Merseyside 0151 427 4193 | Kirklees 01484 506 307 info@employabilitysolutions.com

Alternative Provision Teacher Liverpool

We are recruiting a Alternative Provision teacher to be based in our Liverpool centre. We currently have two vacancies for this position with a september start date.

Main Place of Work: 52 Wellington Street, Garston, Liverpool, L19 2LX

Responsible to: Curriculum Manager

Employment Contract: Monday to Friday, Term Time Only (40 weeks)

Hours: 35 Hours per week

Salary: £27,610.80 negotiable dependent on experience

Responsibilities of the post:

  • To oversee the initial assessment process and determining student timetables upon enrolment. To undertake on-going assessment of students to set appropriate targets, to maximise individual performance.
  • Design and deliver a broad and balanced, project-based curriculum to 16+ year olds within an Alternative Education Setting and use strategies to maximise participation.
  • Continually develop systems of monitoring, recording, and assessing student progress to ensure their effectiveness, implementing, and upholding the procedures consistently.
  • Maintain robust procedures for monitoring, recording, and communicating student attendance in accordance with the Company Attendance Policy. Implement and uphold the procedures consistently within the framework of Service Level Agreements and Contracts as directed.
  • Report to Head of Education on a regular basis on attendance and student progress, in line with company procedures and reporting structures.
  • To undertake the monitoring, evaluation and reporting of students’ achievement data including progress towards targets (academic and social).
  • Undertake OTLA’s as per contract delivery requirements.

General Duties:

  • To prepare reports and communicate to parents, schools, Support Centres, and other agencies / professionals as appropriate.
  • To oversee the maintenance of high quality, accurate records for students in the centre.
  • To prepare for post-19 progression and source and support work experience placements.
  • Adopt a participative and collaborative style of management to encourage team working.
  • Take an active part in appraising own work against agreed priorities and targets.
  • Follow the company tracking of progress procedure in individual subject areas.
  • Support effective working relationships with Secondary Schools, Ofsted, and External Partners.
  • To deliver a broad and balanced, project-based curriculum to KS4 and KS5 within an Alternative Education Setting.
  • To work effectively with students and their families to prevent placement breakdown.
  • Work closely with Student Services Mentor to ensure the integration of students is successful.
  • To ensure all areas of curriculum delivery are consistent with individual students ILP’s.
  • Consider SEND, Behaviour Management Strategies, Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties and Neurodevelopmental Conditions when differentiating curriculum plans.
  • Attend all scheduled meetings as required.

Safeguarding Statement

All adults working in, or on behalf of the school have a responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. This includes responsibility to provide a safe environment in which children can learn.

Please refer to the below document. This guidance applies to all schools and is for: headteachers, teaching staff and the wider workforce including volunteers; governors, directors and board members. It sets out the legal duties you must follow to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people in schools and colleges.

You can read the most up to date KCSIE guidance using the link below:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keeping-children-safe-in-education–2

Other

This job description is a representative document. Other reasonably similar duties may be allocated from time to time commensurate with the general character of the post and its grading. The person appointed will be expected to work flexibly and the exact nature of the duties described above is subject to periodic review and is liable to change.

In return we will:

Provide a full training and development plan alongside a full safeguarding and company induction. Excellent support and mentoring. Access to a workplace pension scheme and other benefits.

To apply for this vacancy, please send a completed application to Jake Lord, HR Manager via email to hr@employabilitysolutions.com

Teaching Assistant – Huddersfield

Teaching Assistant

Main Place of Work: 20 Prospect House, Greenhead Road, Huddersfield, HD1 4EN

Responsible to: Curriculum Manager

Employment Contract: Monday to Friday (40 weeks)

Hours: 35 Hours a week

Salary: £18,912.60

Responsibilities of the post:

  • Develop, with the support of the Teacher, HLTA and/or SENDCo, targeted interventions, strategies and clear plans of support that enable students to meet their Individual Learning Objectives and report on the progress.
  • Develop and adapt resources for use with students that maximise learning outcomes.
  • Monitor student’s responses to the learning activities and, where appropriate, modify or adapt the activities as agreed with the teacher.
  • Support the teacher with effective classroom management, including behaviour management, completion of registers, resource management and general cleanliness and tidiness.
  • Contribute to planning and project ideas and update display boards with students work / topical content.
  • Attend and contribute to staff meetings and events including open days, presentation evenings etc.
  • Share timely information with the team and update the school management systems with daily observations.
  • Contribute to student reviews (EHCP, annual, ILP’s etc) by responding to requests for information and providing regular feedback on students’ learning.
  • Support the use of ICT in learning activities.

