Lead Mentor College Connect Programme. Support Staff Job Information for Applicants

Transcription

1 Lead Mentor College Connect Programme Support Staff Job Information for Applicants Learning Support Officer August 2017

2 POST TITLE: LEAD MENTOR COLLEGE CONNECT PROGRAMME REF NO: 01830/18 LOCATION: DURATION: Strabane Campus 2 years with possibility of extension SALARY SCALE: Band 5-23,398-27,668 CRITERIA Applicants must have at least: Essential 1 a level 6 qualification in any discipline; and 2 two years relevant* employment experience; and 3 GCSE English (Grade A*-C) or Essential Skills Level 2 (or higher) in Communication. and GCSE Maths (Grade A*-C) or Essential Skills Level 2 (or higher) in Numeracy or NICATS Access Maths Modules, or any qualifications which are deemed to be equivalent; and 4 a current driving licence and access to a car (applicants with a disability who have been prevented from obtaining a driving licence due to their disability (as defined by the DDA 1995) are eligible to apply. *relevant defined as experience working with young people in an educational or youth setting. Or *relevant defined as experience motivating and engaging young people with a range of challenges e.g. health, emotional, social or learning. FOR INFORMATION ON THE LEVEL OF QUALIFICATIONS YOU CAN ACCESS THE QUALIFICATIONS AND CREDIT FRAMEWORK WEBSITE If as a direct result of a disability, you can not fully meet the essential experience requirement of the criteria for this post the College will waive this requirement. Applicants should note that the above criteria are the minimum requirements only and may be enhanced at the discretion of the short-listing panel.

3 Under the provision of the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups (NI) Order 2007 this post is deemed to be a regulated position. The College is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. There is a possibility that a reserve list will be retained if more applicants are deemed suitable than posts exist. In the event the successful candidate fails to take up the post or if the post is vacated within 6 months of the appointment date, or if another vacancy arises within 6 months the post may be offered to the next person on the reserve list. This excludes posts where panel lists will be created and maintained for a specified period. COMPLETED APPLICATION FORMS TO BE RETURNED NOT LATER THAN NOON ON FRIDAY 25 MAY The College is committed to equal opportunities and to selection on merit. It therefore welcomes applications from all sections of society in particular applicants from the Protestant Community. Applicants with a disability are encouraged to visit the College website at and select the link DisabledGo which provides accessibility information on College facilities.

4 Contents 1. Introduction 2. About Us 3. Why we are an Employer of Choice 4. Job Description 5. Personnel Specification 6. Competency Framework 7. Contact Information

5 1. Introduction Thank you for showing an interest in this position with the North West Regional College. It is essential that you read all documents carefully and complete the application form in conjunction with the Guidance Notes. Applicants should include on their application form all the information they wish to have considered, as information not on the application form cannot be taken into account. Attached CV s will not be considered. On behalf of the College we wish you Good Luck with your application. 2. About Us Enriching lives, building careers and supporting communities. North West Regional College (NWRC) has been at the heart of life in the North West of Northern Ireland for more than 100 years. Across the passing of time it has stood as an important institution renowned for delivering an extensive range of learning and career opportunities to thousands of learners. As an employer, North West Regional College has provided hundreds of jobs across its teaching, support and technical areas. As a supporter of the local economy, it has nurtured local enterprise through expert training and skills development. As a community partner, it has crossed the divide to offer an integrated civic resource for the benefit of the entire region. Now, NWRC is delivering an invigorated brand of education and training aimed at attracting new learners, while advancing the growth and prosperity of the local economy. NWRC received an accreditation from Investors in People due to their commitment to good business and people management excellence.

6 3. Why we are an Employer of Choice Our Staff are entitled to some of the best Employee Benefits and support an employer could give making it a prime choice to further your career. Our extensive Employee Benefits scheme led to the College winning the Family Friendly Benefits Award at the UK wide VIB Business Awards. A number of these benefits include Childcare Vouchers, a Staff Counselling Service and Flexible Working options. The College is also host to our own award winning Health & Well-being Programme which runs various events throughout the year including Exercise classes, Fitness Boot camps as well as organising various routine health checks for staff. All Staff have the option of joining a workplace pension scheme where the College will make an additional contribution to your pension each month on top of your individual contribution. We recognise that sometimes life can bring unexpected changes both fortunate and unfortunate, which is why we offer staff occupational sick leave and pay, maternity and paternity leave and pay and even special leave for other life events such as the birth of a grandchild or your wedding day. We believe in making sure the skills of our staff continue to grow and thrive during their time with the College and as such we have developed the NWRC Academy of Excellence. The Academy offers staff the opportunity to undertake accredited staff development. Staff will also receive a discount should they wish to enrol on relevant College courses. Other benefits include:- State of the Art Gym - Salary Sacrifice Scheme - Benenden Healthcare - Bank at Work - Cycle to Work Scheme - Insurance Discount

