Communications Officer – Glenwood School, Benfleet

Communications Officer - Glenwood School, Benfleet

Permanent, Term Time

Scale 6 £21,914 to £23,581 actual pro rata salary

Location: Benfleet

Closing Date: 4th June 2023

Exact work location: Glenwood School, Rushbottom Lane, Benfleet, SS7 4LW

Salary: Scale 6 up to £23,581 actual pro rata (£26,845 FTE)

Working weeks: This is a term time plus non pupil days, plus one holiday working week position (40 working weeks)

The is advertised as a full time, 37 hours per week, position, although there is flexibility around hours and pattern of working for the right candidate - please indicate on your application / covering letter.

Contract type: Permanent

The Role

Glenwood School is a large and busy community residential special school providing for 228 learners aged 3 - 19 years with complex learning difficulties; currently employing over 210 members of staff.

We are looking to appoint a positive and enthusiastic person to enable and facilitate the whole school team to meet the aims of our Communication Strategy (linking with families) and further enhance important multi-agency communication - following through the strategic work of the Leadership Team.

The Aims of our communication with families:

• We aim to work in true partnership with parents and carers, effectively sharing information to ensure together we know and understand young people across both home and school.
• We work to ensure we have shared thinking and knowledge of up-to-date key priorities and progress and that we work together to best support young people across settings.
• Ensure staff maintain professional standards when communicating with parents and carers.
• We want parents to feel well informed, listened to and supported whilst ensuring balanced time and attention is given to ensuring that what we learn through our communication impacts on the learning, teaching and curriculum that is planned.

Working in true partnership with families and other professionals is key to bringing about transformational change in the lives of our young people. Effective communication is central to meeting our aims.

Accountabilities

Duties of this role include:

• During school hours be the first line of communication with parents/carers when there is a complexity beyond simple enquiries and message.
• Facilitating positive communication with parents and carers and share information effectively with other agencies and professionals.
• Be responsible for ensuring the right messages reach the right people in a timely manner.
• Ensuring that detailed and accurate accounts are shared with the most appropriate colleagues.
• Support the Leadership Team to maintain high standards of communication with parents/carers - in ways that complement and allow for the smooth running of a large school.
• Make calls on behalf of members of the Leadership Team when this would allow for a more efficient and timely response.
• Signpost parent/carer communication to the correct colleague and support an effective response (this may include arranging an appropriate time for this to happen)
• Know and navigate many of the school processes, systems and key information in order to answer queries and concerns if possible or skilfully judge the most appropriate escalation when required.
• ‘Bringing together’ current communication around a young person and ensure ‘key players’ are updated, informed and responding accurately.
• Assimilate a clear narrative and picture of communication and situation surrounding any concerns or complexities.
• Ensuring the Leadership Team have a clear and accurate picture of parent/carer communication across the school.
• Use your knowledge of the ‘whole school picture’ of communication to instigate and support improvements and development.
• Monitor Communication across the school and ensure protocols are followed, e.g. record when Termly Learning Conversations have taken place.

Collaborative Work:

• Work with and within the Whole School Team – supporting all colleagues in ensuring effective communication with parents/carers
• Support the strategic work of the Leadership Team and support effective communication with parents and carers linked to important updates and information sharing.
• Work collaboratively with the Teachers and HLTAs
• Support teaching colleagues in their communication with parents/carers - particularly newer staff in choosing the most appropriate method and phrasing.
• Liaise with Office Team and take on any calls/communication from parents and carers that has a complexity and need for management.

The Experience You Will Bring

• Excellent communication skills with the ability to be agile in approach.
• Exceptional listening skills – the ability to ‘hear’ exactly what is being said or asked and being able to pick up on and respond to the feelings involved.
• Able to make parents/carers feel understood and valued.
• Able to coach and mentor colleagues to communicate in an effective, empathetic, clear and solution focused manner.
• Be able to use good judgement in choosing the right approach.
• Ability to navigate the communication protocols and systems in order to find the most effective way or process that could be used to effectively meet the need of the enquiry, concern or discussion.
• Pro-active in finding answers and solutions.
• Effective and efficient ICT skills and knowledge.
• Be a ‘self-starter’ and organise own in the best interest of school business.
• To be able to build positive professional relationships.
• Effective people skills which enable productive collaboration.
• Patience and perseverance which enables solution-focused work.
• Ability to work in a timely way under pressure.
• Ability to prioritise and multi-task.
• Ability to listen carefully to problems and reflect on best practice.
• Pro-active in finding answers and solutions.

All appointments are subject to safer recruitment requirements to ensure the safeguarding of children and young people. All positions will involve appropriate checks and clearances.

What you should do next

If you are interested in finding out more about this role, we would love to hear from you. Please apply via the Working for Essex website

Provisional interview date: Week commencing 12th June 2023

If you have queries on this role or require anything further, please email resourcing.team@essex.gov.uk or finance@glenwood.essex.sch.uk