General Duties:

  • Assist with the supervision of students out of lesson times, including before and after school, and at breaks and lunch times where required.
  • Accompany teaching staff and students on visits, trips and out of school activities as required.
  • Provide cover where required in the event of staff shortages.
  • Support, uphold and contribute to the development of ES policies and procedures.
  • Provide timely responses to emails or requests for information from the wider team and SLT.
  • Manage your online calendar and ensure important deadlines are met, seeking support where required.
  • Commitment to your own continuous professional development (CPD).
  • Take an active part in appraising own work as part of the annual appraisal process.
  • Attend company training days, team coaching, INSET days and meetings as required.
  • Access 1:1 coaching and support.
  • Live and breathe ES Company Values.

Safeguarding Statement:

All adults working in, or on behalf of the school have a responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. This includes responsibility to provide a safe environment in which children can learn.

Please refer to the below document. This guidance applies to all schools and is for: headteachers, teaching staff and the wider workforce including volunteers; governors, directors and board members. It sets out the legal duties you must follow to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people in schools and colleges.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keeping-children-safe-in-education–2

Other

This job description is a representative document. Other reasonably similar duties may be allocated from time to time commensurate with the general character of the post and its grading. The person appointed will be expected to work flexibly and the exact nature of the duties described above is subject to periodic review and is liable to change.

 

To apply for this vacancy, please send a completed application to Jake Lord, HR Manager via email to hr@employabilitysolutions.com

SENDCo – Huddersfield

Main Place of Work: 20 Prospect House, Greenhead Road, Huddersfield, HD1 4EN

Responsible to: Director of Student Services

Employment Contract: Term Time + 5 days (40 weeks)

Hours: 35 hours per week

Salary: £30,515.00

Employer details:

Employability Solutions is a social enterprise working across Liverpool and West Yorkshire, delivering alternative community education to both secondary school-aged children and adults through a range of different programmes.

The role:

ES is looking to recruit an experienced SEND teacher who either has the NASENCO qualification or is willing to work towards achieving the accreditation. The Special Education Needs & Disabilities Co-ordinator (SENDCO) is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the school’s Special Educational Needs provision in line with he SEND Code of Practice.

Responsibilities of the post:

· Taking a lead role in the planning, development, organisation and monitoring of support systems and procedures for SEND, Safeguarding and Pastoral Care, ensuring compliance with statutory regulations and deadlines.

· Act as a first point of contact, manage queries from staff, parents/carers and external agencies relating to SEND.

· Work with SLT and staff to ensure the best possible outcomes for young people with SEND.

SEND:

· Develop and oversee the implementation of the school’s SEN strategy and policy.

· Have a strategic overview of provision for young people with SEND across the school, monitoring and reviewing the quality of provision to ensure the meets of the young people are met.

· Devising and delivering high quality interventions that meet the needs of the young people with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCP’s)

· Maintain an accurate SEND register and provision map. Ensuring updates to any young people’s provision map as part of the annual review process are made and communicated with the relevant staff members.

· Carry out assessments of young people with SEND to identify needs and monitor progress, providing regular updates through reports and meetings with parents.

· Maintain and further develop existing systems for identifying, assessing and reviewing SEND

· Work with school colleagues, SLT, parents/carers to develop, implement and monitor individual support and learning plans.

· Provide advice, guidance and training to work colleagues on supporting young people with SEND. Overseeing a regular schedule of SEND related training and CPD for staff, e.g., INSETs, twilight sessions or online training courses etc.

· Support teachers to develop schemes of work and learning programmes for young people with SEND, and to develop and implement effective teaching and behaviour management approaches in the classroom.

· Maintain the SEND Register and amend / update outcomes and targets on ‘My Support Plans’ and Eduspot (School MIS), ensuring that staff and parents/carers are kept informed.

