Bilingual Liaison Officer

**About Us**
We are looking for a Ukrainian & Russian speaker and also a Pashto & Dari speaking Bilingual Liaison Officer to join our Ethnic Minority and Traveller Achievement Service (EMTAS), which is part of the Education and Skills Service within WSCC. Our EMTAS team works with schools to deliver the best support possible for pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds, including Gypsy Roma Traveller (GRT) pupils and those with English as an Additional Language (EAL).

As part of EMTAS, we offer advice, guidance and support for children, parents, and community engagement. EMTAS also offers training for school staff, and works with families to overcome barriers to education, giving advice on the English education system and the importance of continuing the home language.

For more information, please visit our **Education, Children and Families** **page, and our **WSCC About Us** page on our West Sussex County Council (WSCC) website.

**About The Job** Salary**:£30,095 - £32,798 per annum (£20,741 - £22,604 pro rata for 30 hours per week, term time only)

**Working Pattern**:Part time (30 hours per week, Term Time Only)

**Contract**: Permanent

**Location**:Countywide, based at Crawley, Chichester, Worthing, Bognor Regis or Horsham.

You must be able to travel throughout the county including to locations that are not always accessible by public transport.

**We have two opportunities and looking for a Ukrainian & Russian speaker and also a Pashto & Dari speaker.**

WSCC have two exciting opportunities to join our Ethnic Minority and Traveller Achievement Service (EMTAS) as Bilingual Liaison Officers, working closely with our EMTAS Advisory Teachers.

We are looking for individuals who can use their language skills to support pupils and their families where English is an Additional Language (EAL).

You will act as a link between home and school to enable effective communication and partnership, providing interpretation and outreach support for pupils. You will liaise between pupils, families, schools, agencies, education settings and WSCC colleagues, promoting inclusion and access to learning.

You will play a key part in developing the role with your ideas, providing cultural understanding and support to newly arrived families in West Sussex. Understanding of arriving in the UK is desirable.

The ability to communicate fluently in spoken and written Russian/Ukrainian or Pashto/Dari is essential. You will need a good level of written and spoken English to translate.

We are looking for someone who is passionate about supporting pupils and families where language may be a barrier, with a professional manner to build positive relationships. You will need good attention over lengthy periods for producing reports and maintaining records.

You can read more about the role responsibilities on our attached job description at the end of the advert.

**Experience and Skills**
You should be able to demonstrate the following:
**Key Skills**:

- Ability to undertake direct work with those who access or need the service in order to support individuals. Ability to work in partnership with carers, colleagues, and a variety of external agencies in order to deliver the most effective service.
- Ability to communicate effectively with children as part of assessments and through providing support in one-to-one interventions. Ability to communicate clearly and effectively in both written and verbal format, including the ability to explain complicated information to a wide range of people and negotiate and persuade others to adopt a particular course of action.
- Ability to work proactively as a member of the team to make an accurate assessment of needs and negotiate and implement effective plans and outcomes.
- Ability to analyse and interpret information and data in order to prioritise needs and formulate plans for intervention and service provision.
- Ability to recognise the limits of own accountability and responsibility, and to seek appropriate support, advice, and supervision.

**Qualifications and/or experience**:

- Educated to A-Level standard, or equivalent qualifications or experience.
- A good level of written and spoken fluency in identified priority language.
- Evidence of good assessment skills, including the ability to ensure regular reviews and risk management with a variety of individuals, carers or families.
- Evidence of effectively prioritising work and meeting deadlines.
- Experience of working in partnership with those who access or need the service and maintaining a focus on the needs of the individual whilst handling conflict and disagreement.
- Experience of forming effective working relationships within a multi-agency/ multi-disciplinary setting.
- Experience of working with those who access a service to identify issues and agree specific action by means of creative and pragmatic solutions.
- Experience of managing levels of risk within a caseload.
- Sound and accurate IT knowledge.
- Valid, full d