Directorate of Children and Family Services

DIRECTORATE OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES

INCLUSIVE EDUCATION MENTOR

£19,621 - £23,708

(Pro-rata) 46 weeks per year – 36 hours per week

SEN Allowance

Essential Car Users Allowance & Mileage

REF: REC 01593

Contents

1.Letter from the Human Resources Manager

2.The Council’s Vision and Objectives

3.Job Description

4.Person Specification

5.Conditions of Service

6. Information on Exempted Posts

7.Equal Opportunities and Diversity Strategy Leaflet is available to view on

8.Equality and Diversity Sub Groups

9.Application Form and Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form

Dear Applicant

POST OF INCLUSIVE EDUCATION MENTOR

Exempt from the provisions of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act

Thank you for your enquiry about the post within Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council.

Please find enclosed further details about the post and an application form for you to complete and return by the 16 October 2009. Any potential applicant who wishes to find out more about Knowsley MBC can access our website at

Interviews are likely to take place within four weeks of the closing date. If you have not heard by then you should assume that your application has been unsuccessful. If you wish your application to be acknowledged, please enclose a stamped addressed envelope with your completed form.

The Council places great importance on maintaining high levels of attendance at work and all Directorates operate under well-established guidelines to monitor and control absence. If you are selected for interview the Council will, of course, be seeking references and your present or last employer will also be asked to give details of your sickness and attendance record over the last three years.

If due to a disability you require any assistance during the selection process please contact us in confidence, e.g. you may need a sign language interpreter, require an accessible interview room, or need help completing a written application [for example taped applications may be submitted by prior agreement] please contact the Recruitment and Employee Services Section on 0151 443 3509.

‘The Council is working jointly with the trade unions to implement a fair and equitable pay and grading structure in line with the 1997 Single Status Agreement. This will be achieved by reviewing every post within the Council through the job evaluation exercise which is currently being conducted. All posts are subject to the review and therefore advertised grades are provisional and will not be confirmed until the outcome of this exercise.

You should note that you are applying for posts within the authority on this basis.’

You should return your application to: Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council,

Human Resources and Development, PO Box 84, Ground Floor, Poplar House, Huyton, Knowsley, L36 9WU, or via email to:

I look forward to receiving your application and thank you for your interest in this post.

Yours sincerely

Jaci Dick

Human Resources Manager

*This pack is available in large print - please ask.

JOB DRESCRIPTION

JOB TITLE:-Inclusive Education Mentor – Newstead Centre

GRADE:-5/6 SCP 22-28 (Pro-rata)

SEN Allowance

Essential Car User Allowance

ACCOUNTABLE TO:- Assistant Head of Services

DATE REVIEWED: June 2009

OVERALL JOB OBJECTIVES

To work within the core values of Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council:

 Trust and Integrity

 Community Focus

 Quality of Service

 Support and Appreciation

 Learning and Innovation

Including a commitment to Equal of Opportunity and to developing an anti-oppressive culture.

PURPOSE OF THE JOB

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Purpose of the Job:

To act as a keyworker to a tutor group of pupils to:
To support the induction of new pupils into Newstead Centre;
Work together wit pupils, families, Centre Staff, schools and other relevant agencies to develop pupil’s personal skills and support future progression;
Support pupils’ with reintegration to school settings and ongoing integration programmes with partner schools and providers.

Duties and Responsibilities:

To be the first point of contact for new pupils and their parents/carers.
To liaise with parent/carers and build relationships with young peoples home/family.
To liaise with LA teams/services (eg Admissions and Exclusions, CSC etc.) Regarding all pupils and reintegration of Newstead pupils.
To provide pastoral/mentoring support to pupils.
To support pupil attendance.
To meet with relevant staff in accepting schools to outline roles and responsibilities regarding reintegration plans.
Transport pupils.

To attend and arrange multi-agency, case group and other professional meetings associated with their pupil and family cohort as appropriate.
To liaise with other agencies to gather information/data about young people.
To attend operations meetings.
To keep accurate and up to date records on young people and share this information with relevant agencies.
To contribute to Centre ethos, aims rules and regulations.
To liaise with form tutor regarding pupil progress and complete relevant documentation.
To be part of the Centre’s Safeguarding team and support the Centre’s Safeguarding Officer.
To support the Assistant Head of Service in developing support packages for mainstream schools.
To devise programmes of Personalised Learning when necessary.
To work as part of a team, appreciating and supporting the role of other people in the wider children’s workforce.