· Preparation of documents for meetings including PEPs and EHAT’s etc.

· Maintain and monitor the administering medication and First Aid training registers, particularly in relation to student health needs such as diabetes, epilepsy, allergies etc. Devise, monitor and maintain a Medical Health Register for young people and be responsible for the strict implementation of the School’s Administering Medication Policy.

· Populate Individual Health Care Plans (IHCP’s), communicate relevant information regarding health needs with the team and ensure the effective implementation of agreed procedures surrounding the management of young people’s health needs.

· Keep up to date with national and local policies related to SEND and relay this information to colleagues, disseminating good practice in SEND across the school.

· Review EHCPs with parents/carers of young people, applying for EHCPs and supporting parents to apply if there is a need.

· Liaising with other providers, outside agencies, educational psychologists and external agencies.

· Ensuring that relevant background information about individual children with special educational needs is collected, recorded and updated upon admission and through regular reviews

· Managing the schedule of Annual Reviews ensuring statutory deadlines are met and the relevant professionals are in attendance.

· Promote the young people’s inclusion in the school and access to the curriculum, facilities and extra-curricular activities.

· Analyse and evaluate data/information as requested, i.e. student data.

Support to the Director of Student Services:

· Meet weekly to discuss admissions and referrals

· Develop provision maps and proposals in response to referrals

· Respond to requests for information on referrals and admissions within statutory timescales

General Duties:

· Support, uphold and contribute to the development of ES policies and procedures.

· Safeguard and promote the welfare of the young people, and follow the school’s policies and staff code of conduct

· Provide timely responses to emails or requests for information from the wider team and SLT.

· Manage your online calendar and ensure important deadlines are met, seeking support where required.

· Commitment to your own continuous professional development (CPD)

· Take an active part in appraising own work as part of the annual appraisal process.

· Attend company training days, team coaching, INSET Days and meetings as required.

· Access 1:1 coaching and support.

· Live and breathe ES Company Values.

· Undertake any other duties that may be required commensurate with the scale and function of the post

· Maintain confidentiality

Safeguarding Statement

All adults working in, or on behalf of the school have a responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. This includes responsibility to provide a safe environment in which children can learn.

Please refer to the below document. This guidance applies to all schools and is for: headteachers, teaching staff and the wider workforce including volunteers; governors, directors and board members. It sets out the legal duties you must follow to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people in schools and colleges.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keeping-children-safe-in-education–2

Other

This job description is a representative document. Other reasonably similar duties may be allocated from time to time commensurate with the general character of the post and its grading. The person appointed will be expected to work flexibly and the exact nature of the duties described above is subject to periodic review and is liable to change.

We are looking for someone who:

· Holds a relevant professional teaching qualification with QTS

· Has excellent leadership skills and experience of supporting others within a teaching and learning environment

· Can build excellent relationships with the young people and their families as well as other professionals and outside agencies.

· Has relevant experience with KS4 and KS5 students, in an alternative / nurture setting or similar.

· Understands the challenges associated with caring for young people with significant gaps in their education, or who have developmental trauma and conditions such as ADHD and ASC for example.

· An excellent standard of English and a conscientious approach to ensuring school communications and reports are professional and accurate.

· Qualification or willingness to work towards NASENCO

· Experience of using school information systems e.g., Eduspot, Evolve, etc

· Friendly, approachable, flexible with a can-do attitude. Pro-active with a bucket load of initiative!

In return we will:

Provide a full training and development plan alongside a full safeguarding and company induction. Excellent support and mentoring. Access to a workplace pension scheme and other benefits.

