Virtual School Advisor

Job Introduction
Staffordshire Virtual School for Looked After Children is responsible for promoting and driving the educational attainment and outcomes of children who are looked after from 0 - 25 years.

We are seeking to appoint an experienced, innovative and enthusiastic person with knowledge of the education and care systems, and how they impact on children's education.

You will be contributing to raising the standards of educational attainment, achievement and attendance of Looked After Children placed Out of County and who have a social worker from the Lichfield and Cannock Districts.

You will need to be passionate about working with young people, with excellent communication, interpersonal and organisational skills and have experience of working with both teaching and social care professionals.

You will be able to respond flexibly to meet the individual needs of children and young people.

This post is a 12 month fixed term maternity cover contract.

This post is designated as a casual car user.

Main Responsibilities
You will:

- Contribute to maintaining effective monitoring and tracking systems for Looked After Children’s educational attainment
- Have responsibility for implementing the Virtual School new to care screening process.
- Attend and contribute to Personal Education Plans for C&YP as directed by the education coordinator and ensure SMART aspirational target setting for looked after pupils.
- Respond to identified areas of educational need within schools and settings for young people in public care under the direction of the education transition co-coordinator
- Liaise with other agencies and partnerships where required to ensure effective co-ordination of support services where they relate to the education of looked after children.
- Contribute to the development and delivery of training packages that promote educational attainment of Looked After Children for key stakeholders.
- Contribute to performance management reports as directed by the education coordinator.

You will have:

- A minimum of 2 years’ experience working directly with vulnerable children in an education setting.
- Knowledge and understanding of the education system and services,
- Experience of strategies to motivate and engage vulnerable children and young people.
- Experience of supporting multi-agency partnership working.

About Staffordshire County Council
**We are no ordinary county council**:
**Our Values**:
The core of who we are as an organisation. Just like we all have personal values that shape our thoughts and behaviour, organisational values drive how we think and act collectively.

Our values were created and shaped by colleague feedback and national best practice and they sit at the heart of People Strategy:
We have a real sense of community spirit that brings our people together. This feeling of belonging means we are all connected to what we do and take pride in the difference we make every day for Staffordshire people. We are ambitious and our sights are set firmly on a better future.

We look forward and race ahead - that goes for your career too.

**Our benefits**:
We recognise that it is our employees that are central to everything we do. We aim to create a supportive working environment where employees can achieve their full potential and achieve a healthy work-life balance.

In addition to your salary, as a member of staff, you will have access to a range of benefits.

**Our recruitment process**:
As an Authority we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people/vulnerable adults and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.