This is not a comprehensive list of all the tasks, which may be required of the post holder. It is illustrative of the general nature and level of responsibility of the work to be undertaken.

To uphold equal opportunities in employment, in advice and in service delivery

To comply with all the requirements of Health and Safety legislation and Council Policy taking appropriate action where necessary.
To comply with all the Council’s Financial and Contract Procedure Rules
To carry out duties requested by the Director of Education and Lifelong Learning commensurate with the grading of the post.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

(

POST: Inclusive Education Mentor
GRADE: Scale 5/6 (Pro-rata) SEN allowance – Essential Car User Allowance / POST NO: / DEPARTMENT/SECTION: Directorate of Children & Family Services – School Services (Inclusion Standards & Effectiveness.) Newstead Centre PRU
CRITERIA /

ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS

/ * M.O.A
Skills, knowledge, experience etc
1 / Ability to embrace the values of KMBC / I
2 / Experience of working with young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties / A/I
3 / Multi-agency working / A/I
4 / Proven track record of working with young people / A/I
5 / Ability to take a holistic view of young peoples’ needs / A/I
6 / Able to communicate effectively with colleagues in other professional fields, including senior managers / A/I
7 / Competence in the skills of communication and networking / A/I/P
8 / Ability to relate to and engage with a wide range of young people and their families/carers / A/I
9 / Ability to plan appropriate responses for individual CYP and their families / A/I
10 / Good team member / I
11 / Good record keeping / I
12 / Ability to manage time effectively / I

Qualifications

13 / Good standard of general education / A/C
14 / Evidence of continued professional development / A/C
Health and Safety
115 / Ability to use equipment as instructed and trained
Ability to inform management of any health and safety issues which could place individuals in danger
Other features
16 / Ability to drive and have access to a car – or have equivalent mobility / A

METHOD OF ASSESSMENT (* M.O.A)

A = APPLICATION FORM, C = CERTIFICATE, E = EXERCISE, I = INTERVIEW, P = PRESENTATION, T = TEST,

AC = ASSESSMENT CENTRE

Where the post involves working with children, in addition to a candidate’s ability to perform the duties of the post, the interview will also explore issues relating to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, including:

Motivation to work with children and young people
Ability to form and maintain appropriate relationships and personal boundaries with children and young people
Emotional resilience in working with challenging behaviours
Attitudes to use of authority and maintaining discipline

CONDITIONS OF SERVICE

DIRECTORATE OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES

Post

/ INCLUSIVE EDUCATION MENTOR

Grade

/ SCALE 5/6

General

/ The conditions in the National Joint Council for Local Authority Services (Green Book) will apply.

Hours of Work

/ 36 hours per week.

Salary

/ £19,621 to £23,708 (pro-rata for part time)

Annual Leave

Basic Leave is23days, rising to a maximum of29 days with 10 years continuous Knowsley service. (pro-rata for part time)

Car User Status

/ Essential

Medical

/ The successful applicant will be required to complete a medical questionnaire and may also be required to undergo a medical examination.

Training

/ The Council is a recognised ‘Investor in People’ and encourages training and development for all employees.

Pension

/ You are automatically entered into the Local Government Pension Scheme, unless you elect not to join. Employees with contracts of employment of less than three months are not eligible to join the scheme. Contributions rates are dependant on salary as per the contribution rates shown below.

Childcare Vouchers

/ The Council is in partnership with a Childcare Voucher Provider which offers employees a salary sacrifice scheme. Further details are available from Humans Resources.

Disclosure

/ The post is subject to receipt of satisfactory disclosure. Declaration of a criminal record on offer of appointment will not necessarily be a bar to employment. You must ensure that you complete Section 8 of the application form. If you fail to do so your application will not be considered.

Contribution Rates

With effect from 1 April 2008, contribution rates will be on a sliding scale based upon a scheme member’s full time annual pensionable pay. Part time employees’ percentage contribution rates will be based upon the pro rata full time pensionable pay.

From 1 April 2009, the new contribution rates will be as follows:

TABLE 1

Band / Pensionable Pay range / Contribution Rate
1 / £0 - £12,600 / 5.5%
2 / £12,600.01 - £14,700 / 5.8%
3 / £14,700.01 - £18,900 / 5.9%
4 / £18,900.01 - £31,500 / 6.5%
5 / £31,500.01 - £42,000 / 6.8%
6 / £42,000.01 - £78,700 / 7.2%
7 / More than £78,700 / 7.5%

From 1 April 2008 for those employees who were paying 5%, the changes to contribution rates are as follows;

TABLE 2

Year Commencing / Contribution rate
1 April 2008 / 5.25%
1 April 2009 / 5.5%
1 April 2010 / 6.5%

EXEMPTED POSTS - CRIMINAL RECORDS BUREAU DISCLOSURE

Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council aims to promote equality of opportunity for all with the right mix of talent, skills and potential. We welcome applications from diverse candidates.

