and acces to a peronal vehicle. This is due to the fact that the business needs may require you to work during unsociable hours and not being supported by public transport.

Job Type: Full-time

Salary: £33,103.40-£35,959.50 per year