Student and Family Support Worker

About the role

We are looking for a supportive Student and Family Support Worker to work 32 hours a week, term time plus 2 weeks (including INSETS)

Purpose of the Role:

To support and assist the Pastoral and Safeguarding teams working with students and their parents/ carers; primarily with cases where there is a need for intensive support impacting school progress / attendance and wellbeing in the home.

Core Responsibilities:

• Intensive therapeutic support of a caseload of students, on a regular one to one basis, to instill and develop good attitudes to learning, attendance and behaviour, so that they can achieve and flourish at KWS.

• Engaging closely with caseload students to help them learn how to manage their daily routines, learning, behaviour as well as related wellbeing and emotional issues – through personalised action plans for each student and family case.

• Liaise and communicate routinely with the caseload teachers, parents and carers so that they are constantly aware of their child’s progress, parent/ teacher views or general matters.

• Signposting parent education opportunities, external agency support or providing direct school support so that parents are empowered to engage and support in their child’s development.

• Dealing with Emergency issues that may arise as and when required to ensure students are emotionally supported and prepared for learning in a safe environment.

• Analysing student assessment, behaviour and attendance data regularly in order to identify good progress or under-performance with students in the caseload, or previous caseload, to inform planning and the implementation of new strategies, ways of working, additional support or intervention to improve outcomes.

• Weekly liaison and communication with Heads of Year to identify any student development or concerns and agreeing next steps with caseload individuals, and to agree caseload changes, including migration strategies.

• Holding regular review meetings with parents on their caseload to review and evaluate progress to then improve student’s and family therapeutic action plans.

• Shadowing caseload students around school and in lessons, to identify any barriers to learning or support the student may need.

• Liaising and communicating effectively with CAMHS, LINKS, Social Services, educational psychologists and all other outreach workers or external agencies when needed to support achievement and progress of students.

• Attend professionals meeting with external agencies to support the family

• Completing concern forms, referral documents, student reports and monitoring and other administrative support required for caseload students, e.g. ESMA referrals.

• Monitor CPOMS and attend safeguarding meetings with the safeguarding team.

• During the first hour of the day dealing with and signposting all daily queries either from telephone calls, emails or from the Pastoral Office face to face.

• Supporting all students emotionally at break and lunch times.

• Be aware of and comply with policies and procedures relating to child protection; health and safety; confidentiality and data protection; reporting all concerns to the appropriate person and through the appropriate procedures

• Responding immediately to any Safeguarding or CP issues.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Work attributes

• Listening skills

• Empathy

• Ability to relate well to children and to adults

• Firmness towards positive outcomes

• Self-starter

• Able to constructively build and maintain rapport

• Strength to hold people to account

• Tact

• Observing and applying appropriate boundaries

• Building self-reliance in children

• Good literacy and numeracy

• Able to recognise own development and training needs

• Able to support families and carers with students with challenging needs and behaviours

• Able to prioritise workload in consideration of safeguarding concerns

Knowledge and Understanding

• Safeguarding principles, procedures and best practice (although significant training will also be focused in this area)

• Strong understanding of child protection and external agency work

• Safeguarding training level 2 or above

• Training or evidence of practice in understanding trauma