GLPC Job Description Officer
/ Job Title / Assistant SEND Officer (Sensory Support, EPS and SENDIAS)Department / Children and Young People
Section / Pupil and Parent Services
Grade / Scale 6
Reports to / Head of Sensory and Communication Services
Staffing Responsibility / None
Organisation / Please attach organisation structure
Job Purpose:
1. To be a point of contact and responsibility for correspondence to the Sensory and Communication Services (SCS), Educational Psychology Service (EPS) and SEN and Disability Independent Advisory Service (SENDIAS) from parents/carers, SENAS, schools and other professionals, exercising judgement, providing advice and information and answering queries within an agreed framework.
2. To manage the statutory assessment request process (including re-assessments) from SENAS for all Brent children/young people that require SCS & EPS input. To ensure that they are recorded on the relevant databases and tracked to ensure reports are submitted within the required timescales (including timely allocation to Educational Psychologists (EPs) for completion).
3. To be responsible for the recording, scanning, allocation and checking of all child/young person information on the SCS & EPS databases and document management systems.
4. To liaise with early years settings, schools/educational settings and parents/carers to check availability for SCS & EPS visits or assessment, write to the setting and/or parent/carers to confirm appointments and co-ordinate with SCS members & EPs arrangements to meet the child/young person.
5. To ensure that visits and assessments are actioned and completed by EPs, tracking and monitoring to conclusion on an on-going basis.
6. To manage the calculation of half termly and termly EPS school visit counts and verification of the hours allocated to each school, ensuring records are accurate and timely. To maintain data of percentage and hours completed and feedback the status to the Principal Educational Psychologist to ensure service delivery.
7. To manage the invoicing and charging to schools of visits in Oracle and provide information to the Strategic Lead for SCS and the Principal Educational Psychologist for budget monitoring purposes.
8. To manage the ordering and processing of equipment, assessment materials and training bookings on behalf of the SCS & EPS and team members, including the raising of requisitions and receipts via Oracle on a regular basis.
9. To manage external & digital post allocations and management of database information for the SCS, EPS and SENDIAS.
Principal Accountabilities and Responsibilities:
1. To be a point of contact and responsibility for correspondence to the Sensory and Communication Services (SCS) & Educational Psychology Service (EPS) and SENDIAS from parents/carers, SENAS, schools and other professionals, exercising judgement, providing advice and information and answering queries within an agreed framework.
2. To take calls on behalf of the SCS & EPS and ensure enquiries are managed, actioned at source and transferred to relevant individuals in the SCS & EPS service.
3. To have responsibility for monitoring the completion of EPS visits, reports assessments and ensure reports, letters and correspondence are sent out to parents/carers, schools and service users.
4. To prioritise and manage workloads to ensure all EPS reports, assessments and visits are managed within agreed timescales by the EPS service.
5. To liaise with other services, parents/carers, schools and organisations to organise visits ensuring supporting processes are in place to produce quality reports within statutory timescales.
6. To work in close partnership with Schools, Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators, Children's Services Department staff and other agencies to deliver and ensure the statutory involvements and information requested is provided.
7. To ensure weekly tracking of visits and assessments, maintaining SCS & EP databases and allocation of EP visits and assessments and tracking them to completion.
8. To monitor School Visit Summaries, Record of EP Involvement and other confidential correspondence on behalf of the EPS to Service Users and ensure deadlines are met in accordance with Brent’s EPS requirements.
9. To ensure data management of SCS & EPS information such as recording of visits and assessments, scanning, allocation, checks of all pupil information on the SCS & EPS databases and document management systems.
10. To ensure all finance related processes pertinent to the SCS & EPS services such as invoicing, setting up suppliers, raising purchase orders are all effectively managed.
11. To support the SCS & EPS and ensure that all areas of data and finance is managed within an electronic system and recorded accurately.
12. To manage the ordering and processing of equipment and assessment materials for Sensory and Communication Services, Educational Psychology Service and SENDIAS.
13. To ensure the details of children and young people are accurately recorded within the relevant databases.
14. Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and all employees are required to act in such a way that at all times safeguards the health and well being of children and vulnerable adults.
15. Carry out duties with due regard to the council’s customer care, equal opportunities, information governance, data protection, safeguarding and health and safety policies and procedures.
16. Undertake any other duties commensurate with the general level of responsibility of this post.
Job Context:
· The post operates within the Sensory and Communication Needs Service, Educational Psychology Service and SENDIAS.
· Operates within a statutory SEN framework and timescales.
· The job requires extensive partnership working across a range of internal and external agencies particularly schools, parents and young people.
· An understanding of the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice in relation to statutory legislation.
DBS Status / No check required
Politically Restricted / No
Person Specification
Job Knowledge, Skills & Experience:
Specify the qualifications, experience, skills and abilities required.
All criteria are essential
Knowledge and Qualifications:
· Understanding of how to work in a multi-disciplinary context and an understanding of the government’s change agenda in particular the new SEN Code of Practice
· Up to A Level and/or equivalent relevant training or qualifications.
· Awareness of principles of data protection and confidentiality.
Experience:
· Some experience of working within an SEN Framework in schools or a Local Authority.
· Experience of working collaboratively across teams and professionals.
· Experience of working with a broad range of people including families, education, social care and health care professionals.
· An understanding of and empathy with the issues facing children/young people with special educational needs and disabilities and their families.
· Experience of working in an office environment, working with databases, Microsoft office.
Skills and Abilities:
· Strong IT skills, including use of spread-sheets and databases.
· High level written and verbal communication skills to various audiences, and time management skills.
· To demonstrate the ability to plan, organise and manage a heavy workload.
· Proven ability to problem-solve and meet deadlines under pressure.
· To demonstrate a commitment to the Council’s Equal Opportunities Policy and the ability to understand and implement the policy in relation to the job responsibilities.
· The ability to utilise IT effectively, including e-mail, the Electronic Case Management System and basic word processing.
Version 2: September 2015
Date of Job Evaluation 29/09/2015 / Page 1 of 4