SENDCo and Designated Teacher

Role Description

The Cambian Group is one of the largest providers of specialist behavioural health services for children and adults in the UK. Our work in the UK embraces many specialist services including adult mental health, acquired brain injury, children’s specialist education, children’s residential services and fostering services.

The Forum School and Residential Home is a 52-week residential and specialist school providing quality therapeutic care and education for young people with Autism, severe learning difficulties and challenging behaviour and complex needs. The children and young people that attend our school range between the ages of 7 and 19 years.

We are looking for a SENDCo and Designated Teacher to join our team. We are looking for someone who aligns with our ethos of believing that every child or young person has a personal best.

Main Purpose of the Role

The SENDCo and Designated Teacher, under the direction of the headteacher, will:

• Determine the strategic development of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) policy and provision in the school.
• Be responsible for day-to-day operation of the SEND policy and coordination of specific provision to support individual pupils with SEND.
• Provide professional guidance to colleagues, working closely with staff, parents and other agencies.
• The SENDCo will be expected to fulfil the responsibilities of a teacher.
• Be a central point of initial contact within the school.
• Have the overall responsibility to ensure that looked-after children and previously looked-after children aren’t placed at a disadvantage, and are given the support that they need to succeed both academically and emotionally in school.

Other Duties and Responsibilities

• Have a strategic overview of provision for pupils with SEN or a disability across the school, monitoring and reviewing the quality of provision.
• Make sure the SEND policy is put into practice and its objectives are reflected in the school improvement plan (SIP)
• Evaluate whether funding is being used effectively, and suggest changes to make use of funding more effective.
• Work with early years providers, other schools, educational psychologists, health and social care professionals and other external agencies. Also be a key point of contact for external agencies, especially the local authority (LA)
• Review education, health and care plans (EHCP) with parents or carers and the pupil. Communicate regularly with parents or carers.
• Work with the headteacher and governors to ensure the school meets its responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010 in terms of reasonable adjustments and access arrangements.
• Have overall responsibility for target setting for our young people in the school including monitoring and tracking attainment progresses, and ensuring that identified actions are put in place.
• Work with the schools designated safeguarding lead to ensure any safeguarding concerns are responded to quickly and effectively.

Within this role, the successful candidate will also need to work in line with statutory safeguarding guidance (e.g. Keeping Children Safe in Education, PREVENT) and our safeguarding and children protection policies. You will also need to work with the designated safeguarding lead to promote the best interests of our young people including sharing any concerns where necessary. The successful candidate will also promote the safeguarding of all pupils within the school.

By carrying out these responsibilities well, you will be helping to provide the best possible quality of care for the young people who live with us.

Requirements for an Enhanced DBS and reference checking will be undertaken in line with government regulations and safer recruitment best practice. Whilst we endeavour to keep the recruitment process as short as possible due to the nature of these important checks it may extend the processing time. All young people are equally entitled to have their needs met in a fair and balanced way. Cambian Group employees are responsible for promoting equal opportunities for all and for challenging behaviour or practice which discriminates against any young person or colleague on the grounds of race, religion, disability, age, gender, sexual orientation or any other perceived difference.

We will conduct online searches of shortlisted candidates. This check will be part of a safeguarding check, and the search will be purely based on whether an individual is suitable to work with children. As care must be taken to avoid unconscious bias and any risk of discrimination a person who will not be on the appointment panel will conduct the search and will only share information if and when findings are relevant and of concern.