Specialist Teacher - Language and Communication Needs
Job Summary
Working Pattern:
Full time
Advert Start Date:
19/11/2020
Advert End Date:
Closed for applications on 09/12/2020 23:59
Hours per week:
Teachers TCs 1 fte
Employment Location:
County Hall
Further Information
Specialist Teacher - Language and Communication Needs
The Council
Northumberland County Council operates a huge range of services across the largest county in the UK. Local Government’s ongoing challenges and the diversity of our residents means we have to work smarter. That’s why we want bold, creative and agile thinkers who can help us move forward and innovate.
For further information about working for Northumberland County Council, please click here: http://www.northumberland.gov.uk/working
The Service
The Northumberland Speech Language and Communication Support Service is currently made up of 4 dual qualified Teacher/Speech Therapists, 2 Speech and Language Therapists and 7 Specialist SLCN Assistants who provide a range of services into schools and settings throughout Northumberland. The day-to-day operational management and organisation of the team is the responsibility of the Lead Practitioner who in turn reports to the High Incidence Needs Team Manager. The service operates from a centralised base in Ashington working peripatetically into schools and settings.
The Role
The Northumberland Speech, Language and Communication Support Service is a peripatetic team working with school staff and multi-disciplinary professionals to assess the needs of learners (predominantly between the ages of 3 and 16 years old) with speech language and communication needs and subsequently to support the school or setting in the implementation and evaluation of appropriate strategies and approaches.
We place a strong emphasis on building capacity within schools through a process of consultation and training.
We are looking for a teacher with a significant level of experience working with children and young people with language and communication needs (LCN) and who has knowledge and experience of implementing evidence-based interventions and approaches to support learners with this range of needs. The successful candidate will also need to be: highly motivated; an effective communicator with excellent report writing, time management and organisational skills; committed to supporting inclusion within mainstream school settings; able to interact with ease with colleagues, staff in schools, pupils and parents demonstrating high standards of spoken English and be able to fulfil the travel requirements of a peripatetic teacher working in a large rural county.
The purpose of the job is:
- As part of the Northumberland Inclusive Education Services, to provide specialist support and advice for children with Language and Communication needs (LCN) within school/settings in Northumberland.
- To be responsible for a personal caseload of pre-school and school age children, including assessing need and identifying suitable strategies and approaches required to meet need.
- To take lead responsibility for management & delivery of services for a specified discrete area of LCN need, as required.
- To provide specialist support and advice to colleagues in relation to language and communication needs.
- Enable schools and settings to develop their abilities and skills to meet the LCN needs of their pupils, as identified through targeted work focused on early intervention and prevention.
We are offering:
- MPS /UPS pay scale in line with Teacher Terms and Conditions
- Maximum SEN Allowance on attainment of the required Postgraduate Diploma in Child Language/ Language and Communication
- Employment on Teachers’ Terms and Conditions
- A comprehensive induction plan
- Continuing professional development opportunities
- Travel expenses
Knowledge and Qualifications
- Primary or Secondary Teaching Qualification (First Degree or PGCE)
- Qualified Teacher Status
- Thorough knowledge of language and communication and its importance in the classroom.
- Specialist postgraduate Diploma in Child Language/ Language and Communication or willingness to undertake professional training to this level.
- Knowledge of how to keep children safe and practices and procedures that should be followed.
Experience of:
- Relevant and successful working with pupils who have a wide range of LCN
- Working across school phases in mainstream settings.
- Providing training for parents/staff/colleagues.
- Multi-agency and/or multidisciplinary working.
- Recording pupil progress against individual targets at SEN Support/EHCP.
- Supporting and advising parents.
- Supervising teaching assistants
- Working with pupils with Education Health Care Plans.
Skills and competencies
- Working knowledge of relevant SEND policies and legislation.
- Understanding of principles of child development and barriers to learning.
- Ability to accurately assess pupil needs and progress.
- Ability to plan and implement effective intervention programmes for pupils with LCN taking account of curriculum needs and enabling inclusion
- Ability to liaise sensitively and effectively with parents/carers.
- Able to work collaboratively with colleagues, school staff and parents.
- Demonstrate excellent verbal and written language skills.
- Good record keeping skills.
- A reflective practitioner: ability to monitor, evaluate and improve own skills and practices.
- Ability to prepare and deliver training for a wide range of audiences.
- Understand and adhere to the need for confidentiality
- Possess the ICT skills required to fulfil their duties
Physical, mental and emotional demands
- Ability to work under pressure and respond flexibly to changing situations.
- Ability to remain calm in response to challenging situations and behaviour.
- To promote the safeguarding and welfare of children and young people.
- Self-reliant and able to use initiative to work effectively without close supervision to deliver a range of team objectives.
- Able to undertake the physical demands of the post; particularly driving distances.
Other
- A commitment to supporting children and young people with LCN in mainstream educational settings.
- A willingness to participate in identified training.
- Highly motivated and well organised.
- Ability to use own initiative and work independently.
- A willingness to develop innovative working practices.
- Adherence to evidence-based practice.
- Adherence to high standards of personal and professional conduct as outlined in the DfE Teachers’ Standards.
- Ability to meet the travel requirements of job.
Please note that successful applicants must be able to attend an interview at Aesca House, South View, Ashington, NE63 OSF
Further details can be found in the attached job description
The closing date will be 9 December 2020 at midnight
Northumberland County Council is an equal opportunities employer. We welcome applications from all sectors of the community. We recognise the difficulties that transgender applicants in particular may face during a recruitment process; any concerns regarding the process can be discussed with Rebecca Harding (Trans HR Support Officer) on 01670 623 130 or rebecca.harding@northumberland.gov.uk . We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria.
For further information or an informal discussion about the post, please contact Fiona Tarn, HINT Manager, Email: Fiona.Tarn@northumberland.gov.uk
If you have a disability and would prefer to apply in a different format or would like us to make reasonable adjustments to enable you to attend an interview please contact Fiona Tarn or email hrrecruitment@northumberland.gov.uk.
Please note
This job is closed for applications.