Army - Defence Children Services (DCS) – SEND Advisor

Job summary

Defence Children Services (DCS) are seeking an experienced SEND Advisor (Special educational needs and disability) to work in partnership with DCS schools and settings, providing expert advice on inclusive practice and SEND provision. Based at our Headquarters’, in Upavon, you will play a vital role in supporting and improving the educational outcomes of approximately 5000 children and young people in Service Families. This is a dynamic and exciting role providing the opportunity to work with our overseas locations and work with the wider Defence community.

This key role will coordinate the DCS SENDCo network, promoting collaboration, professional development, and the sharing of best practice. The SEND Advisor will lead and contribute to assurance processes across DCS schools, support the development of SENDCo’s and help schools to maintain high-quality SEND leadership and compliance. The role also offers expert guidance on Multi-Agency Assessments of Support Needs Overseas (MASO), ensuring pupils with SEND are not disadvantaged and that schools uphold inclusive, accountable decision-making for all learners.

The Ministry of Defence employs over 50,000 Civil Servants. Within that, the Army Top Level Budget (TLB) employs around 7,000 MOD Civil Servants located at over 300 locations. Ours is a diverse workforce, with roles ranging from trainers, human resources, teachers, and psychologists to storekeepers, financiers, project and programme managers, and policy secretariat staff. There are many different functions and professions delivering key outputs for the Army. As such using data to aid understanding of our workforce is vital.

Defence Children Services (DCS) is a Defence delivery organisation, subordinated under Army Regional Command. Our Vision is that we Educate the Child – Support the Family – Defend the Nation. HQ DCS is UK based at Trenchard Lines, Upavon and has forward deployed staff all over the world. DCS is responsible for the education and care of children of accompanied Service and Defence entitled personnel in MOD schools and settings; provides advice and guidance in respect of education for service families in the United Kingdom and the wider world.

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.

Job description

The successful candidate will work effectively to strengthen the Defence Childrens Services (DCS) capacity to deliver consistent, high-quality support for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) across all DCS schools and settings. The role provides specialist expertise to ensure inclusive practice and compliance with DCS directives and statutory comparable processes.

As part of a multidisciplinary team led by the SEND Manager and consisting of educational psychologists and SaLT, the SEND Advisor provides professional guidance and assurance to DCS schools and settings across the world, as well as the wider DCS teams. This role will work closely with DCS schools and settings SENDCo’s and leadership teams, providing subject matter expert (SME) advice on SEND provision and inclusive practice. The SEND Advisor also works with the forward deployed Headquarters’ school improvement teams to ensure that a consistent approach to inclusion is evident in all DCS schools and settings.

This role will coordinate the network of DCS SENDCo's, enabling the sharing of expertise, resources, and collaborative problem-solving through regular networking, guidance and professional development. The SEND Advisor will contribute to the quality assurance process and the development of inclusion within DCS schools and settings via inclusion reviews in location. This quality assurance function will help ensure statutory compliance, and consistency of provision across all DSC schools and settings.

The roles and responsibilities of the SEND Advisor are as follows:

• To provide advice, guidance and support to settings and schools to enable them to make the best possible educational provision for children and young people with SEND
• To support the development of settings and schools to increase their capacity to provide inclusive and appropriate education for all children and young people through individual or strategic advice and training.
• To provide SEND SME advice to colleagues across the wider organisation in meeting complex SEND needs, using high quality evidence based approaches and best practice examples.
• Provide expert advice and guidance to SENDCOs in DCS Schools and settings, promoting best practice in the teaching of children with SEND and engaging confidently with stakeholders and colleagues at all levels
• To provide clear, accurate and professional information, advice and guidance regarding the education and supportability of Service Children to DCS schools and settings and commands
• To give subject matter expert advice and input on individual cases when required so that decisions relating to Service Children’s education can be made.
• To work in partnership with partner agencies, commands and organisations in ensuring effective decision-making around supportability.
• Support SENDCOs with the transition of high needs children returning to local authorities with a SCAN (Service Children’s Assessment of Need), including liaising with local authorities where necessary.
• To undertake Inclusion reviews in DCS schools and settings and contribute to the ongoing development of this process
• To provide strategic SEND support to leadership in DCS schools, in location when necessary, where additional SENDCo capacity or further development has been identified.
• To provide training to staff in schools, settings and DCS in areas of SEND and inclusion
• To contribute to the development of DCS strategy, initiatives and projects according to service priorities.
• To contribute and chair multi-disciplinary meetings within DCS and wider partners. This will include, but not limited to, working with other professionals on complex cases and projects.
• To carry out responsibilities within the relevant legislation, the policies and procedures of the DCS and in line with relevant professional standards.

Please be aware this role involves travel including driving overseas as it will be covering our DCS Schools and Settings across the world. Working beyond conditioned hours is required for travel and reclaimed through TOIL.

