Education Support Officer

• Location: Woking, Surrey

Description

We are committed to the development of our workforce. This position is only available to applicants who already work for Surrey County Council. We thank you for your interest in our roles and would encourage you to review our vacancies which are open to all.

This role has a starting salary of £28,584 per annum, based on working 28.80 hours per week, pro rata to £35,730. A job share could also be considered.

We are excited to be hiring a new, permanent Education Support Officer (ESO) to join our fantastic Surrey Virtual School team based in Woking. This role is open to hybrid working and as a team we split our time between working from home and collaborating together in the office for team days and other in-person activities as necessary.

As ESO, you would be joining a strong, stable and supportive team of professionals who are totally committed to improving the educational experiences and outcomes of children and young people in the care of Surrey.

Rewards and Benefits

• 26 days' holiday (prorated for part time staff), rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 30 days after 5 years' service
• Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave
• An extensive Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
• Up to 5 days of carer's leave per year
• Paternity, adoption and dependents leave
• A generous local government salary related pension
• Lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, shopping and many more
• Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources
• Participation in the Virtual School's scheduled CPD programme to support you in your role

SVS is part of the 'Corporate Parenting' division which sits in the Children, Families and Lifelong Learning directorate. The team works in partnership with schools, carers, social workers and a range of other stakeholders and professionals to improve outcomes in line with our statutory duties and role as educational advocates of Surrey's children looked after.

We aim to be an aspirational and outstanding Virtual School to promote and support the education of all children in scope of the Virtual School – including children looked after, previously looked after, those with a social worker and in kinship care.

About the Role

We are seeking an Education Support Officer who can support and add capacity to our existing ESO team. You would be focusing particularly on the quality assurance of Personal Education Plans for children in care, although your work would also encompass other aspects of the ESO role as needed, such as children looked after in the early years and those with additional needs who are of statutory school-age or in the Early Years.

The main purpose of the ESO role is to raise educational outcomes of children looked after through ensuring every child has access to a suitable education which meets their needs, and has a high quality, up to date Personal Education Plan (PEP). As an ESO, you will work closely with social care teams, Designated Teachers, foster carers and other professionals to ensure timely completion of high-quality PEPs which reflect children's identified needs, supporting accelerated learning and high achievement. You will oversee the education of a significant group of looked after children, intervening swiftly where there is risk of disruption to their learning or attendance, providing support and challenge to their professional network so that they can thrive in their education.

ESOs work at pace, are adept at managing competing priorities and deadlines, and using their specialist knowledge to support children and young people who have experienced childhood trauma, some of whom have complex additional needs.

Shortlisting Criteria

To be considered for shortlisting for this position, your application will clearly evidence the following:

• Up to date knowledge of the UK education system primarily Early Years and Statutory School-Age, as well as the care system
• A successful track record of working proactively and effectively to improve the educational experiences and outcomes of care-experienced children and young people
• A thorough understanding of Personal Education Planning for looked after children and young people, together with experience of supporting professionals with PEPs and contribution to quality assuring PEPs
• A solid understanding of supporting children and young people with additional needs (SEND) and an understanding of the potential impact of trauma on development, behaviour and educational achievement
• Excellent time management and organisational skills, with the ability to manage and progress multiple tasks so that young people access education, employment or training with minimal disruption or delay
• A flexible approach and positive can-do attitude, role modelling these behaviours to young people as well as providers, services and stakeholders
• Educated to A Level, HND standard or equivalent

Please contact us for any questions relating to the role. This could be to discuss flexible working requests, transferable skills or any barriers to employment. For an informal discussion please contact Stacey McCabe or Vicki Betts.

The job advert closes at 23:59 on 05/01/2025 with interviews planned for Friday 17/01/2025.

An enhanced DBS 'Disclosure and Barring Service' check for regulated activity (formerly known as CRB) and the Children's and Adults' Barred List checks will be required for this role.

We look forward to receiving your application, please click on the apply online button below to submit.

Our Values

Our values are as important as our abilities and shape who we are as an organisation. Discover more about our values.

Our Commitment

Surrey County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. A guaranteed interview will be offered to all disabled applicants where:

• The candidate has evidenced the minimum criteria for the role through their application
• The candidate has chosen to share that they have a disability on the application form

We want to be an inclusive and diverse employer reflecting the community we serve and particularly welcome applications from all underrepresented groups.