Starting Well Special Educational Needs & Disabilities Practitioner
Job overview
The SEND Practitioner will work collaboratively to support families with additional needs in relation to SEND. They will provide effective, needs led family support for children with SEND or additional needs in relation to their health and development.
Ensuring children with emerging/complex needs receive the right support at the right time. Working under delegation from a Health Visitor, the SEND Practitioner will contact families and explore the outcome of any intervention. The SEND Practitioner role will be supporting families and their additional needs, this may include discreet pieces of work within family homes.
This vacancy is across Ellesmere Port and Neston District.
Main duties of the job
To assess and co-ordinate needs led support for children and families with SEND. Using the early help and prevention model to support improved outcomes for Children and Young People.
The post holder will work under a model of delegation from the SEND Nurse, Health Visitors and Operational Leads within the Service to ensure individualised support in preparation for school.
The post holder will be a point of contact for delegated families to ensure effective communication with the service. This role will form a pivotal part of the Starting Well team through engagement with families to offer specific SEND support and interventions at the earliest time using a Think Family approach.
Working for our organisation
Cheshire and Wirral Partnership (CWP) provides health and care services for a population of over one million people, including mental health, learning disability, community physical health and all-age disability care, as well as the provision of three GP surgeries in Cheshire.
We employ around 4,500 staff across 73 sites and have services across Wirral and Cheshire, as well as Trafford, Warrington, Bolton, Halton and Liverpool. We also provide specialist services for the North West as a whole.
Our aim is to help improve the lives of everyone in our communities, adopting a compassionate, person-centred approach to everything we do. We are rated as Outstanding for Caring by the Care Quality Commission, with a Good rating overall.
As a Disability Confident Employer, Rainbow Badge Scheme member, Veteran Aware organisation and proud holder of the Armed Forces Covenant Employer Recognition Scheme Gold Award, CWP is committed to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible and developing a culture that values differences, and welcome applications from people who have direct experience of accessing our services.
We also offer up to three weeks’ induction, with our Prepare to Care programme for all new starters. This aims to give you all the knowledge and guidance to help you hit the ground running with CWP.
Whether you are just starting out in your career or looking to use your existing skills and experience in a new role, you’ll find something to suit you at CWP.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please download a copy of the job description (see ‘documents to download’ section below) for full details of the main responsibilities for this role.
At CWP, our recruitment selection processes are based on both competence (see person specification for details) and values.
CWP recruits people that can demonstrate the Trust’s Values in their everyday life and we use a values-based approach in our interviews, which explores not only what you do but how and why you do it.
Before applying, we encourage you to review the Trust’s Values and think about how these align with your own personal values. The supporting information section in your application should reflect your understanding of the Trust’s Values and associated behaviours and you should provide examples from your work experience and/or personal life which demonstrate these values through your behaviours.
An applicant guide to help and support you through your recruitment journey can be accessed at the bottom of this page. Further help and support for completing your application can be accessed via our website. If you need any further guidance to help you complete your application, contact our recruitment team via email at: [email protected] or by calling 01244 393100.
If you have a disability that meets the definition set out in the Equality Act 2010, and you can show that you meet the ‘essential’ criteria described in the person specification for an available position, please answer ‘YES’ to the question: ‘Do you wish to be considered under the Guaranteed Interview Scheme?’
Please inform the team if you have any special support needs to be considered as part of the interview and selection processes.
The trust offers a Guaranteed Interview Scheme to any armed forces community applicants who meet the essential criteria for the post and encourages applications from armed forces reservists or cadet force adult volunteers.Please note applicants will be required to pay for their DBS check. Costs are deducted from salary following appointment. You are encouraged to enrol for the DBS Update Service. A small annual fee of £16 per year applies.
New entrants to the NHS will commence on the minimum of the scale stated above.
Applicants are advised to apply early as if a large number of applications are received for this post we reserve the right to close the vacancy prior to the advertised date.
Good luck with your application. We hope to welcome you to Team CWP very soon!
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria- NVQ level 3 in Health and Social Care or Equivalent
- Coaching
- Our Ways of Working
Knowledge & Expertise
Essential criteria- Understanding of Local Authority SEND pathways
- Awareness of trauma informed; strength based approach
- Understanding of Healthy Child Programme
- Understanding of Early Years Foundation Stage and Children’s Centre Core Offer
- Understanding of Early Help and Prevention pathway in relation to Children’s services and Continuum of Need
- Knowledge of Child Protection workings and practice
- Understanding of SEND parenting support
- Good working knowledge of child development and attachment in relation to SEND
- Ability to use a range of assessment tools in relation to SEND
Experience
Essential criteria- Experience of supporting Children, Young People and Families with SEND
- Experience of working in a team setting
- Assessment and care planning under delegation
- Experience of working in a busy and demanding environment
- Working within the Continuum of Need.
- Working with children and families at transition points