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Salary: £27,334 to £29,777 per annum, pro rata for Term Time Only 39 weeks £23,549 - £25,654 / 42 weeks £28,760 - £27,600
Contract Type: Fixed Term Contract until 31 August 2025 / Secondment until 31 August 2025
Working Pattern: Full time, 37 hours per week, or Term Time Only for 39 weeks or 42 weeks; this will be discussed at interview.
Location: Bridge House, Worthing.
Please note:
- Internal candidates wishing to apply for this role will be considered for a secondment position. Please can you therefore discuss and agree this with your manager before applying for this position.
- You will need to be able to travel independently to various locations around the county.
Closing date: 03 March 2024
Interview date: 14 and 15 March 2024
Do you enjoy advising other people? Are you passionate about championing the educational rights of children looked after? Find out more about becoming a Personal Education Plan Champion!
The Opportunity
You will undertake vital tasks to ensure that the Virtual School team can fulfil their roles under the statutory duty requirements.
Working in partnership with our colleagues in social care and education you will ensure that all education planning meetings take place in a timely manner to support the needs of our children.
You will be the key point of contact for those seeking advice and information about PEPs (Personal Education Plans) and the wider work of the Virtual School, including casework for individual children.
Key responsibilities of this role include:
- Championing the educational rights of all children.
- Ensuring databases are up-to-date and accurate.
- Facilitating small group training.
- Working in collaboration with social workers, schools, and other professional colleagues.
- Ensuring all statutory duties are being met in relation to quality PEPs.
Skills and Experience
(These will be used as the shortlisting criteria)
Key Skills:
- Ability to organise/prioritise work, co-ordinate a variety of tasks in a clear and logical way and meet agreed deadlines which minimise the disruption to the business.
- Ability to present information presented clearly, concisely, accurately and in ways that promote understanding, either verbally or in written/electronic format.
- Excellent literacy and numeracy skills to analyse and interpret complex written material and to respond to complex correspondence.
- Sound technical knowledge in relevant discipline to a level suitable to provide advice and support to other team members.
Qualifications and/or experience:
- NVQ Level 3 in a relevant subject or equivalent qualification or experience, demonstrating the same level of applied knowledge in researching, analysing, and evaluating arguments and information.
- Experience of working within or alongside colleagues in education or children's social care.
- Valid driving license and a willingness to drive between West Sussex centres.
About us
Our Virtual School, sitting within the Education and Skills Directorate, promotes the educational achievement of Children We Care For, Previously Looked After Children and those with a Social Worker.
The Virtual School covers approximately 650 schools and settings within West Sussex, supporting over 900 Children We Care For and offering advice and guidance to those involved with the education of children previously in care and with a Social Worker.
Benefits
Further information
The reference number for this role is CAFHE04991.
For an informal conversation or for further information regarding the role, please contact Kimberley Craig, Assistant Head Virtual School, at
- This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check, 5 years referencing and an occupational health check.
How to apply
To apply, please upload your CV and Cover Letter.
In your cover letter please outline your motivations for applying and explaining the skills and experience you can bring to the role (please refer to the key skills) ensuring that any gaps in employment are covered in your CV. Please ensure you have saved the job description attached to the main advert on our website as, once the job has closed, you may not have the opportunity to download again.
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults.
Equity, inclusion, and accessibility is very important to West Sussex County Council. We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, as this helps us build a diverse and talented workforce, that reflects the communities we serve. We ensure our approach to recruitment is flexible and supportive to enable all applicants to be at their best and to ensure they have the best possible chance of success.
We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants that have a disability, are a veteran or are a care leaver. More information can be found on our application help page.
