Senior SENDIASS Officer

Senior SENDIASS Officer

Salary: £18,000 pro rata salary (£30,000 FTE)

Contract: Part-Time, permanent

Hours: 21 hours per week (working pattern will be negotiated with your line manager)

Base Location: This role is home based but you will be expected to travel to the offices in Kew or Chessington for weekly team meetings.

Covering Location: London Boroughs of Richmond and Kingston

Benefits: 30 days' Annual Leave (increasing to 35 days' with length of service) + Bank Holidays, Company Pension, Life Assurance x 2, Employee Discount Scheme, Medical Cash Plan (pro rata)

About us

We are Polaris, one of the UK's largest leading communities of children's service providers.

Within the community, we have independent fostering and adoption agencies who have been passionately improving the lives of young people for over 30 years, as well as Leaving Care services, Education and bespoke children's services contracts. Our nurturing community works collectively to support the very best outcomes for each and every child in our care. We're ambitious for our children and young people, families and staff, and believe in their futures.

Richmond and Kingston SENDIASS

SENIDAS services are part of the Children's Services branch of Polaris. Richmond & Kingston SENDIASS provide timely, confidential and impartial, information, advice and support for parents, carers, children and young people with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND).

Their aim is to ensure that parents/carers of children with SEND are empowered to play an active and informed role in their child's education and that young people with SEND have the appropriate information advice and support to raise aspirations and enable them to make decisions on issues relating to preparing for adulthood.

Requirements

We are looking for a Senior Officer to join our Richmond & Kingston team. The successful applicant will have a track record or personal experience in special educational needs, disabilities, education, health or social care. You will provide line management and day-to-day leadership in the team to support staff wellbeing and to ensure that supportive, empowering services are provided to customers. You will also provide confidential, impartial, advice and support to customers on issues relating to SEND.

You will also require the following:

• ISPSEA SEN Law Training at Level 1, 2 and 3
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Personal or professional experience in a leadership position, a calm but assertive manner and an aptitude for managing complex conversations with a range of stakeholders.

A track record in successfully implementing operational processes e.g. case management, recording and reporting.

Polaris Children's Services is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff to share this commitment. The successful candidate will be required to complete an enhanced DBS Check, cost of which will be met by Polaris Children's Services. Polaris Children's Services is an equal opportunities employer and positively encourages applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates.