JOB PURPOSE
The Education Authority’s aim is ‘to inspire, support and challenge all our young people to be the best that they can be.’ Underpinning this aim, is a strategic objective to meet the learning needs of our children and young people. The EA recognises that children learn best when all their needs are met and we aim to achieve this through the breadth of services that are offered to children, young people, their families and schools, specifically, the EA has a role to play in the promotion of emotional health and wellbeing and resilience programmes in schools. This supports the Department of Education (DE) iMatter programme and is also linked to the draft Children and Young People’s Strategy 2017-2027.
Working as part of the PBS&P service the Assistant Advisory Officer (AAO) will develop and implement relevant programmes and strategies to support Nursery, Primary and Special schools related to social, behaviour and emotional wellbeing (SBEW) needs following nurture principles and trauma informed practice. The AAO will be an expert in areas that have an impact on behaviour and wellbeing of children, particularly in primary aged pupils of education. They will support senior leadership teams and teachers who are seeking advice and practical strategies on the management of pupils with challenging behaviour by delivery of training and consultation with schools, as well as policy and practice development. The AAO will support schools in managing a pupil’s behaviour so that they maintain their placement in mainstream school and work towards best outcomes for all.
The AAO will be required to work in a in a multidisciplinary capacity and within a team to implement existing services and develop schools to foster and support the emotional health and wellbeing of all their community.
MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Leadership
1. Support the locality PBS&P Adviser on all matters relating to social, behaviour, emotional and wellbeing needs in schools;
2. Contribute to the Service Development Planning of the Service, to target setting and to meeting the objectives of the Service.
3. Ensure that staff are aware of and adhere to the Education Authority's (EA) corporate standards.
2. Supervision Of Staff
4. To be responsible for the supervision of staff;
5. To plan and allocate duties to staff and ensure that the tasks delegated are carried out efficiently;
6. To provide any training or induction required, and contribute to the development of a positive team ethos.
3.Ethos
7. Empower schools to confidently manage a positive culture and ethos towards supporting SBEW needs;
8. Adopt approaches based on nurture principles and trauma informed practice;
9. Advise on Positive Behaviour policies and practice in all schools;
4.Training
10. Contribute to the Children and Young Peoples’ Services regional training programme by leading and supporting a range of training sessions for schools and education settings;
11. Consult with schools to tailor training and support packages that meet their specific needs in supporting the SBEW needs of pupils;
12. Disseminate examples of best practice to a range of school based staff as required;
13. Liaise with other EA Services to develop training packages that support the modern needs of schools;
14. Regularly develop a range of resources that can be accessed online and support schools with an improved culture of inclusion for pupils with SBEW.
5. Intervention
15. Provide support to schools in implementing strategies to address the needs of children with SBEW;
16. Devise and assist the implementation of an individualised support programme for pupils with SBEW;
17. Manage the delivery of a range of interventions that are deemed to be appropriate to meet the needs of the individual pupil/s;
18. Maintain reports of involvement, assessment and progress for school and each child receiving advice and support.
6. Provision
19. Contribute to the provision of a consultancy to schools to facilitate the processing of individual referrals;
20. Advise school management on good practice in relation to wellbeing, discipline and behaviour in schools;
21. Work collaboratively with other members of the team in devising appropriate resources and materials for pupils with SBEW difficulties;
22. Provide advice to schools to facilitate teachers addressing the particular learning, social, communication and developmental needs of pupil with SBEW;
23. Work closely with school staff to develop effective strategies and interventions in relation to individual pupils with SBEW;
24. Encourage a coordinated approach in addressing a pupil’s SBEW needs;
25. Monitor, asses and review a pupil’s progress and the appropriateness of provision and provide reports at regular intervals.
7. Relationships
26. Develop positive relationships with school leadership and staff;
27. Act as a supportive challenge function to all schools;
28. Support schools to ensure that they are meeting their legislative duty through adherence to policy and procedures;
29. Capability build with schools to support a system of inclusion;
30. Engage and contribute to multidisciplinary working groups that support the needs of schools and pupils related to SBEW;
31. Provide advice and guidance to schools through face to face meetings, via telephone advice and digital communication.
8. Promote Parental Involvement by:
32. Liaise with parents/ guardians encouraging a holistic approach to progress and success at school;
33. Encourage liaison between home and school setting to maximise consistency in relation to effective strategies that are being implemented to meet the needs of the child.
9. Provide Advice to the Education Advices:
34. Submit additional educational advice in respect of pupils with SBEW under the terms of the Education and Libraries (NI) Order 1986.
35. Contribute to annual reviews of statements of special educational needs, as required.
10. Liaise with Education Authority Services and other Agencies:
36. Work collaboratively with other services and agencies to support the improved provision and successes of all pupils with SBEW;
37. Promote a co-ordinated multi-disciplinary approach in relation to addressing the needs of children with SBEW;
38. Engage in multi-disciplinary meetings, as appropriate, to meet the needs of individual pupils;
11. Participate in Programmes of Continuing Professional Development:
39. Keep informed of current approaches, early years and primary teaching strategies and resources relevant to pupils with SBEW so that appropriate interventions can be applied in school contexts.
12. Service Development and Quality Assurance
40. Ensure effective development and administration of data management systems to improve performance;
41. Contribute to the arrangements for monitoring, evaluating and reporting for the purpose of planning and data management;
42. Design, create and update spreadsheets, databases and word documents to a high standard of presentation and accuracy.
13. Any Other Duties:
43. Comply with Education Authority policies and procedures in relation to the duties and responsibilities of the post;
44. Maintain at all times confidentiality of information received;
45. Undertake any other related duties as required by the Education Authority.