Teacher (General Subjects)

Information

"Changing lives takes a little time and space."

As part of our Residential Care & Education Service, Erskine Waterfront Campus in Erskine provides children and young people who have faced challenges and barriers to their learning with a safe, supportive and high quality alternative to mainstream education.

Our relational approach, following attachment informed principles, provides a nurturing and caring learning environment that enables pupils to reach their potential.

We have a strong focus on experiential learning with the aim of ‘giving children back their childhood’, strengthening resilience and supporting active participation in their communities.

The abilities of our pupils range from Early Level to the Senior Phase.  As many of the children who attend Erskine have experienced difficulties in school in the past, you will deliver the curriculum with a flexibility that accommodates different learning styles and focuses on the strengths of each individual.  You will also promote a Therapeutic Environment and contribute to the Relational Health of the children and young people.

We welcome applications from both primary and secondary trained teachers.  To apply you must be registered with the General Teaching Council for Scotland and hold a relevant teaching qualification.  You must also have a full driving licence or a commitment to achieving this within an agreed timescale.

In return we offer a comprehensive benefits package that includes membership of the Teachers’ Pension.  What’s more we’ll make sure you have all the training and development you need, not only so you can do a great job, but to help you build your career with us too.

Applications for part time hours will also be considered, please state how many part time hours you are interested in under Relevant Information on your application form.

Part time salary is pro rata of 35 hours per week.

#Crossreach

Main Function

All those employed within the CrossReach Children & Family Services will, with a commitment to our Christian values, work as part of a holistic team to deliver a service that ensures that the needs of the children, young people and their families that we support, are fully met. You will be expected to work to the highest professional standards of those working within the Children’s workforce and adhere to professional codes of practice of SSSC, GTCS and other relevant professional bodies; ensuring that the aims and objectives of CrossReach and those specific to Children & Family Services and the section within which you are based are met.

All adults within our services, regardless of specific job remit & role, have a responsibility to promote a Therapeutic Environment and contribute to the Relational Health of children and young people in our services and have an understanding of how their role contributes. The following values and attributes are applicable to all those employed within Children & Family services and not solely to those whose primary role is to support the direct care and education of children and young people.

In undertaking your role you will be expected to demonstrate, from an asset/strengths based approach the following core principles:

1. Inclusion: Understanding that our role is to ‘include’ those who, for whatever reason, have been ‘excluded’ from the mainstream of our society through
   1. Including Children, young people and families in decisions that affect their lives
   2. Listening to Children and Young People and to giving them opportunities to be accepted, understood and to give them a life free of stigma across all communities in Scotland.
   3. Using positive experiences and strengths to overcome the difficulties and barriers faced by Children and Young People
   4. Taking an active role to ensure that everyone is included within their immediate and wider community  

2. Relational Health: understanding the impact of our relationships and interactions with those around us, including 
   1. The impact that past experiences have on how individuals understand themselves and the world around them
   2. Understanding that our role is to provide positive experiences which can start to heal past harm and build trust through positive and genuine relationships with children, young people and their families
   3. Being mindful in all our interactions of language used – both words and tone; body language of stance & facial expression and how this may be perceived by others, based on their past experiences
   4. Being aware that your own past experiences has had an impact on who you are

3. Advocating: Understanding that our role is to ensure that all needs are met
   1. Explaining all decisions that affect individuals as well as the implications of these decisions in a way that they are able to understand.
   2. Being aware of who else and what other agencies can support individuals to have their needs met
   3. Supporting children, young people and their families to be able to communicate and express their emotions, feelings and needs in a constructive approach

The above core attributes takes cognisance of:

• CrossReach Values
• CrossReach Children & Families Services Values & Ethos statement
• Getting It Right For Every Child
• Curriculum for Excellence
• Common Core of Skills, Knowledge and Understanding and Values for the ‘Children’s Workforce’ in Scotland

Main Duties

To implement and uphold the aims, objectives, policies and procedures of CrossReach and Children & Family Services

To meet the care needs of children and young people, as their residential care mentor you will:

1. Ensure that children and young people’s primary care needs are fully met

• Safety
• Health
• Active
• Nurtured
• Achieving
• Respected
• Responsible
• Included 

