Advisory Teacher - Language %26 Communication (Local Impact Teams) - 2 posts

Education Authority; Belfast; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A local education organization is looking for an Advisory Teacher to support children with language and communication needs. This role involves delivering training to educational staff, collaborating with parents and health professionals, and developing tailored interventions. The successful candidate will need a teaching qualification, experience with special educational needs, and strong communication skills. This is a rewarding opportunity to make a significant impact in the lives of children and young people in educational settings.

Qualifications

• Minimum three years’ experience supporting children with language and communication needs.
• Experience in designing and implementing intervention programmes for children with SEN.
• Experience administering language assessments.

Responsibilities

• Deliver training and support to educational professionals.
• Liaise with parents for children's learning support.
• Collaborate with health professionals for enhancing educational outcomes.

Skills

Collaboration

Communication

Teaching strategies knowledge

Special Education knowledge

Education

Qualified teacher

Job description

JOB DESCRIPTION

REPORTS TO: Local Impact Team Manager

RESPONSIBLE FOR: Delivering the Programme of Offer within Local Impact Teams

JOB PURPOSE

The language and communication Advisory Teacher will work within the Education Authority Local Impact Teams. The role is to deliver training, offer advice and support to school staff and parents/carers, and to work directly with children and young people. This may involve working with school staff and pupils in preschool, nursery, primary post‑primary settings, within mainstream, specialist settings attached to mainstream and Special Schools. The Advisory Teacher will liaise with other EA Officers and with other professionals in other agencies.

RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Contribute to the development and co‑ordination of Language and Communication within the EA Local IMPACT Teams.

• Contribute as required to the development and delivery of a language and communication training programme for educational professionals to promote the capacity building of staff in educational settings.
• Liaise with staff in EA services and other agencies, particularly Health Trust Speech and Language Therapists, Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists, and RISE NI staff regarding delivery of training to maximise the quality and consistency of training offered to professionals supporting children with special educational needs.
• Promote and develop effective partnerships with parents to support their children's learning, achievement, and development by contributing to the development of training/ information sessions for parents as required.
• Contribute to the development and delivery of the EA Local Impact Team action plan, and the wider SEND Transformation Plan.
• Support Language Intervention Officers and Language Assistants in delivering their role as required.
• Contribute to the development of an excellent support service within which all staff acknowledge that they are accountable for the success of the service.
• Contribute to the quality monitoring and evaluation of aspects of the EA Local IMPACT team in promoting positive outcomes for service users.

Training, advice, and support for service users

Children/Young People

• Collaborate with staff in educational settings, with parents to provide assessment, intervention and progress monitoring for staff and children in educational settings. Provide and facilitate the delivery of a range of interventions that are deemed to be appropriate to meet the needs of the individual child/young person.
• Maintain a key role in relation to some children who require more specific support to include the development and implementation of an individualised based support programme.
• Support the transition of children with SEN, including those with language, and communication needs/Developmental Language Disorder.
• Maintain reports of involvement, assessment, and progress for each child/young person on an allocated caseload and any child/young person receiving advice and support.

Families

• Liaise with parents to encourage their involvement, particularly the importance of attendance at speech and language therapy appointments in Health Trust clinics; and to offer advice and support as to how they might assist their child at home.
• Facilitate parent support groups and training as required.
• Encourage and demonstrate liaison between home and educational setting to maximise consistency in relation to effective strategies that are being implemented to meet the needs of an individual child.

Educational Professionals

• Provide a ‘link’ role to allocated educational setting establishing a key relationship on behalf of the and facilitating an efficient and effective use of the service resource.
• Signpost to Language and Communication and other relevant SEN training for educational setting professionals in developing knowledge and skills in supporting children with SEN.
• Provide advice to staff in educational settings (including leaders and practitioners) regarding the educational implications of the children's SEN including language and communication needs/Developmental Language Disorder and the use of appropriate support strategies and resources including assistive technology, where appropriate.
• Assist staff in drawing up Action plans for educational settings and IEPs/PLPs for children with SEN including language and communication needs/Developmental Language Disorder.
• Work closely with staff to develop practical strategies and interventions which could be promoted with a child and parent as the primary educator based on a model of capacity building.
• Encourage a co‑ordinated approach in addressing the special educational needs of a child with more complex needs alongside SEN language and communication needs/Developmental Language Disorder.
• Advise on reasonable and appropriate adjustments that could be made to promote the effective inclusion of children with SEN in accordance with the Special Educational Needs and Disability Order (2005);
• Identify models of good practice so that these can be shared with other educational settings.