To apply for this vacancy, please send a completed application to Jake Lord, HR Manager via email to hr@employabilitysolutions.com 

KS4 Teacher – Huddersfield

Main Place of Work: 20 Prospect House, Greenhead Road, Huddersfield, HD1 4EN
Responsible to: Curriculum Manager
Employment Contract: Monday to Friday, Term Time Only (40 weeks)
Hours: 35 Hours per week
Salary: £27,610.80 negotiable dependent on experience
Responsibilities of the post:
• To oversee the initial assessment process and determining student timetables upon enrolment. To undertake on-going assessment of students to set appropriate targets, to maximise individual performance.
• Design and deliver a broad and balanced, project-based curriculum to 16+ year olds within an Alternative Education Setting and use strategies to maximise participation.
• Continually develop systems of monitoring, recording, and assessing student progress to ensure their effectiveness, implementing, and upholding the procedures consistently.
• Maintain robust procedures for monitoring, recording, and communicating student attendance in accordance with the Company Attendance Policy. Implement and uphold the procedures consistently within the framework of Service Level Agreements and Contracts as directed.
• Report to Head of Education on a regular basis on attendance and student progress, in line with company procedures and reporting structures.
• To undertake the monitoring, evaluation and reporting of students’ achievement data including progress towards targets (academic and social).
• Undertake OTLA’s as per contract delivery requirements.
General Duties:
• To prepare reports and communicate to parents, schools, Support Centres, and other agencies / professionals as appropriate.
• To oversee the maintenance of high quality, accurate records for students in the centre.
Purpose of the post:
To design and deliver a high standard, broad and balanced Curriculum, using a project-based approach, incorporating practical, creative, and physical elements to the lessons. Ensure individual timetables are produced following admission into the setting. To assist with the enrolment, induction, ILP’s and monitoring of pupil progress for all learners on programme.
KS4 Teacher JD 2 of 2 it’s your time.

Job Description

KS4 Teacher

• To prepare for post-19 progression and source and support work experience placements.
• Adopt a participative and collaborative style of management to encourage team working.
• Take an active part in appraising own work against agreed priorities and targets.
• Follow the company tracking of progress procedure in individual subject areas.
• Support effective working relationships with Secondary Schools, Ofsted, and External Partners.
• To deliver a broad and balanced, project-based curriculum to 16+ year olds within an Alternative Education Setting.
• To work effectively with students and their families to prevent placement breakdown.
• Work closely with Student Services Mentor to ensure the integration of students is successful.
• To ensure all areas of curriculum delivery are consistent with individual students ILP’s.
• Consider SEND, Behaviour Management Strategies, Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties and Neurodevelopmental Conditions when differentiating curriculum plans.
• Attend all scheduled meetings as required.

Safeguarding Statement:
All adults working in, or on behalf of the school have a responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. This includes responsibility to provide a safe environment in which children can learn.
Please refer to the below document. This guidance applies to all schools and is for: headteachers, teaching staff and the wider workforce including volunteers; governors, directors and board members. It sets out the legal duties you must follow to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people in schools and colleges.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keeping-children-safe-in-education–2

Other
This job description is a representative document. Other reasonably similar duties may be allocated from time to time commensurate with the general character of the post and its grading. The person appointed will be expected to work flexibly and the exact nature of the duties described above is subject to periodic review and is liable to change.

 

In return we will:

Provide a full training and development plan alongside a full safeguarding and company induction. Excellent support and mentoring. Access to a workplace pension scheme and other benefits. 

To apply for this vacancy, please send a completed application to Jake Lord, HR Manager via email to hr@employabilitysolutions.com

Q&A with Claire Cook

Q&A with Claire Cook

In honour of Neurodiversity Celebration week, our proprietor Claire, sat down to discuss her experiences with neurodiversity!

Can you tell us about your experience with Neurodiversity and your diagnosis?

I identify as an autistic woman with a formal diagnosis of ADHD which came only last year in December of 2022.

I find the co-morbidity of the two conditions challenging at times yet, they have not prevented me from achieving anything I have set my mind to.

How does it generally affect you and the way you experience the world?

I work hard to manage the areas of my condition that affect me the most, such as forgetfulness, by using practical strategies at home and at work – particularly with things like organisation and routines. This includes dedicating homes for items like keys and credit cards. Also, having robust filing systems for work and wardrobes is a must!

I can exhaust people with my need to know everything and I tend to plan things in detail to provide me the certainty I need to feel reassured. On the flip side, I can be impulsive and whimsical – I sometimes make decisions without always considering the consequences.

However, I am very resourceful and have learned how to build a team of incredible talent around me who support me to plug the gaps, understand my needs and celebrate and appreciate my strengths.

Employability Solutions truly is an inclusive organisation, with 17% of staff employed declaring some form of neurodiversity – what would you like other business leaders/employers to know about employing a neurodiverse workforce?