7 Job Description 4. Job Description Job Title: Responsible To: Reporting To: Location: Job Purpose: The Job Role: Lead Mentor College Connect Programme Principal and Chief Executive Curriculum Manager Business The successful applicant may be required to work in any of the College Buildings as necessary. The initial location will be Strabane Campus. To act as lead mentor and recruiter of suitable candidates from the NEETs community onto a level One programme which widens access to qualifications and includes social, emotional and academic development to encourage progression into further education, training and/or employment to increase economic performance and combat poverty in the region. To mentor young people years who, for a range of health, emotional, academic or social reasons, face challenges in their lives which have resulted in them not engaging in education or employment. The Postholder will be a part of this team and will work in partnership with a range of stakeholders including EOTAS, the Careers Service of Northern Ireland, Derry City and Strabane District Council and multidisciplinary professionals internally and externally, to support engagement, boost self-esteem and develop the student s ability to form and maintain safe and worthwhile relationships based on respect for themselves and others. The postholder will: 1 lead participant recruitment across the College in collaboration with external stakeholders including, The Careers Service of Northern Ireland, Community groups, Statutory (EOTAS, Schools and Social Workers) and Voluntary Sectors; 2 collaborate internally with a range of College teams to engage hard-to-reach groups to support the Colleges Widening Access and Participation Plan and share the admissions responsibility across Learner Services and Safeguarding to support student induction and transition into the college; 3 coordinate the administration of the College Connect (ESF) programme at a college level; 4 develop and deliver induction and initial assessment activities which set programme objectives to meet both individual needs and to deliver and facilitate the development of an individualized Personal Training Plan (PTP); 5 plan and carry out regular individual progress review as set out in the PTP;

8 Job Description 6 act as advocate, mentor and role model for participants encouraging positive behaviour, good citizenship, acceptance and understanding of others, participation, personal and social development; 7 implement, monitor and review interventions to support and encourage positive learning and social and emotional outcomes. This may include contact with the wider college team, academic staff, parents and external agencies to monitor and support attendance and compliance with the programme; 8 work independently and in the support of the curriculum team to deliver tangible outcomes, including a full Level One qualification for participants with a range of barriers to progression. 9 develop and maintain an auditable local database/contact file with up-to-date recruitment and referral information; 10 create a welcoming and stimulating learning environment for young people participating in the programme by harnessing a range of tools and facilitation techniques to engage and stimulate young people promoting active learning; 11 develop, implement and deliver aspects of a tailored programme which supports participant development in employability and personal development whilst also providing opportunities to sample provision designed to facilitate the entry to education, training and employment; 12 support participants to identify and access progression pathways in education, training and employment and provide ongoing support during the initial stages of their transition; 13 maintain all accurate student records including attendance and the Personal Training Plan; 14 supervise the liaison with community organisations, agencies and employers to plan, prepare and discharge appropriate community projects, work sampling and placements in accordance with programme quality requirements; 15 supervise students during all associated college activities including within workshop training areas and ensure acceptable levels of behaviour on and off campus; 16 implement, as a last resort, appropriate disciplinary procedures in line with the expectations of the Students Charter and DFE guidelines; 17 produce risk assessments to the required standards prior to the implementation of all activities; 18 support a range of delivery methodologies to include one-to-one Groups, e-learning and a range of workshop based activities; 19 follow guidance for lone workers within the Safer Working Practice document; 20 undertake necessary training and continuous professional development activities provided; 21 take part in indoor and outdoor activities that will challenge young people to think differently, with an aim to encourage good citizenship;

9 Job Description 22 assist the Programme Co-ordinator in the preparation for and discharge of internal and external audit; 23 assist the Programme Co-ordinator in the integration of External Quality Management Systems into the College Connect Programme, ensuring that ISEF is fully embedded and that the Self Evaluation Report and Quality Improvement Plan is completed on an annual basis; 24 comply with and actively promote College policies and procedures on all aspects of equality; 25 ensure full compliance with Health and Safety requirements and legislation in accordance with College policies and procedures; 26 ensure full compliance with the College s quality assurance systems and procedures in accordance with College policies and procedures; 27 undertake any other duties as required by the College s Principal and Chief Executive or persons carrying his delegated authority. The list of duties is not exhaustive. The postholder will be expected to undertake other relevant duties in order to meet any changing operational requirements.

