Key Responsibilities
The successful candidate will:
• report to the Assistant Principal (Students);
• maintain a caseload and facilitate children and young people’s learning and development through mentoring by identifying learning and development needs, planning for how these needs will be addressed through mentoring and reviewing the effectiveness of mentoring;
• contribute to the identification of barriers to learning for individual children and young people and provide them with a range of strategies for overcoming the barriers;
• develop strategies that support children and young people to accept responsibility for their behaviour, thus supporting them to change previous behaviour. Supporting in the transformation of young people’s attitudes towards school and their relationships with peers and adults;
• develop, agree and implement a time bound action plan with groups and individual children and young people and those involved with them based on a comprehensive assessment of their strengths and needs and to maintain accurate records of work for each identified student;
• support children and young people’s successful transfer and transition in learning and development contexts;
• assist in the identification of early signs of disengagement and contribute to specific interventions to encourage re-engagement;
• contribute to the protection of children and young people from abuse;
• develop and maintain appropriate contact with the families and carers of children and young people who have identified needs and to keep them informed about the student’s needs and progress, and to secure positive family support for the student;
• act as a point of contact for accessing specialist support and to build up a detailed knowledge of support available;
• operate within agreed legal, ethical and professional boundaries when working with children and young people and those involved with them;
• meet regularly with the designated line manager to report on progress of identified students and to review own contribution to the school;
• liaise closely with the staff in school to ensure that everyone understands and supports the strategies being used by the Wellbeing Team to develop the student’s skills for learning and learning behaviours;
• work closely with other identified senior members of staff.
• track progress and identify outcomes and needs as required by the school;
• attend training and professional development sessions;
• undertake other duties, appropriate to the post, as may be required from time to time.
Professional Expectations
The Pastoral Support Advisor in Wellbeing should have the following qualities:
• ability to facilitate children and young people’s learning and development through mentoring, promoting and maximising educational opportunities and achievements;
• ability to maintain a personal caseload and obtain and verify information about children and young people’s educational achievements and needs;
• ability to provide a good role model to children and young people and a commitment to helping children and young people achieve their potential;
• knowledge and understanding of child protection and health and safety practices and procedures;
• ability to evaluate the risk of abuse, and assess the need for intervention;
• good listening skills and the ability to communicate effectively (verbally, in writing and electronically), with children and young people, families, school staff and a range of other professionals;
• knowledge and awareness of issues and factors related to underachievement and barriers to learning and participation;
• ability to exercise initiative, work independently and with individuals, institutions and organisations and take responsibility for the delivery of a programme;
• ability to work flexibly;
• excellent interpersonal and communication skills both in working relationship with children and young people and in forming effective relationships with a wide range of professionals;
• excellent organisational and time-management skills;
• knowledge and experience of working with a wide range of support agencies and services and the ability to develop and sustain arrangements for joint working;
• sound ICT skills and the ability to use ICT for administration and learning.