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.
We are looking to increase our capacity and employ two new outreach workers on permanent contracts to join our outreach team.
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 Sunday 12th March 2023.
Interviews for successful shortlisted candidates will take place at the WPCC office on Thursday 16th March 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.
The WPCC’s Outreach Workers support parent carers who would normally find it difficult to access the WPCC’s information, signposting and support by telephone or the internet.
You will be undertaking time-limited direct work with parent carers of children and young people with SEND. A large amount of work undertaken is likely to be within the family home, providing information and signposting to parent carers in relation to the services and support within Wiltshire’s Local Offer, and liaising with services to support with barriers parent carers may be experiencing.
As a member of our Outreach Team, you will work alongside our SENDIS Team. You will be expected to use our bespoke electronic logging system to enable enquiries to be logged and monitored, as well as collating feedback and liaising with your office based SENDIS colleagues; you will report directly to the Senior SENDIS Information Officer. You may also be required to help gather information and data relating to logged enquiries for reporting purposes as necessary.
You will be expected to proactively research new information, support and opportunities available locally, and share with your colleagues and the families you work with as appropriate. It is likely that you will need to liaise regularly with a variety of professionals which typically include social workers, education, health, and voluntary agencies.
You will work in a person-centred way, in order to support families to achieve positive outcomes and you will respect confidentiality (except where there are safeguarding concerns) and abide by the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR).
You will join our existing Outreach Team who, along with other members of the WPCC team, will support and mentor you in your role. You will be able to shadow an Outreach Worker to help build your confidence, before taking responsibility for your own cases. Full training and support will be given be given to support the successful candidate in their new role, as well as ongoing supervision and support.
Appointment to this post is subject to enhanced DBS and background checks.
Your role will involve you working with parent carers in the community. When not working directly with parent carers, you will have the flexibility of working from home or the WPCC Trowbridge office. Casual User Car Allowance is payable as expenses.
This is a permanent, part time, term time only position, working during half term breaks but not main school holidays.
As an employee on a term time contract of employment, you will be contracted to work for a total of 42 weeks per annum. It therefore enables the employee not to work during the 10 weeks of main school holidays per year. All annual leave is to be taken during main school holidays.
We are looking for someone to work flexibly across the week (not weekends). You will work a total of 18 hours a week, to include an unpaid break of one hour per day. It may be possible that we are able to offer the right candidate more than 18 hours a week; we can be flexible about how hours are worked and this can be discussed at interview. You would need to be available on Wednesdays during term time to work from the WPCC office.
The salary payments are pro rata for 42 weeks of the year and include payments for the pro rata annual leave (based on the 5.6 calculation as stipulated in the Working Time Regulations 1998) and public/bank holiday entitlements. A starting salary of £8557.22 which will be subject to review in April, will be paid in 12 equal instalments throughout the year.
There may also be some occasional flexibility required on days worked to meet with any WPCC event commitments. The WPCC office is based in central Trowbridge.
You will need to possess excellent people skills, be resilient, enjoy a challenge and demonstrate commitment. Experience of working in a 'customer service' type role would be an advantage. We are looking for someone who: -
• Is punctual and friendly and demonstrate a positive professional attitude
• takes pride in your own work and that of your colleagues
• is meticulous in attention to detail and accuracy
• is literate and demonstrates satisfactory ICT and typing skills in line with the demands of the role
• understands who your customers are and why they matter
• is willing to go the extra mile for customers and act upon their feedback.
• works together with colleagues and customers and takes the time to build effective and rational working relationships
• works well as part of team and is are able to show initiative and manage your own workload
• is a team player, able to fit into a small, friendly and supportive team
• seeks to learn from and support your colleagues
• reviews your own performance and asks for feedback to learn and improve
• works safely to maintain the health of both yourself and others
• is compassionate, caring and empathetic to both customers and colleagues
• works in a person-centred way
• understands and respects the need for confidentiality and data protection
• is flexible, quick to learn and able to adapt to change
• acknowledges when you make mistakes and takes 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 and you 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.jotform.com/Stuartwork/WPCCOutreach-March2023. .
Please note, CVs or covering letters will not be considered.