Certain posts are subject to a Criminal Records Bureau check due to the nature of the work being undertaken, therefore all candidates who are successful at interview to one of these posts will be asked to complete an application form for a Disclosure check before the appointment is confirmed.

Whilst the Council supports the rehabilitation of ex-offenders it is obliged in the recruitment of all employees to utilise an Exemption Order of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 in order to ensure safe recruitment to posts where working with children, vulnerable adults or other positions of trust are involved. These are referred to as Regulated Posts.

If you apply for a post that is Regulated and subject to a disclosure you will be advised in the recruitment Job pack.

If applicable you are required to disclose convictions on the recruitment Application Form under Section 8. Unless the nature of the work demands it, you will not be asked to disclose convictions that are `spent` under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.

If you are successful at interview you will be asked to complete an application form for a Disclosure check before the appointment is confirmed. Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council is registered with the Criminal Records Bureau to request Standard and Enhanced Disclosures on cautions, reprimands and final warnings, as well as convictions. We will process the application and pay the charge to the Criminal Records Bureau.

Applicants should be aware that having a conviction or a record of some type of unacceptable behaviour would not necessarily bar you from employment in Regulated Posts, as any decision to employ will be considered on the individual circumstances of each case.

If you are in doubt about what you should declare you can ask advice from a member of the Human Resources and Development Department on 0151 443 3509.

Further information about the Criminal Records Bureau, including how information is assessed in line with the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 can be found on their website:

SAFEGUARDING

Motivation to work with children and young people
Ability to form and maintain appropriate relationships and personal boundaries with children and young people
Emotional resilience in working with challenging behaviours
Attitudes to use of authority and maintaining discipline

EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY SUB-GROUPS

Knowsley Council has four established sub groups to support the equality and diversity agenda. The groups are the Black and Minority Workers’ Group, the Knowsley Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Forum, the Disability Workers’ Group and the recently formed Women’s Operational Workers’ Group.

The groups are supported by the Corporate Equality and Diversity Manager, Paul Peng who can be contacted on 443 3073.

Knowsley’s Black and Minority Workers Group (KBMWG)
The group’s vision is to ‘promote respect and value diverse cultures within Knowsley’, and they are committed to challenging all forms of discrimination, racial harassment and bullying to promote race equality in employment and in the delivery of services.Through development days, members of the KBMWG have established and discussed terms of reference and decided on ways to be involved with the council corporately.
Contact: Keith Gabbidon-Thompson 443 4466
Knowsley’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Forum
This group aims to promote the council positively as an employer which is supportive of the group and its members.
The group will act as a consultation forum when new policies and strategies are formed and they hope to influence change. Through this group it is planned that a two-way process for exchanging ideas, problem solving and information sharing will be formed with their main aim to raise awareness and reduce discrimination within the workplace.
Contact: Vee Wright 443 5377 or Sean Donnelly 443 5331,
Disability Workers’ Group
The Disability Workers’ Group meet to discuss issues surrounding disability within Knowsley. The council recognises that people are disabled by society and not their impairment.
The group advises on all policy and procedure, whether related to employment or service delivery for the council and the Primary Care Trust. They also provide a networking opportunity across the groups to discuss common issues and link with similar employee forums in other local authorities.
Contact: Margie Hill 443 3098 or Peter Mowat
Women’s Operational Workers Group
The Women’s Operational Workers Group first meeting was in January 2006 when the Terms of Reference for the group was agreed and an Action Plan put in place. Within the action plan are objectives to deliver Focus Groups to gain women’s views on topics/issues they have identified at the annual Celebration of International Women’s Day. The group’s primary focus will be the consideration of gender equality issues relative to every aspect of employment and service delivery.
As with the other three groups there will be representation at the Corporate Equality and Diversity Strategy Group meetings. The advice and guidance which this forum is anticipated to contribute will be a valuable asset to the Equality and Diversity agenda of Knowsley council, particularly as women make up 63.9% of the total work force.
Contact: Maire Gollock 443 5847 orChris Kneale 443 3175