10 Job Description TERMS AND CONDITIONS Terms and conditions of employment are those as laid down by the Non-Teaching Negotiating Committee for Further Education in Northern Ireland and will include locally agreed terms and conditions. Salary Scale Band 5, Scale Column Point 26, 23,398 to Point 31, 27,668 per annum. Hours of Work The hours of work will not normally be less than 36 per week. The hours of duty which may be on any of the College sites will be such as laid down to meet the needs of the College and may include periods of duty after, as well as before 5.00 pm on any Monday to Friday. Annual Leave Entitlement Entitlement to annual leave is 23 days in a full holiday year in addition to 12 public and extra statutory holidays. Entitlement to leave in the first year of employment is pro-rata to the number of months completed. Pension Scheme There is an Occupational Pension Scheme relating to employment with the College. Further details will be provided on appointment. Other Employment No other employment should be entered into during the period of employment with the North West Regional College. No employment by or in the service of another person or body should be undertaken except with express approval of the Principal and Chief Executive. POLICIES All staff have an obligation to comply with the statutory duties relating to Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 and will be required to contribute to the implementation of the College s Equality Scheme drawn up in accordance with this legislation. The North West Regional College as a public authority is committed to the promotion of Equality of Opportunity in accordance with the Northern Ireland Act 1998 Section 75. The College is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Under the provision of the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups (NI) Order 2007 this post is deemed to be a regulated position. The College operates a Childcare Voucher Scheme for staff as part of its family friendly initiatives which are aimed at promoting a healthy work/life balance. The College operates a smokefree workplace policy for all locations. This policy prohibits smoking in all areas. This document can be made available in a range of formats, please contact HR Services with your requirements.

11 Personnel Specification 5. Personnel Specification Each aspect of the criteria indicated below should be addressed in full on your application form at Part A. Your application will be shortlisted solely on the basis of the information provided by you in this section of the form. Knowledge and competencies will be assessed at interview. CRITERIA Applicants must have at least: Essential 1 a level 6 qualification in any discipline; and 2 two years relevant* employment experience; and 3 GCSE English (Grade A*-C) or Essential Skills Level 2 (or higher) in Communication and GCSE Maths (Grade A*-C) or Essential Skills Level 2 (or higher) in Numeracy or NICATS Access Maths Modules, or any qualifications which are deemed to be equivalent; and 4 a current driving licence and access to a car (applicants with a disability who have been prevented from obtaining a driving licence due to their disability (as defined by the DDA 1995) are eligible to apply. *relevant defined as experience working with young people in an educational or youth setting. Or *relevant defined as experience motivating and engaging young people with a range of challenges e.g. health, emotional, social or learning. If, as a direct result of a disability, you cannot fully meet the essential experience requirement of the criteria for this post the College will waive this requirement. KNOWLEDGE Essential: Barriers to Education Dealing with Challenging Behavioural Issues COMPETENCIES Essential: Collaborating and Partnering Changing and Improving Delivering at Pace Leading and Communicating In addition to assessing the applicant s ability to perform the duties of the post the interview will explore issues relating to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. Applicants should note that the above criteria are the minimum requirements only and may be enhanced at the discretion of the short-listing panel.

12 Competency Framework 6. Competency Framework The interview will assess the competencies which are listed in the Personnel Specification. This Competency Framework should be read in conjunction with the Personnel Specification for this post. Details of these competencies are provided overleaf. Setting Direction College Values College Values Delivering Results Engaging People

13 Competency Framework COLLABORATING AND PARTNERING People skilled in this area are team players. At all levels, it requires working collaboratively, sharing information appropriately and building supportive, trusting and professional relationships with colleagues and a wide range of people inside and outside the College, whilst having the confidence to challenge assumptions. For leaders, it s about being approachable, delivering department objectives through creating an inclusive environment, welcoming challenge however uncomfortable. Effective Behaviour People who are effective are likely to Ineffective Behaviour People who are less effective are likely to Demonstrate interest in others and develop a range of contacts outside own team to help get the job done Actively encourage team working, changing ways of working to facilitate collaboration for the benefit of the team s work Proactively seek information, resources and support from others outside own immediate team in order to help achieve results Readily identify opportunities to share knowledge, information and learning and make progress by working with colleagues Listen attentively to others and check their understanding by asking questions Take responsibility for creating a working environment that encourages equality, diversity and inclusion Ignore the knowledge and expertise that a wider network of colleagues and partners can bring to the work of the team Continue to work in set ways that make it difficult for colleagues to contribute to or benefit from the team s work Take a narrow approach to resolving resourcing issues in own area and fail to explore other resourcing opportunities and possibilities Rarely share information, or restrict it to immediate colleagues only Show a lack of interest or skill in interacting with others Adopt a biased, exclusive or disrespectful manner in their dealings with others Compet en Fra w or k

