Re-integration Officer

Job Title: Re-integration Officer
Starting Salary: £33,366 progressing to £36,124
Hours: 37 hours per week
Location: Farnham House, Stevenage, also covering west Hertfordshire
Contract Type: Permanent
Directorate: Childrens Services

About the team

This is an exciting opportunity to join the Hertfordshire Virtual School in the Children Missing Education (CME) team. We are looking for a highly motivated, enthusiastic, and organised person, who can match the pace of our busy office and busy (virtual) school environment. You will join a friendly, dedicated, and inclusive team.

We are excited to bring this new role to the Virtual School within the CME team which is specific to improving educational engagement for some of our most vulnerable children. This role will focus on supporting children that have been out of education (Child Missing Education) to return to school and be able to fully engage with learning.

About the role

The post holder will work directly with the Senior Strategic Lead within the Virtual School to provide school level support for children returning to school after being a Child Missing Education. This role will formulate and support the delivery of an appropriate tiered reintegration plan ensuring that the child sustains their engagement with education. The post holder will work alongside the receiving school, the child/young person and family.

• To provide advice on strategies that promote the achievement of this group,
• To develop and advise school leaders, Children Services', and other professionals on a range of intervention strategies that improve outcomes for this group,
• To develop a range of strategies to support CME EHCP children whilst they await placement in an appropriate setting,
• To support schools in working with the most vulnerable children previously missing education with and without EHCPs,
• To support schools to ensure children returning to school after long term absence can settle, belong, and start to make expected progress,
• To coordinate and advise the professionals working with the child/young person, their family, and the setting,
• To work in partnership with other members of Children's Services, education colleagues and the third sector to promote achievement and to ensure equality of access to educational provision and opportunity,
• Offer appropriate support and challenge to schools, education settings and education leaders to improve educational outcomes for this group,
• Promotion of trauma informed and relational practice in education settings,
• As part of this role, you will be required to visit schools and children in other venues and to attend meetings at other sites than own work base and will therefore require a full driving license and access to a suitable vehicle,
• Occasional out of usual office hours working may be required.

You will be working in a fast-paced stimulating environment that would draw on and build your organisational skills, your ability to prioritise workloads in a relatively fast paced changing environment.

You will be working with schools, SENDCos and Headteachers to put into place robust and bespoke reintegration plans to ensure children that have been out of education, can fully re-engage with their education. Some of this work will be done virtually but some of this work will be required to be delivered in-person. Depending on the needs of the child, you may be required to work with a school/setting on a longer-term basis to ensure the reintegration plan is fully brought to fruition.

About you

Essential:

• Educated to degree level or equivalent,
• Experience of working with schools, children and/or families,
• Knowledge of and commitment to safeguarding responsibilities for children and young people,
• Knowledge and understanding of the factors which influence school attendance,
• Ability to establish and maintain credibility with school staff, Children's Services colleagues, and other agencies,
• Excellent ICT skills and experience in the use of a range of software packages and electronic recording systems,
• Ability to collate, analyse, interpret, and present data,
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Has a good work ethic, is a team player and has a can-do attitude
• Has excellent customer service and communication skills.
• Has a desire to learn new skills and take on challenges
• Experience of managing conflicting priorities and demands
• The ability to drive and travel across county. The post-holder will be allocated cases in the West of the county.

Desirable:

• Experience of working in a multi-agency environment and collaborating with partners in other services to achieve positive outcomes,
• Experience and knowledge of working with the SEND service.
• Experience and knowledge of working within Hertfordshire or another Local Authority.
• Educational experience in the last 5 years e.g. classroom teacher.

We welcome applications from candidates who currently reside in the UK with established proof of right to work documentation. We are not able to offer sponsorship at this time for this role.

This job role is within the Community Services, level COM9 job profile. Please locate this via:

Job profiles - Community services

To hear more about this opportunity please contact Katie.southall@hertfordshire.gov.uk for an informal discussion about the role.

Interview Date: 30 April 2025

Benefits of working for us

How to apply

As part of your application, please upload your most recent CV. Ensure your CV is up to date with your employment history (including any employment gaps), and including any training/qualifications. We encourage you to include examples of where you have demonstrated the requirements/criteria in the advert / job profile to allow the panel to fully recognise your skills and abilities. You will have the opportunity to include a short covering paragraph within your application to give us a little more information about your skills, knowledge, and experiences.

Disability Confident
We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer and guarantee an interview to anyone disclosing a disability whose application meets the minimum criteria for the post.

Safeguarding
This role has been identified as requiring a Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check.

Driving required
You'll need to have the ability to drive and/or travel around Hertfordshire, either using your own mode of transport or a company car to travel to other locations.

English Fluency
The ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post (for those whose language is a signed language the provision of a sign language interpreter who speaks English to the necessary standard of fluency will be required). Further information about the legal requirement can be found here.