Get educated and discover the untapped potential of employing people with a broad range of neurodiverse brains and the benefits to the business and the bottom line.

My Nan used to say “It takes all sorts to make the world go round” so diversity really is key to a fulfilled and vibrant workforce.

I advise employees to really get to know themselves too and don’t shy away from bringing their whole selves to work.

We bring so much to the workplace too!

From those of us who love to follow instructions and routines and have excellent attendance at work to those of us who are free, creative, outside-the-box thinkers who bring new ideas and solutions to benefit the business.

With more understanding employers, some reasonable adjustments, and an open mind we can build better opportunities for young people entering the workforce for the first time.

I’m Glad to see in the spring budget 2023 additional resources being earmarked for supported employment opportunities for those young people with and without EHCP’s.

A photo of our Proprietor, Claire Cook

What would you consider your strengths to be, thanks to your neurodivergence and do you think this sets you apart from other people?

I am a superwoman!

I can come up with creative solutions to problems quickly and can hold many ideas at once in my mind. I am relentless and rarely give up once I commit to something or someone.

I really understand the needs of the young people we serve, which helps me shape an inclusive organisation in which young people can learn to be themselves as soon as they begin their journey with us. For too long society had forced people like me to “fit in” and “comply” –  I like to make my own rules up and challenge mainstream thinking.

I am honest (some might say too honest) but I don’t shy away from speaking my mind and although when I was younger this outspokenness got me into trouble and lots of it, it serves me now in the work I do to advocate for those whose voices are overlooked and needs aren’t met.

We’ve been shortlisted for the 2022 SEYH ‘Social Impact’ Award!

We’ve been shortlisted for the 2022 SEYH ‘Social Impact’ Award!

We are one of 3 organisations that have been shortlisted for this award for all our hard work over the last year! We have been considered for this due to our work during lockdown delivering support packages of food, and other supplies to our students to keep them engaged and progressing throughout such a difficult time. We have also been considered due to our personalised curriculum, our engagement with the families of our young people, our voluntary work, and the relationships we form with our students, even highlighting the students that have returned to us as Staff.

We strongly believe in our vision: ‘An empowered generation of employable young people, making a positive contribution to society.’ This starts for us in our own school. We believe in having a tailored curriculum. One that doesn’t view learning as ‘one size fits all’ and is underpinned by a desire to enable all students to develop their personal, social, academic and employability skills to a level which enables them to lead meaningful, happy lives. This is designed to have a tangible community benefit as well. 

 

Our commitment to our student’s learning is something we pride ourselves on and nothing displays this more than the work we committed to during lockdown. Love is at the heart of everything we do, and our amazing staff proved this by going above and beyond to ensure our students were
engaged, learning and making positive choices during lockdown. We delivered equipment for them to take part in remote lessons, delivered care packages to those who needed them. Our staff changed their hours of work, some working as late as 8pm, to make much needed home visits and check on our young people. Check out the photo above to see our wonderful Elaine, sat on the kerb having a cuppa! We also received acknowledgment cards from Jo-Anne Saunders of Kirklees Council and the lord-lieutenant of West Yorkshire recognising the hard work we put in during such a turbulent period. 
Our work is not limited to just students on our roll though, we are a social enterprise, and it is important to us that our work benefits the local communities. We sponsor local sports teams, such as the Mossley Hill Junior Football Team. Sport and physical activity are so important for our young people as it offers them the opportunity to channel their energy into positive outlets. It has great benefit to the social, emotional and mental health of our young people as it offers you a safe space to make friends, be part of a community and keep yourself fit and healthy! 

 

We have also started projects to encourage a sense of community in our local area. One example of this is our recent community kitchen project. Our South Liverpool Youth Hub was working with several young Afghan refugees this summer. Due to the ongoing situation in their home country, they have had to come to the UK for their safety. Currently they are living in a local hotel and don’t have anywhere to be able to cook, so we came up with the idea to form a community kitchen project! This involved once a week, inviting the Afghan young people to come to visit us in our Garston centre and work with some of our young people, teaching each other our own local dishes.
This encouraged the two communities to work together, learn from each other and form friendships. We believe in buying local, to help support other local businesses, so most of the equipment and ingredients we didn’t already have were bought from shops local to us. This is just one of our successful community projects. 

