Portage Home Visitor Full Time

Worthing, Sussex
West Sussex County Council

About Us

West Sussex County Council (WSCC) is a diverse organisation that provides services to more than 850,000 residents every day. Our teams use their experience to enable and challenge the Council to deliver improved efficiency and effectiveness.

The Portage Service aims to promote the development and learning of children in early years who have additional needs.

For more information about West Sussex County Council, please visit our WSCC About Us page.

About The Job

Salary: £25,119 to £26421 per annum (pro rata £16,522-£17,379 per annum)
Working Pattern: Part-time, 28 hours per week. You must be available to work Mondays.
Contract: Permanent, Term Time Only
Location: Worthing

Interview Date: 6th March 2024

Portage is an educational home visiting service for pre-school children with significant support needs. This is an exciting opportunity to join our supportive team of home visitors.

As a Portage Home Visitor, you will provide a home teaching service to pre-school children with additional needs and support to their families.

In this role you will work in partnership with families, stakeholder agencies and colleagues in a collaborative joined-up approach. This role includes report-writing, setting accurate targets, and you will be expected to lift and carry toys and equipment when you visit families.

If you have experience or an understanding of the Portage Approach this would be beneficial in this role; however, formal Portage training will be provided. All work will be carried out under the supervision of a teacher (Portage Coordinator) and Educational Psychologist.

We are looking for someone who has practical experience of working with very young children, alongside knowledge of effective strategies used for working with children with additional support needs. Experience of working in Early Years or with SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) is desirable but not essential.

Experience and Skills

Key Skills:

1. Good interpersonal skills, including the ability to develop collaborative working practices with a range of internal and external partners.
2. Ability to plan and organise own work.
3. Ability to communicate both orally and in writing complicated and sensitive information to a range of audiences to achieve positive outcomes.
4. Ability to relate to and motivate children through play.
5. Ability to demonstrate emotional resilience and respond proactively and flexibly to the emotional and practical needs of the customer.
6. Basic computer skills and the ability to generate accurate written reports.

Experience and qualifications:

• Proven experience of working with children in pre-school/early years, preferably with a range of special educational needs.
• Proven track record of successfully supporting the learning and development of young children.
• Experience of working in partnership with a wide range of professionals.
• Good general education, demonstrating competence in literacy and numeracy.
• Knowledge of Child Development and current developments in early years education.
• Completion of the nationally accredited National Portage Association (NPA). The Portage Workshop (to be completed within first six months of employment).
• Knowledge of effective strategies used for working with children with special educational needs in early years.
• Knowledge of effective strategies used for working with children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
• You will need to be able to travel independently around the county, including to areas that may not be easily accessible by public transport.

Rewards and Benefits

In addition to working within a great team and a competitive salary you will have access to:

• 25 days annual leave + bank holidays.
• Access to a generous, defined benefit pension scheme.
• A range of flexible working options.
• Maternity, paternity, dependency, and adoption leave.

For a full list of the benefits offered to you as a West Sussex County Council employee you can find them on our Rewards and Benefits page.

Further Information

The reference number for this role is CAFHE04956.

This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check, 5 years referencing and an occupational health check.

In your cover letter, outline your motivations for applying and explain how you meet the key skills listed in full and the experience you can bring to the role (please refer to the key skills) ensuring that any gaps in employment are covered in your CV. Please ensure you have saved the job description attached to the main advert on our website as, once the job has closed, you may not have the opportunity to download again.

West Sussex County Council is an equal opportunities employer committed to promoting an environment that is inclusive and free from all forms of unlawful or unfair discrimination and values the diversity of its people. We actively welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and take every possible step to ensure that no individual will be disadvantaged.

For information regarding your eligibility to apply for this role under our Guaranteed Interview Scheme, please visit our help applying for jobs page.