Safeguarding & SEND Administration Officer

Position:                         Safeguarding & SEND Administration Officer

Based at:                        Oxclose Community Academy

Address:                        Dilston Close, Washington, NE38 0LN

Advert Start Date:        Monday 26^th June 2023

Contract Type:              Permanent

Scale:                              Grade G – NJC 18 to 22

Salary:                            £27,344 to £29,439 pro rata (Actual £24,999 to £26,915)

Hours Per Week:           37 Hours per Week – Term Time only plus 3 weeks (42 weeks per year)

Required from:             September 2023

Discover Learning Trust are looking to appoint an enthusiastic, highly motivated and exceptional Safeguarding and SEND Administrator to join our friendly, hardworking team of support staff, who are committed to the continuous improvement of our school.

This vital role will support the SENDCo and Designated Safeguarding Lead with the co-ordination of SEND annual reviews for students with a special educational needs and disabilities alongside the co-ordination of referrals and recording of Safeguarding documents. It will also take a lead in planning, development, organisation and monitoring of support systems and procedures for SEND and Safeguarding, ensuring compliance with statutory regulations and deadlines. Understandably, this role will demand a significant amount of flexibility, as the diverse workload will be driven by need and may be different at various times during the year.

The successful applicant will work closely with both the Safeguarding and SEND teams, acting as the first point of contact for staff, students, parents/carers and outside agencies, managing complex queries and providing PA support to both Safeguarding and SENDCo Leads. There is also a requirement to attend multi agency conferences/meetings, as required.

Previous experience working in a SEND and/or Safeguarding administration role within a school environment is desirable but not essential. It is more important that successful applicants are strong administrators with excellent attention to detail, is well-organised and committed to the safeguarding and well-being of children.

Applicants must have:

• Exceptional communication skills both verbal and written;
• Outstanding organisational skills with meticulous attention to detail;
• Strong knowledge and experience in the use of a range of IT systems;
• Excellent time keeping and workload management;
• Be able to work under pressure and to strict deadlines, and;
• Most importantly, an interest in working in an environment where children are at the heart of everything we do.

Safeguarding experience is desirable however, full training will be provided.

Oxclose Community Academy is a good school (Ofsted, 2020) conveniently situated 10 minutes’ drive from Sunderland, Newcastle and Durham. The Academy enjoys an excellent reputation within the local community and is consistently oversubscribed year-on-year. Our curriculum is founded on the core values of valuing diversity, striving for excellence. You will be joining a team where we work collaboratively to ensure our students are safe, happy, inspired and cared for. We provide an extremely supportive induction programme for new staff and excellent professional development opportunities.  The successful candidate will also have free access to our gym and enjoy free parking.

Discover Learning Trust is fully committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all employees and volunteers to share in this commitment. As part of our due diligence and to comply with our obligations in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education, an online search of publicly available information will be undertaken for all shortlisted candidates. This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore will be subject to a subject to an enhanced DBS disclosure.

Discover Learning Trust is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications regardless of age, gender, race, religion, disability, or sexual orientation.

Please note that we do not accept CVs. For an application pack please contact Mrs L Fittes, Purchasing and Personnel Manager at recruitment@oxclose.net.

To arrange an informal discussion regarding the role or would like to visit the school, please contact Ms Burnikell – Designated Safeguarding Lead via email: burnikell.k@oxclose.net

Application Closing Date:        Midday on Monday 10^th July 2023

Interviews:                                  Friday 14^th July 2023 (To be confirmed)