Job Title: Freelance External Supervisors (London and surrounding areas)
Reports to: Head of Membership
Location: Flexible hours, with delivery of External Supervision sessions at practitioners’ workplace and occasional attendance at SHS office for meetings
Contract: Freelance
Salary: According to experience
Hours:Flexible
Context of Work
School-Home Support is a dynamic charity with proven impacts. For nearly 30 years it has been working with children and young people struggling to stay in school due to a wide range of complex family issues. We get children and young people back into school ready to learn, whatever it takes. As an organisation, one of the services we provide is high quality specialist External Supervision to those practitioners working with children and families.
This role will involve working directly with staff in schools and children’s settings to provide individual and group (up to 5 members of staff) supervision sessions.
Our External Supervision sessions focus on caseload support and best practice guidance for practitioners in a variety of roles such as Heads of Year, Family Support Workers, CP Leads, and Inclusion Managers. Sessions are usually 1.5hrs duration and delivered monthly, as a series of ten sessions.
Job Purpose
External Supervisors are responsible for delivery of sessions, writing up a summary of session focus and agreed actions, and maintaining communications with SHS and client link person(s).
Level of Contact with Children and Young People
An enhanced DBS check would be carried out for successful applicants due to the need to carry out External Supervision sessions at workplaces where children and young people will be present.
Liaising with
All internal and external stakeholders in particular, Head of Membership, Client link person and those receiving supervision.
Tasks and Responsibilities
●To deliver a series of monthly External Supervision sessions, either on a 1-1 or group basis
●To provide caseload support, best practice guidance and the opportunity for reflection during External Supervision sessions
●To accurately record the discussion focus and agreed actions for every session carried out
●To keep updated on current policy and best practice for Safeguarding and family support work
●To keep to agreed work allocation objectives, targets, and timelines for delivery and follow internal best practice and procedures
●Attend internal meetings and training where appropriate
●Review own practice and update CPD in association with the Head of Membership
Work allocation process
Successful applicants will be notified by SHS of the available allocation of a series of External Supervision sessions and requesting a response back to confirm availability. This Work Allocation Request would detail the number of practitioners to receive supervision, the location and the hours available along with any other relevant information or objectives to be achieved in relation to the External Supervision delivery. After response back from External Supervisor, SHS would confirm back the allocation and other related details.
Payment would be supplied in stages, usually monthly, following delivery of External Supervision sessions and upon production of invoice in line with Finance payment deadlines.
Other Organisational Responsibilities
●To ensure that good practice and equal opportunity principles are complied with and promoted in accordance with SHS values and Diversity/Equal Opportunities Policy.
●To conform to health and safety legal requirements as laid down by the school and SHS.
●To ensure that a high level of confidentiality is maintained in all aspects of working with children, young people and their families.
Safeguarding
School-Home Support takes very seriouslythe duty of care to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. We are committed to ensuring our safeguarding procedures reflect statutory responsibilities, government guidance and complies with best practice. Our policy recognises that the welfare and interests of children are paramount in all circumstances and we therefore take all necessary steps to protect them. In delivering External Supervision sessions, it is vital that this duty of care to safeguard and promote the welfare of children is at the core of that provision of casework guidance and professional best practice.
This job description is not exhaustive; it merely outlines the key tasks and responsibilities of the post. These key tasks and responsibilities are subject to change. Any changes will be made in consultation with the postholder. You will be expected in undertaking the above role to comply with any policies and procedures that SHS may issue
Person Specification - Freelance External SupervisorEssential
or
Desirable / Assessed by
Application Form (A), Interview (I)
Qualifications
1.Relevant qualification in education, social care health, etc or equivalent work experience / Essential / A
2.Knowledge of policy and legislation relevant to children, families and education / Essential / A, I
3.Knowledge of relevant support services and referral routes / Essential / A, I
Experience
4.Relevant experience of working with children and families from diverse backgrounds through individual and/or group based support. / Essential / A, I
5.Experience of providing casework and reflective supervision to practitioner(s) responsible for safeguarding and for working with children and families / Essential / A, I
Communication and partnerships
6.Develop effective partnerships with schools and other services, including upholding professional boundaries with colleagues, and showing an ability to positively influence other services / Essential / A, I
7.Proven interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills with the ability to effectively communicate with service-users, schools, SHS and colleagues from other services / Essential / A, I
Organisational Skills
8.Excellent organisational skills including time management, planning, and record keeping / Essential / A, I
9.Take a proactive approach to showing a high level of independence / Essential / A, I
10. Good IT and administrative skills, including word processing, report writing and ability to keep accurate and up-to-date records / Essential / A, I
Casework
11. Experience or knowledge of how to engage children and families who may be resistant to support, demonstrating persistence and resilience / Essential / A, I
12. Experience or knowledge of how to professionally manage a caseload of work with vulnerable children and families, including assessing needs, maintaining complete and accurate case files, and information-sharing as necessary. / Essential / A, I
13. Experience or ability to demonstrate understanding of professional boundaries and appropriate relationships with children, young people, their parents and carers / Essential / A, I
14. Experience of conducting regular assessment of effectiveness of casework, including a rigorous approach to monitoring and evaluation focused on demonstrating outcomes for children and families. / Essential / A, I
Group communication
15. Ability to facilitate group discussion and best practice sharing activities with practitioners. / Essential / A,I
Values
16. Taking a whole-family approach to casework, taking account of service user wishes, and based around working in partnership with families on agreed goals. / Essential / A, I
17. A commitment to the aims and values of SHS, including a strong understanding of equal opportunities and the will to identify and challenge discriminatory behaviour / Essential / A, I
18. Recognise, combat and challenge discriminatory behaviour / Essential / A, I
19. Demonstrate a clear understanding of service user needs and requirements taking account of their wishes / Essential / A, I
20. Demonstrate empathy, resilience and persistence in working with young people and parents/carers from a whole family approach / Essential / A, I
Knowledge
21. Knowledge of available support services and referral routes / Essential / A, I
22. Knowledge of the legislation affecting school attendance and understanding of the Children Act 1989 and 2004 and of child protection / Essential / A, I
23. Knowledge of safeguarding policies and procedure / Essential / A, I