14 Competency Framework CHANGING AND IMPROVING People who are effective in this area take initiative, are innovative and seek out opportunities to create effective change. For staff, it s about learning from what has worked as well as what has not, being open to change and improvement and working in smarter, more focused ways. For leaders this is about creating and encouraging a culture of innovation and allowing people to consider and take informed decisions. Doing this well means continuously seeking out ways to improve policy implementation and build a leaner, more flexible and responsive College. Effective Behaviour People who are effective are likely to Ineffective Behaviour People who are less effective are likely to Understand and apply technology to achieve efficient and effective business and personal results Avoid use of technology and stick to tried and tested means of delivering business objectives Take initiative to suggest ideas for improvements, sharing this feedback with others in a constructive manner Be reluctant to consider ways to improve services in own area, even when improvements are urgently required Conduct regular reviews of what and who is required to make a project/activity successful and make on-going improvements Stick rigidly to the original brief, not adapting support/input to changing needs Put aside preconceptions and consider new ideas on their own merits Avoid considering different approaches, accepting the established way of doing things Help colleagues, customers and corporate partners to understand changes and why they have been introduced Dismiss colleagues concerns about change and miss opportunities to discuss with them what is behind their concerns Identify, resolve or escalate the positive and negative effects that change may have on own role/team Implement change in a thoughtless and unstructured way, having not considered the possible effects it may have on others

15 Competency Framework DELIVERING AT PACE Effectiveness in this area means focusing on delivering timely performance with energy and taking responsibility and accountability for quality outcomes. For all staff, it s about working to agreed goals and activities and dealing with challenges in a responsive and constructive way. For leaders, it is about building a performance culture where staff are given space, authority and support to deliver outcomes. It s also about keeping a firm focus on priorities and addressing performance issues resolutely, fairly and promptly. Effective Behaviour People who are effective are likely to Ineffective Behaviour People who are less effective are likely to Create regular reviews of what and who is required to make a project/activity successful and make ongoing improvements Be interested and positive about what they and the team are trying to achieve Fail to maintain pace and progress Display limited interest or positivity for their role or purpose Take ownership of problems in their own area of responsibility Avoid responsibility for dealing with problems Remain positive and focused on achieving outcomes despite setbacks Check own and team performance against outcomes, make improvement suggestions or take corrective action when problems are identified Set and achieve challenging goals and monitor quality Over control delivery so that teams don t have sufficient space or authority to meet their objectives Neglect performance reviews and so be unable to give timely and constructive feedback Blame others for poor quality work

16 Competency Framework LEADING AND COMMUNICATING At all levels, effectiveness in this area is about showing our pride and passion for public service, communicating purpose and direction with clarity, integrity and enthusiasm. It s about championing difference and external experience, and supporting principles of fairness of opportunity for all. For leaders, it is about being visible, establishing a strong direction and persuasive future vision; managing and engaging with people in a straightforward, truthful, and candid way. Effective Behaviour People who are effective are likely to Ineffective Behaviour People who are less effective are likely to Display enthusiasm around goals and activities adopting a positive approach when interacting with others Listen to, understand, respect and accept the value of different views, ideas and ways of working Express limited interest in goals and activities Adopt a biased, exclusive or disrespectful manner in their dealings with others Express ideas effectively, both orally and in writing, and with sensitivity and respect for others Demonstrate no awareness of the impact of their behaviour on others nor consider the potential reactions of others to the ideas put forward Confidently handle challenging conversations or interviews Unable to deal objectively with conflicts and disputes when they arise Confront and deal promptly with inappropriate language or behaviours, including bullying, harassment or discrimination Avoid challenging inappropriate language or behaviours

17 7. Need some help or guidance? Contact HR Services By Telephone: (028) By By Textphone: (028) The College welcomes calls via Text Relay Making a call from a textphone: Dial number Dial for emergency calls Making a call from a telephone: Dial number Our opening hours are: Monday - Thursday 8:30am to 5:00pm Friday 9:00am to 4:00pm