Job Coach – Special Educational Needs

Full Job Description

Job Title: Job Coach – Special Educational Needs

Reporting to: Careers, Information & Advice Officer

Grade/Salary: £18k - £22k FTE (depending on experience & qualifications)

Hours: 2 days a week, term time only (with a view to extend)

Contract: Part time, Permanent

Location: GC Learning & Development Centre, TW19 6BS

Background to the Role

Green Corridor is a small, dynamic UK registered Charity, working to improve the employability of disadvantaged 16-25 year olds through our horticulture and catering programmes. We have over fifteen years of experience developing and implementing projects across West London and surrounding counties to improve local communities and the green spaces that they rely on.

Green Corridor’s five-year strategy is to:

• Support more disadvantaged young people especially those with special educational needs (SEN) and vulnerable adults currently not in employment, education or training (NEET) and those at risk of becoming so.
• Provide a wider range of learning opportunities for young people who do not suit the ‘traditional’ academic system and are better suited to vocational training.
• Become financially sustainable through income diversification including new social enterprise activities for our young people.

Summary of the Role

Our small, successful charity runs horticulture, catering and functional skills programmes to help young people, with special educational needs and learning disabilities, to gain confidence, life skills and social support, alongside nationally recognised qualifications.

Green Corridor requires the skills of an enthusiastic and reliable Job Coach. This person will be a personable and motivated professional to support our learners to find employment and training opportunities within their local and surrounding communities. It will involve supporting our learners to develop job searching skills, accessing work placements and experience whilst they are still studying with us and after they have left. This role will work closely with our CIAG officer to help empower and enable students to get into the workplace and ensure learners aspirations and goals are listened to. An ability to build excellent links with potential employers, training providers and social enterprise projects is essential. This person must also have experience and a passion for working with people with SEN.

Specific Duties and Responsibilities of the Role: 

• Develop effective job coaching and planning and provide techniques
• Assist learners to discover and overcome their personal barriers
• Assess the strengths of learners and teach them how to use them
• Help learners in the development of their motivation, skills and confidence
• Monitor and evaluate progress of learners
• Manage records and documentation
• Attend parent meetings, EHCP reviews and professionals’ meetings and prepare reports for these
• Produce bimonthly careers bulletin for parents, carers and learners
• Support learners with attendance at careers fairs and organise in house careers fairs

Additional Information

Discipline, Health and Safety

• To be familiar with and work to all the organisation’s Policies and Procedures in particular the safeguarding and data protection policies
• To work collaboratively with all other staff members

Professional Development

• To participate in 10 hours CPD per year specific to the needs of Green Corridor
• To keep your own individual Professional Development Plan up to date.

Other duties

• The post holder will be required to undertake other appropriate activities related to achieving the organisations objectives, as determined by the CEO.

Hours will be predominantly Monday, Tuesday & Thursday 9:00 to 16:30 however the role will require the successful candidate to work flexible hours e.g. dependant on parent meeting timings.

Qualifications & Experience

Essential

• 3 years relevant experience in job coaching
• 2 years-experience working with people with SEN
• GCSE or equivalent in English and Maths or working towards

Desirable

• Job relevant qualification Level 3 or above

Knowledge, Skills & Personal Attributes (Essential)

• Strong attention to detail
• Ability to work without supervision
• Excellent time management skills
• Excellent communication skills, both oral and written
• Proactive, self-motivated, can-do attitude
• IT literate: Microsoft Word, Excel & PowerPoint
• Ability to work dynamically and think creatively
• Enhanced DBS clearance