The Wiltshire Parent Carer Council CIC (WPCC) is an independent organisation which is managed and run by parent carers*, for parent carers, seeking to enable the voice and experiences of parent carers to positively influence the services that their children and families use.
Representing over 4,000 parent carers of children and young people in Wiltshire with Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND), the WPCC provides a specialist consultation and participation service which enables parent carers to have a voice about the services and support their children and families use. This service offers real opportunities to influence and shape provision across the local area, and work in partnership with the people who commission and deliver services in Wiltshire.
The WPCC also provides its specialist information and signposting service called SENDIS, to support parent carers of children and young people with SEND, and those working with them. WPCC’s SENDIS service is a ‘one-stop shop’ that provides a wealth of specialist information as well as signposting to specialist services which support families raising a child or young person with SEND. This service is enhanced by our Outreach Service and Telephone Triage Team.
* The WPCC uses the term parent carer to describe anyone over the age of 18 with parental responsibility for a child or young person with SEND; this does not have to be a birth parent and could include foster parents, adoptive parents, special guardians, grandparents etc.
Improving local services for children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities
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The recent resignation of one our Telephone Triage Workers, due to unexpected changes in personal circumstances, has created a vacancy for a Telephone Triage Worker with the WPCC. This pack has been designed to give as much information about this vacancy as possible.
As an organisation disproportionately affected by the COVID pandemic, the WPCC was awarded a COVID grant award in 2021. This is a one-off grant which means that we only have enough funding to be able to offer the position on a temporary contract. If the WPCC is able to secure further funding, then we would be keen to extend this role.
The WPCC represents and supports parent carers across the whole of Wiltshire, excluding Swindon.
The WPCC office is based in central Trowbridge, near to the Odeon cinema leisure complex.
Closing date for all applications is 5pm on Wednesday 18th January 2023. Interviews for successful shortlisted candidates will take place at the WPCC office on Wednesday 25th January 2023.
It is hoped the successful candidates will start as soon as possible after the interview, subject to necessary checks. You will need an enhanced DBS; the WPCC will arrange this if you do not have a valid certificate.
This role will require you to answer telephone calls as they come in, take basic details of the enquiry and arrange a call back from one of the WPCC SENDIS Team.
Additional duties will include responding to basic enquiries about the Wiltshire Short Breaks Scheme, producing the weekly WPCC newsletter, supporting the management of the WPCC website by checking content accuracy, and assisting with responses to social media enquiries. You will be supported by experienced colleagues and as an employee of the WPCC, you can expect to receive initial training, induction support, regular supervision and team support. You will be office based and all reasonable steps have been taken to ensure a COVID safe work place.
There may also be some occasional flexibility required on days worked, such as any WPCC event commitments. The WPCC office is based in central Trowbridge.
Appointment to this post is subject to background checks.
This is a fixed term, part-time position until 31st March 2024. If the WPCC is able to secure further funding, then we would be keen to extend this role.
You will be contracted to work three days a week, for 52 weeks per annum. You will be entitled to 17 paid days leave per year, in addition to public holidays that fall on your normal working days. A salary of £10,200 per year will be paid based on a three-day week and you will be entitled to a workplace pension.
Working hours will be 10:00am to 5:00pm, Mondays, Tuesday and Thursdays, with a half hour unpaid break in the middle of the day.
There may also be some occasional flexibility required on days worked, such as any WPCC event commitments. The WPCC office is based in central Trowbridge.
• you do not need experience of SEND
• you will have an excellent, warm and friendly telephone manner
• you will have some basic ICT skills to assist with recording details of enquiries, producing the weekly WPCC newsletter and assisting with responses to social media enquiries
• you are punctual, friendly and demonstrate a positive professional attitude
• you take pride in your own work and that of the organisation
• you are supportive of your colleagues
• you are extremely meticulous in attention to detail and accuracy
• you must be literate
• you work well as part of team and you are able to show initiative and manage your own workload
• you will need to be a team player, able to fit into a small, friendly and supportive team, and equally able to work on your own
• you seek to learn from and support your colleagues
• you review your own performance and ask for feedback to learn and improve
• you work safely to maintain the health of both yourself and others
• you understand and respect the need for confidentiality and data protection
• you are flexible, quick to learn and able to adapt to change
• you acknowledge when you make mistakes and take responsibility for addressing and correcting them
Thank you for taking the time to read this pack.
If after having read the information in this pack, you have any further queries about the role or roles you are interested in and would like to talk to someone before deciding whether you would like to apply, please contact the WPCC’s Strategic Director, Stuart Hall on 01225 764647 or email: director@wiltspcc.co.uk who will be happy to help.
If you would like to be considered for the position advertised, please proceed by completing our online application form: www.form.jotform.com/Stuartwork/ Application-Jan23. .
Please note, CVs or covering letters will not be considered.