2. Undertake Keyworker responsibilities in relation to individual children and young people.  This will include working in partnership with the child, young person, their family and other support agencies. Keyworkers will also be expected to prepare relevant reports as well as generally manage the implementation and maintenance of a care and education plan. Working within GIRFEC & CFE legislation specific tasks will include
3. Assessment of individual needs
4. Creating and maintaining Care Plans, Risk assessments, Crisis management plans
5. Identifying strategies to support individual children & young people achieve positive outcomes 
6. Implement, monitor & evaluate individual care plans
7. Lead Individual & Group work addressing specific identified needs     
8. Contribute to the development, completion, implementation and monitoring of Individual Care and Education plans
9. Promote and strengthen Relational health through actively developing and role modelling positive and genuine relationships, using the principles of Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity, Empathy [P.A.C.E.]   
10. Promote equality for all individuals.
11. Undertake core training which will enhance your skills in meeting children’s & young people needs, strengthen relationships and enable you to confidently manage challenging events and behaviours
    • Ethos & Values
    • Child Development and Attachment
    • Child Protection
    • Assessment
    • Therapeutic Crisis Interventions
12. Promote communication with children and young people where there are communication difficulties.
13. Support children and young people when they are emotionally, psychologically and socially isolated and distressed.
14. Empower children and young people to make use of available services and information
15. Promote the health & well-being of all young people within a professional Christian framework in a sensitive caring manner, affording them dignity and respect
16. Provide information for and complete Assessment, LAAC Reviews, Children’s Hearings reports and any other relevant meetings..
17. Undertake any other duties or responsibilities that may be required from time to time.
18. Actively promote, support and participate with children and young people in their learning opportunities within the 24 hour Curriculum, through the whole day.
19. Actively participate with and involve children and young people in physical activities, hobbies and interests that enhance their health and wellbeing and strengthens their relational health with others.
20. Accompany children and young people to various events and meetings off site i.e. family visits, activities, health appointments, review meetings, etc

PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT

As part of the staff team to play an active part in the formulation of a yearly plan.  Thereafter to be committed to working towards meeting the objectives identified.

QUALITY ASSURANCE

Through the direction of the Team Leader to be committed to ensuring that Quality Assurance systems are adhered to.  To maintain an awareness of commitment to the Scottish Social Services Council Codes of Practice

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

To participate in staff development programme and attend meetings, training courses and seminars as required.

To maintain professional standards & responsibility for ensuring that you meet minimum standards required for GTC registration.

FINANCIAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGEMENT

To ensure that client records are maintained in line with the CrossReach policies.

To contribute to the maintenance of systems to gather, record and store information/data.

To be responsible for accurate reporting and recording of information contained within

• Daily logs i.e. individual case notes; journal; individual work record (care & SW); record of work (education)   
• Individual Crisis Management Plans (ICMP)
• Individual Risk Management Plans (IRMP)
• Assessment; LAAC reviews and Children’s Hearing Reports
• Complete reports relating to significant adverse event e.g. TCI where physical intervention has occurred

To ensure that all communication is accurate and timely with

• Children and Young people
• Colleagues
• Duty manager in adverse events or changes to agreed plans
• Parents and carers
• External colleagues and agencies

Manage any financial requirements of the young people cared for within the agreed systems.

To ensure that all information relating to service users is kept strictly confidential in line with CrossReach Policy and the Data Protection Act 1998.

PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT

To undertake and facilitate the assessment of staff for SVQ’s and/or the supervision of students through Practice Teaching.

LIAISON

To support management team in the promotion of services and to maintain close working relationships, as required, with all relevant professionals involved in the care of children, young people and their families, maintaining effective communication and co-operation with relatives and friend of children & young peoples

GENERAL

Have respect for all aspects of Christian worship.

Facilitate service users to attend Christian worship (or worship of choice as required by the role).

Qualifications

Essential

Teachers will be required to be registered with General Teaching Council for Scotland [GTCS] and hold a relevant teaching qualification.

Desirable

Knowledge and understanding of Attachment Theory informed Practice.

Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy [DDP] Level 1 or equivalent.

A full driving licence or commitment to achieving this within agreed time scale.

Personal

As we do our work in Christ’s name you must be respectful of our Christian Ethos and be able to work within it.

This post requires you to be a member of the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme and undertake the necessary vetting checks.

This post requires you to be registered with GTCS and it is your professional responsibility to ensure that you meet the standards and criteria for registration.

Skills and Abilities

Significant skills in the field of care and/or education.

Counselling Skills.

A reflective and person centred approach with the ability to restore and strengthen relationships through relationships.

Excellent communication skills combined with good planning, reporting and recording skills whilst effectively using current IT systems.

Commitment to providing learning opportunities for children and young people and a dedication to the best possible outcomes for children and young people.