About the Role
The Rochdale Additional Needs Service (RANS) is looking to appoint an enthusiastic, skilled and versatile Specialist Support Assistant. You must be willing and able to work with settings and families across the Borough to support children and young people with Vision Impairment (VI).
Based at Number One Riverside, as part of Rochdale Additional Needs Service (RANS) Sensory Team, you will work in a multi-disciplinary environment with colleagues within Children’s Services as well as other professionals. You must be passionate about and committed to the inclusion of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities, and be able to inspire others to share your high expectations of and aspirations for our pupils.
The successful candidate may be assigned to a single child or young person within a setting or may work peripatetically across the Borough, supporting staff (and parents where appropriate) to meet the needs of children and young people with VI. You may also work directly with pre-school children not yet in a setting and their parents/carers.
About you
This role will include direct work with and observation of children and young people, creating, modelling and demonstrating specialist resources and techniques and supporting the delivery of training sessions to individuals, small and large groups. You need to have a good level of IT skills and be keen to develop these further.
A full job description and person specification for the role is available below. It should be noted that the successful candidate will need to be able to work in a variety of contexts, transport themselves and some equipment around the Borough and be able to use a variety of specialist equipment with the children and young people they are supporting, for example ICT such as laptops & iPads.
You will be expected to complete a Braille course within 2 years of taking up the post, so that you can read and write Braille to a high standard.
Most importantly the successful candidate needs to:
- be willing and able to learn new skills quickly
- be calm, approachable and flexible
- be able to work on their own initiative but ask for help when they need it
- be a team player and have a good sense of humour
The successful applicant will have a wealth of opportunities to develop their skills and expertise ‘on the job’ through mentoring and support from experienced staff, and access to training and development activities.
About us
For more information about the work of the team, you may like to look at our page on the Rochdale Local offer website.
If you would like to discuss the role further, please contact Elizabeth Croshaw on 01706 926479.
The closing date for applications is 12pm Sunday 20th April 2025.
Interviews will be held at Number 1 Riverside on Friday 9th May 2025
Start date: 9th June 2025
Casual Mileage Allowance is payable.
Appointment to this post is subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service checks.
To apply please demonstrate how you meet the essential requirements of the person specification. We suggest that when completing your application form, you use the person specification criteria as headings then give a specific example. Please include reference to your qualifications that are specified on the person specification within your application.
The Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects staff to share this commitment.