Job Introduction
Job title: SEND Social Care Needs Advice Officer
A bit about us:
Liverpool is home to vibrant, energetic and engaged communities, people who take real ownership of their local area and are passionate about making our city a better place. We've got ambitious targets to meet by 2025 and we need people who are driven, dynamic and ready to deliver the very best for our communities. Public service is more important than ever, and this role represents a real opportunity to make a difference to our communities by transforming the way we work and placing our residents at the heart of everything we do.
Working at Liverpool City Council provides an opportunity to contribute to your community and make a positive impact on the lives of residents. Our values shape how we work to deliver public services, and how we communicate with the residents we serve. We care about the best outcomes for local people, through our public services.
We are proud of our world-famous thriving city with its rich culture, affordable housing, stunning waterfront, and our beautiful green spaces – there’s really something for everyone!
The role:
- As the council’s SEND Social Care Needs Advice Officer, you will be based in our Child Advice and Support Service. This service screens all new referrals into Children’s Services where there are requests for advice and support
- As part of ensuring children’s social care fulfil their statutory duties in providing good quality social care advice for every Education Health and Care needs assessment, your role will be to secure this for all children and young people, who have no current involvement with statutory Children’s Social Care, Family Help, or Short Breaks
- You will be responsible to signpost their families to relevant help and support via the SEND Local Offer or other support pathways, as required
- You will be required to assess a child/young person’s social care needs, arising cognition and learning, communication and interaction, sensory and physical needs and social, emotional and mental health needs to determine if there are any unmet needs and make recommendations regarding next steps
About you:
- You will preferably have previous experience of working with and/or supporting children and young people with additional needs and their families in a work or personal capacity and will understand the impact caring for a child/young person with additional needs can have on a child and their family
- You will possess good oral and written communication skills and be able to form positive relationships with children, families, and colleagues alike, to provide evidence based social care advice that will inform education, health and care assessments
- You will have knowledge of childcare legislation, including the Children and Families Act 2014, the SEND code of practice 2015 and Liverpool’s Levels of Need framework and be able to apply this proportionately in line with our statutory duties, in the provision of social care advice
- You will be motivated and able to work independently and to timeframes
Our offer to you:
- 35 hour working week
- At least 27 days holiday, plus bank holidays, rising to 32 after 5 years’ service (pro-rata if part time) – option to purchase further days
- Agile working – a “Flexibility First” approach to agile working where flexibility is the norm rather than the exception
- Part of the Local Government Pension Scheme – option to join the AVC Scheme
- Progression – opportunities and training through a wide range of high quality learning
- Health and Wellbeing – offer including Employee Assistance Programme
- Cycle to Work and Travel Pass Schemes
- Drive Time – a salary sacrifice car lease scheme
- Family friendly policies with enhanced leave
- Discounted gym memberships
- Employee Volunteering Scheme
- Medicash
Next steps:
Closing date: midnight on Sunday 16 March 2025
Interviews are provisionally scheduled for the W/C 24 March 2025.
If you would like to talk to a member of the team about the role or have an informal discussion, please contact lucy.marsh@liverpool.gov.uk.
Liverpool City Council is committed to fostering a workforce representative of the communities we serve. As an Equal Opportunities Employer, we believe in appointing candidates based on their skills, experience, qualifications, and abilities. To support this commitment, we guarantee an interview to candidates from under-represented groups who meet the minimum essential criteria for the role.
If you require any reasonable adjustments in line with the Equality Act 2010, such as an application form in a different format or additional time to complete your application, please contact us at recruitment@liverpool.gov.uk
Although we advertise on Jobs Go Public, and other websites, your application process will be directed to our Tribepad system. Please note that all communication regarding your application for this post will be sent to the email address that you have registered on Tribepad, including your invite to interview if you are shortlisted. Please check your emails regularly, including Spam/Junk, after the closing dates for notifications. Please ensure you complete your full profile, work and education history in Tribepad.
We reserve the right to close vacancies earlier than the specified date should we receive sufficient applications. If interested, please complete an application as early as possible.
Watch our recruitment video and see what life is like working at Liverpool City Council!