These are just a few examples of our work over the last 2 years, and we are looking forward to continuing this work in the future!

Recent Email System Compromise

On Tuesday 2nd June 2020, Employability Solutions experienced a hack of our email system.

This involved contacts being sent a request for payment or a link to open a shared file.

We can confirm our system is now completely secure and it is safe to resume email communication.

We can confirm the following action was taken following the discovery of the email system being compromised.

We have fulfilled our legal obligation to notify the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) about this breach. The incident was reported to the Cyber Crime Unit who have supported us to secure our system and there is now an official log of this crime with Merseyside Police. We shared information about this immediately and where possible, via all communication channels, including website and social media.

The following measures were put in place immediately to ensure that we are secure:

  •  All email accounts had passwords changed and had two-factor authentication activated
  •  Checks were carried out on all email accounts using Power Shell to identify any rules applied to accounts and these have been actioned.
  •  We are Cyber Essentials accredited and have completed an assessment of our systems and security, including communications, data storage, sharing protocols etc.
  •  We have contacted / attempted to make contact with all partners, contractors, schools and companies who we provide services for to ensure bank account details have not been compromised.
  •  With support from both Word Shed and PPCP IT Support, we have been able to action all recommendations and future proof our IT systems. THANK YOU!

We can confirm that following a forensic investigation into this breach, NO personal or sensitive data pertaining to students, staff or those we work in partnership with was compromised at any point.

We have also taken further steps to improve security moving forward including increasing the use of existing platforms such as Egress or AnyComms.

We want to thank all those involved for bringing it to our attention instantly and therefore helping us to respond immediately. Thank you for your understanding and patience whilst we navigated our way through this new and difficult situation.

If you are still worried that you may have been compromised due to clicking on any links in the email and would like advice or support to secure your email system, please contact us.

If you believe financial transactions may have been compromised, please contact Sarah Riley, Business Manager urgently on 0151 427 4193

Parents Information for Online Safety

Parents Information for Online Safety

Meet Elaine – Ignite Participant and Volunteer

Meet Elaine – Ignite Participant and Volunteer

When Elaine first walked into Employability Solutions she had been unemployed for six years, she felt like she had zero confidence, no skills and was daunted by the idea of finding a job. With some trepidation Elaine participated in Ignite – a 12 week, intensive personal and professional development programme that was funded by WEA / ESF Community Learning Grants programme 2014-15.

Over the twelve weeks Elaine examined her self-limiting beliefs and identified those “perceived barriers” that were getting in the way of her taking action toward actively pursuing a career in administration, something she always dreamed of.

The course created the circumstances in which Elaine could grow her confidence through coaching and opportunities to push herself beyond her comfort zone, Elaine was soon standing up and speaking in front of people – something she thought she’d never be able to do.

The course taught participants how to identify and utilise personal skills, gifts and talents and apply those attributes to a work situation – every participant as part of the course got to do 30 hours work experience in their dream job.

For Elaine this opportunity was offered by Employability Solutions.

“We jumped at the chance to support Elaine, her vibrancy and dedication toward her own transformation really fit our organisations ethos, plus the fact that we were a growing local social enterprise who really needed administrative help” – Sarah Riley – Business Manager – Employability Solutions.

The 30 hours work experience soon turned into regular volunteering and fast forward six months Elaine has gone onto to improve her Maths, English and IT and is about to enrol on an NVQ in Business Administration, but this is nothing compared to how far she feels she has come personally.

“Ignite literally transformed me as a person and gave me the spark I needed to pursue something I am passionate about – I have OCD, and this really stopped me from leaving the house at times, the course pushed me to look at myself, my home life, my family and my future – I realised that my obsession with order and neatness was welcomed and valued in the workplace – I have volunteered with Employability Solutions for the past six months and have gone from doing admin behind the scenes to being the face of the business – I love it, I love the team but above all I LOVE the young people that attend out community education … Following a recent interview I have been offered a full time position.” – Elaine Bowler – IGNITE participant and Administrator at Employability Solutions, head office in Garston, Liverpool.