Workshop and Accessibility Coordinator

When completing your application please refer to your skills knowledge and experience in relation to the Person Specification, Job Description and Additional Information document. This should be done with an understanding of the context of the service described.

Barnardo’s believe in creating equality of opportunity in the workplace and supporting people to manage their work-life balance; we are therefore are open to offering flexible working arrangements.

Service Information Sheet

Workshop and Accessibility Coordinator

You will have received a Project Worker 1 job description and person specification. This is a generic role in use throughout the organisation. You will however, be based within Wakefield Early Support Advice Information Liaison (WESAIL) which is situated in Castleford. This post is for 18.5 hours per week Mon-Fri (days worked to be confirmed with successful candidate).

When completing your application form please refer to your skills knowledge and experience in relation to the Person Specification and Job Description. This should be done with an understanding of the context of the service described below.

We actively encourage interested parties to arrange an informal chat regarding the post with Emma Anderton Team Manager of the WESAIL service. To make contact please email –emma.anderton@barnardos.org.uk

WESAIL is the name of a broader Special Education Needs Advice Information and Liaison Service (known as SENDIASS) as specified in the 2014 Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice. WESAIL provides children, young people, their parents, carers, and those working with families in Wakefield with free, confidential, impartial information, advice and support about matters relating to Special Educational Needs and or disability.

The main purpose of the role is to provide accurate and up to date information to parents/carers and professionals via workshops both face to face and virtual on themes that support them with their child’s needs and the processes they have to go through due to having a child with SEND, for example ASD, Behaviour, EHCP processes, Anxiety etc. All workshops would link in with aspects of Special Educational Needs in line with current legislation, for example Code of Practice and Children and Families Act 2014. The role would also work alongside colleagues to develop and deliver workshops/sessions to children and young people with SEND directly on themes such as Transition, Worries, Understanding their condition etc.

The role will also support other aspects of the service such as social media/website, raising awareness of service (delivering presentations on what WESAIL does to professionals/relevant services), supporting with engagement activities such as coffee mornings, drop in’s, ensuring the information we provide to people is up to date/accurate/accessible such as factsheets.
Candidates applying for the role will need to have experience of working with children/young people with Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities and their parents/carer’s OR personal/lived experience. We would also expect expeireicne of delivering training/workshops to a variety of audiences and an understanding of the type of training/workshops parents and professionals may benefit from  in regards to SEND.

It’s essential that the post holder can maintain a sensitive, confidential and impartial approach at all times.

The service operates during office hours. There may be occasions which require a flexible approach to altering your working pattern to meet services user’s needs.

The demands of the role will fluctuate and therefore the role calls for an adaptable approach to meet the wider remit and demands of the service. The role carries an element of accountability and self-management of work load and timescales.

Ours service predominantly supports children and young people who have a diagnosis of Autism. Therefore experience and/or training in this field would be advantageous.

It is desirable that applicants have awareness of the Children and Families Act 2014 part 3 and the accompanying SEND Code of Practice 0- 25 Years. The candidate will need to feel confident to understand and interpret legislation alongside national and local policy. Induction, training and on-going support will be given to the successful applicant. This will include nationally recognized and accredited legal training.

It is desirable that the successful candidate would be a car driver.

At Barnardo’s we believe in children – no matter who they are, what they have done or what they have been through. Please read about our basis and values following the link below. You will be asked questions relating to them as part of the recruitment process for this role.

Barnardo’s is committed to having a diverse and inclusive workforce for staff and volunteers. We actively encourage applications from disabled, Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic and male candidates as they are under-represented within Barnardo’s.

Our basis and values