ID: 1931 SEND Information Advice and Support Caseworker
Harrow Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information, Advice and Support Service (SENDIASS)
Salary: £27,281 - £29,840 FTE per annum (Pro-rata for part-time hours: £22,119 - £24,194) Inclusive of Outer London Weighting
Hours: 30 hours (part-time) to be worked across 5 days. We will also consider the hours applicants are able to offer, if less than this, which may include job share options.
Contract: Temporary until 31 May 2027, with the possibility of extension until June or July 2027 subject to funding.
Location: Harrow
We offer flexible working with the opportunity to work remotely for part of the week with occasional work in Harrow and occasional travel to Head Office.
Family Action & the Role’s Impact:
At Family Action we support people through change, challenge or crisis. It’s what we’ve done for over 150 years. We protect children, support young people and adults and offer direct, practical help to families and communities.
We see first-hand the power of family to shape lives, for better or worse, so we speak up for the
importance of family in national and local policymaking, amplify family voices and represent the changing needs of families in the UK today.
A SEN Caseworker within a SENDIASS (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information, Advice and Support Service) provides impartial information, advice and support to children, young people, and parents/carers on SEND-related matters.
As a Caseworker, you will support parents, carers and young people to understand their rights under SEND legislation and guidance, empowering them to make informed decisions and advocate effectively for themselves. You will assist families in preparing for meetings with schools, local authorities and other professionals, helping them to participate fully in decision-making processes. The role also involves supporting children and young people to express their views, wishes and feelings, ensuring that their voice is heard and considered in SEND-related decisions.
This is an exciting opportunity for an individual to join our team and support parents, carers, children and young people in Harrow who have Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).
Main Responsibilities:
• Respond to telephone and email enquiries and share responsibility for taking calls and arranging appointments on the service helpline.
• Manage your own caseload of cases.
• Provide direct and impartial information, support and advice to parents, carers and young people via the helpline, email and face-to-face contact, including follow-up discussions with schools, local authorities or other relevant agencies
• Keep accurate and confidential records and case notes of interactions with service users, using Inform database system.
• Support service users in meetings with the Local Authority, schools, and other professionals.
• To assist with developing and delivering workshops on a variety of SEND related topics for parents and carers of children and young people with additional needs and also for young people to help them develop confidence in putting forward their views on their support needs and if involved in the EHCP process (Education, Health and Care Plan)
Main Requirements (for details check the job description and person specification):
• Educated to level 3 with a relevant health, social care or education qualification
• Proven experience of working directly within SEND.
• Independent Provider of Special Education Advice IPSEA legal training qualification L3
• Knowledge and experience of safeguarding children and adults
• To work in accordance with the IASS minimum standards 2018 and ensure own knowledge and practice of SEND information is maintained. Work in line with the Information, Advice & Support Service (IASS) Network Quality Standards and in accordance with SEND Code of Practice 2015, including the completion of IASS Legal Training. Undertake further training as required.
• Successful experience of multi–agency working and effective partnership working.
• Ability to empathise with families of children/young people with additional needs and in times of crisis, demonstrating highly developed interpersonal and active listening skills and first-rate verbal and written communication skills.
Appointments are subject to Family Action receiving a satisfactory disclosure from the Disclosure and Barring Service – enhanced children’s workforce check.
- an annual paid leave entitlement of 30 working days plus bank holidays, pro rata.
- up to 6% matched-pension contributions
- flexible working arrangements and new starters have the right to make flexible working requests from day one of employment
- enhanced paid sick leave and paid family leave provisions
- eye care and winter flu jabs vouchers
- cycle to work scheme
- investing in your professional development with ongoing quality training and career development opportunities
We are forward looking, ambitious and committed to continuous improvement. We are a people focused, can-do organisation, which strives for excellence in all we do and operates with mutual respect.
To Apply:
• Click the “Apply Now” link below and fill out our digital application form
• Closing Date: 29th November at 23:59
Interview’s to take place: Friday 11th December via teams
For direct queries or if you would like to discuss any aspect of the selection process or flexible working requests, please email: Tanya.joesbury@family-action.org.uk
Our commitment to Equality, Diversity & Inclusion:
We are happy to consider any reasonable adjustments that candidates may need during the recruitment process and you will be asked whether you require any adjustments if shortlisted for interview. We also make reasonable adjustments on the job, where required.
We are committed to Equality, Diversity & Inclusion in all that we do and welcome applications from all sections of the community. Intersectionality is important to us and we particularly welcome applications from ethnically diverse communities, LGBTQIA+ candidates and disabled candidates because we are committed to increasing the representation of these groups at Family Action. We know that greater diversity will lead to even greater results for families and children and strive for our workforce to be truly representative of the diverse communities we support. We offer a guaranteed interview scheme for disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the role, and will reimburse your travel cost if you attend an interview.