2. Collaboration and Inter‑agency work

• Provide, as required, written Educational Advice in respect of pupils with SEN under the terms of the Education and Libraries (NI) Order 1986.
• Contribute to Annual Reviews of Statements of Special Educational Needs, as required.
• Liaise, as appropriate, with members of other services and agencies including the Educational Psychology Service, and other statutory and voluntary agencies.
• Contribute to multi‑disciplinary meetings, as appropriate, regarding the special educational needs of individual children.
• Promote and practice a co‑ordinated approach in the assessment and identification of the special educational needs of pupils.

3. Record keeping, reporting and Information Technology

• Provide information, advice and reports to the Children and Young People’s Services Department to enable the EA to meet its responsibilities in the provision of a high‑quality service which (a) provides effective teaching and learning, (b) indicates improved standards of achievement, and (c) demonstrates efficiency and value for money.
• Carry out assessments, prepare intervention plans, review, and evaluate intervention plans, prepare Educational Advice as part of a Statutory Assessment and Review Procedure as required.
• Use a range of Management Information Systems and software packages to support record keeping and record management, training, and resource development (for example, the EA Local Impact Teams Management Information system (MIS), Microsoft TEAMS, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Forms, Google Classroom etc).
• Support Intervention Officers and Language Assistants, as required, to provide information for reports/ advice and guidance in line with service protocols.
• Participate in record audits as managed by Area Managers/LIT Managers.

4. Continuing Professional Development

• Keep informed of current approaches, strategies, and resources relevant to supporting children with special educational needs including Developmental Language Disorder so that appropriate interventions can be applied in the learning environment.
• Participate in and contribute to the service staff development programme.
  • Engage in professional development activities in line with multi‑disciplinary/trans‑disciplinary model of service.
  • Engage in professional development activities in line with multi‑disciplinary/trans‑disciplinary model of service in relation to personal targets and goals.
  • Support the professional development of other team members in line with the multi‑disciplinary/transdisciplinary model of team development.

5. Other Duties

• Comply with Education Authority policies and procedures in relation to the duties and responsibilities of the post.
• Always maintain confidentiality of information received.
• Undertake any other related duties as required by the Education Authority.

This job description will be subject to review in light of changing circumstances and is not intended to be rigid and inflexible but should be regarded as providing guidelines within which the individual works. Other duties of a similar nature and appropriate to the grade may be assigned from time to time.

In accordance with Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act (1998), the post‑holder is expected to promote good relations, equality of opportunity and pay due regard for equality legislation at all times.

To view the summary of terms and conditions for this post, click here.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

NOTES TO JOB APPLICANTS

The following is a short list of points that applicants should cover in their application form:

Section 1 – Essential Criteria

Be a qualified teacher as recognised by the Department of Education to teach in grant‑aided schools.

Have a minimum of three years’ experience supporting children/young people with language and communication needs/ Developmental Language Disorder in educational settings including special schools and specialist provision in mainstream.

Have experience of administering SEN assessments including language assessments.

Have experience in designing and implementing specific intervention programmes for children/young people with SEN including those with language and communication needs/Developmental Language Disorder.

Have experience of working collaboratively with a range of professionals, including Health Trust speech and language therapists, to support children with SEN including language and communication needs/Developmental Language Disorder.

Have used ICT in professional work in support of teaching and learning.

Successful candidate will also need suitable vehicle access or alternative transport as outlined (brief). (This part removed for brevity, but mention essential vehicle requirement.)

Section 2 – Essential Criteria (Interview)

Sound knowledge of current educational developments within the area of Special Education and within the wider educational context.

Demonstrable knowledge of appropriate teaching strategies and approaches to meet the learning needs of children with Special Educational Needs including language and Communication/Developmental Language Disorder.

Ability to lead, supervise and motivate others; work effectively as a team member with a proactive and flexible approach; manage a complex workload and make priorities to meet deadlines, particularly in challenging situations and change; build trust and strong working relationships with stakeholders and colleagues from other areas/agencies.

Section 3 – Desirable Criteria

Have experience of developing and/or providing advisory support/training to school staff, parents, colleagues, or other professionals in the field of SEN.

Hold an additional relevant qualification in Special Educational Needs.

Demonstrable experience of involvement in a new initiative where you showed high level of innovation, adaptability and ability to work well in a team.

Have experience of supervising and managing staff in supporting children with SEN.

DISCLOSURE OF CRIMINAL BACKGROUND

The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups (Northern Ireland) Order 2007 defines working directly with children or young people or in specified places as ‘regulated activity’.

In the event that you are recommended for appointment to a post that involves ‘regulated activity’, the Education Authority will be required to undertake an Enhanced Disclosure of Criminal Background. Please note that you will be expected to meet the cost of an Enhanced Disclosure Certificate.

Further information can be accessed on www.nidirect.gov.uk/campaigns/accessni-criminal-record-checks or www.justice-ni.gov.uk/articles/about-accessni.

The Education Authority is an Equal Opportunities Employer

For more about benefits, see further information.

To view the applicant guidance notes, click herep>