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SalarySalary: Band 11, £44,428 - £48,474 per annum
Hours: Full time (37 hours per week)
Contract: Permanent . Start date is negotiable.
Closing Date: Sunday 31 March 2024 , 23:59
Portsmouth City Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, and young people, and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. It is also committed to promoting quality childcare across the city that works to improve outcomes for children.
DBS Disclosure at Enhanced level will be required prior to any offer of employment and this post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.
Every post is subject to PCC and Portsmouth Safeguarding Children’s Board safer recruitment procedures.
Why come to live and work in Portsmouth?
Portsmouth is a great waterfront city and a vibrant place to live and work. It is an island city with an “inner city” feel, a seaside location packed with attractions and events, and the advantage of fantastic countryside on its doorstep. With fast road and rail links to London, Brighton and major airports, and ferry links to Europe, it is the perfect place to live and work. Portsmouth has a strong history of partnership working and has successfully integrated several local services.
The Service:
The Vison and Hearing Team is based in the Civic Offices and is a highly regarded Team within the Inclusion Service which is an integral part of the Education Department. The team comprises of Specialist Teacher Advisers, Communication Support Workers, Trainee Communicator Support Workers, Higher Level Teaching Assistant and a Habilitation Specialist.
What are our objectives?
We work with sensory impaired children and young people from 0 - 25 years of age, at home or other pre-school settings, in schools and college or approved apprenticeships whose sensory impairment has an effect on education, mobility or ability to live independently.
Our aim is to maximise the educational and learning opportunities for every individual child and young person, working in partnership with parents and carers, teachers and colleagues in other agencies. We aim for children and young people to achieve the following outcomes:- be healthy, stay safe, enjoy and achieve at school and out of school, make a positive contribution and work towards being as independent as possible in adult hood.
The Role:
The post holder will report to the Team Leader of the Vision and Hearing Team.
The post will require you to lead and deliver the habilitation provision for children and young people with a visual impairment or dual sensory loss, who live in Portsmouth. To meet statutory duty as stated in Education Health and Care Plans and deliver the outcomes within the relevant areas of the Curriculum Framework for Children and Young People with Vision Impairment in line with the ‘Quality Standards –Delivery of Habilitation Training (Mobility and Independent Living Skills) for Children and Young People with Visual Impairment 2 nd Edition.
You will need to operate with a high degree of autonomy and authority working with a complex and diverse caseload using a range of evidence-base, sensory interventions and tools. You will need to be able to think creatively and differentiate and adapt to meet the individual need. Alongside this, you will provide a high degree of professional support to other professionals, internal and external organisations and families.
What you'll need to succeed:
We welcome Applications from qualified Rehabilitation Workers (who hold the Foundation Degree in Rehabilitation Work, Vision Impairment) who are willing to undertake the necessary additional recognised qualifications (Top Up Degree BSc Hons)
You will have, or be working towards, a specialist Graduate Diploma in Habilitation and Disabilities of Sight (Children and Young People) or equivalent qualification which specifically meets all the learning outcomes arising from the ‘Quality Standards – Delivery of Habilitation Training (Mobility and Independent Living Skills) for Children and Young People with Visual Impairment (2011)’: Qualification Participant Learning Outcomes.
You will be qualified in, or working towards, Grade 1 and 2 UEB Braille.
You will possess a sound base of current issues around orientation and mobility and independent living skills and have good personal presentation and credibility with a range of potential client groups. You will have the ability to work individually and as part of a team (these are equally important in this role), demonstrate good and effective oral and written communication skills, possess effective consultation and negotiation skills, have the ability to deliver training to a variety of audiences, and be able to advise on and teach the use of specialist software and equipment. You will be familiar with the Quality Standards Delivery of Habilitation Training (Mobility and Independent Living Skills) for Children and Young People with Visual Impairment.
You will need to demonstrate that you have the Right to Work in the UK. No post will be offered without it.
What you'll get in return
We really appreciate our employees and fully realise they are essential to our success and look to offer an inclusive, supportive working environment where employees can reach their potentials with a healthy work life balance, offering the following rewards:
- Generous annual leave (27 days per year rising to 31, pro rata for part time hours) with the potential to purchase additional leave .
- A fantastic pension which allows you the opportunity to pay in more for that greater return.
- Access to a wide range of training and development opportunities including apprenticeships.
- Extensive wellbeing support through the Employee Assistance Programme
- Discount on travel, travel loans and the bike loan scheme
- Discounts on a wide range of goods and services – access a range of discounts and offers from thousands of restaurants, shops and more.
Additional Information:
The full job profile is attached here
Contact Details for an Informal Discussion:
Please contact Marie Lloyd at marie.lloyd@portsmouthcc.gov.uk
A commitment to our values:
We are committed to our values of respect, integrity, collaboration, inclusivity and being people-focussed. These values set out how we can contribute to the success of the council and our own success as individuals. Learn more about our values and behaviours .
Application process:
We are a disability confident employer - committed to ensuring that our recruitment and selection process is inclusive and accessible and welcome applications from all areas of society.
Remember to demonstrate why you are suitable against each of the points described in the 'Who is the Person' points on the Job Profile using examples from your experience or transferable skills. This might be through qualifications or descriptive examples from your work / personal experience, which clearly illustrates what you did and the effect it had.
Please ensure you provide your full education history from secondary school, include name/address of establishment, details of relevant qualifications & awarding body.
Please explain any gaps - this is essential for all safeguarding children's roles.
You may wish to attach an additional letter or document to supplement you application.
We will email applicants from time to time; please ensure you check e-mail folders as sometimes our e-mails may go into spam/junk folders.