If you need to contact Defence Business Services (DBS) regarding this vacancy, please indicate that your vacancy is being handled by Resourcing Team 1. If you experience any technical difficulties with the CS Jobs system, please contact the Support Team at candidate@support.oleeo.com

Person specification

Essential

• Ability to communicate effectively with a range of people and in a range of contexts.
• Ability to work together with children, parents and other professionals.
• Able to provide evidence of recent direct personal experience working with individual children/young people (0-18) with a range of special educational needs.
• Substantial and recent successful experience as a senior leader in a school, LA or trust with responsibility for SEND
• Knowledge and competence to evaluate the quality of SEND provision in schools and settings
• An understanding of the current research of effective inclusion in mainstream schools
• Good working knowledge of the National Curriculum, Early Years Foundation Stage, SEN Code of Practice (2015), Equality Act (2010), Children and Family Act (2014)
• Knowledge of best practice across Communication and Interaction, Social Emotional Mental Health, Sensory and Physical and Cognition and Learning to support children and young people
• Experience of working collaboratively with multiagency professionals, children and young people and their families.
• Knowledge of good practice in safeguarding, equal opportunities and inclusion, and a full commitment to these aspects
• The ability to engage in moderation, marking or assessing portfolios and assignments submitted as part of accreditation
• Proven ability to produce clear, concise reports and contribute to ongoing assessments and reviews
• Able and willing to travel independently to overseas locations.
• Able to make effective use of ICT.
• Commitment to continuing professional development.

Desirable

• Previous experience of work in more than one type of setting and across more than one key stage and/or specialist education provision
• Experience and understanding of working in the military context.
• CACHE Assessor Qualification
• Experience or background of working in Early Years
• Experience of working in an advisory capacity to support the development and sustainability of high quality SEND practice within education settings
• Experience of embedding a relational or therapeutic approach to behaviour in a school or setting

Licences

Full UK Driving Licence (must be held at point of application and be in date)

Qualifications

Degree and UK Qualified Teacher Status (essential)
NASENDCO Qualification/ National Professional Qualification for SENCOs or Substantial Post graduate qualifications in SEND (essential)
Evidence of further professional development qualifications (desirable)
CACHE Assessor Qualification (desirable)

Evidence of qualifications will be required at interview. Equivalent qualifications will not be accepted.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Changing and Improving
• Working Together
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

• Changing and Improving
• Working Together

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Presentation
• Teachers Standards

Benefits

The Army prides itself on being a supportive employer and where possible encourages flexible working, helping you to maintain a great work/life balance.

Other benefits for Army civil servants include:

• • 25 days paid annual leave rising (1 day per year) to 30 days upon completion of 5 years’ service
  • Highly competitive pension scheme
  • Personal and professional development of skills
  • Alternative working patterns for many roles
  • Access to the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), a free service that assists you with achieving a productive, healthy environment that is conducive to a healthy lifestyle.
  • Enhanced parental and adoption leave
  • 6 days special leave per year which can be used for volunteering activities
  • Learning and Development

We believe that everyone has the potential to make a difference, and you will be supported to help you learn and advance in your career.

Discover My Benefits:

Please follow the link to visit the Discover My Benefits site which showcases the benefits and discounts offered when working as a civilian for the MOD. https://discovermybenefits.mod.gov.uk/civilian/

This post does not offer any assistance with Relocation Allowances.

Please be advised that the Department is conducting a review of all pay related allowances which could impact on those allowances that the post currently being advertised attracts.

You will be placed into the Teachers’ Pensions Scheme or Civil Service Pension arrangement (ALPHA) where appropriate. If it is determined that you enter the Civil Service Pension arrangement (ALPHA), the Soulbury salary range associated with the post will be abated by 4% to account for the difference in pension contributions.

MOD Soulbury pay arrangements are different because there is a requirement to abate salaries for MOD Soulbury grades who cannot access the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) and become members of the Civil Service Pension Scheme (CSPS). MOD Soulbury Pay is abated to reflect the different contribution rates and terms of the CSP

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

At sift, you will be assessed against your CV and Personal Statement and the following Behaviours:

• Changing and Improving
• Working Together

CV is to include job history and qualification details.

Your Personal Statement (maximum 750 words) should demonstrate the relevant skills and experience that evidence how you meet the criteria as detailed in the job role and responsibilities, including examples of evidence.

At interview you will be assessed on your experience along with the following Civil Service Behaviours;

• Changing and Improving
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace

At interview you will be asked to give a 5 – 10 min presentation on an area of SEND, without the use of IT. The presentation topic will be provided on invitation to interview and it will evaluate your knowledge of inclusive practice in education and application of the Teacher’s Standards.

In the event of a high number of applications meeting the threshold for essential criteria; the desirable criteria may be applied to weight the applications.

The Ministry of Defence adopts a zero-tolerance approach to unacceptable behaviours, which includes bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination, and victimisation. You will not be eligible and will not be considered for this post if you have been dismissed from a role for such unacceptable behaviours within the last five years. This will also apply if you resign or otherwise leave a role but, because of an adverse decision, would have been dismissed for gross misconduct had you continued in that employment. Pre-employment checks will be carried out.

As a result of the changes to the UK immigration rules which came into effect on 1 January 2021, the Ministry of Defence will only offer sponsorship for a skilled worker visa under the points-based system, where a role has been deemed to be business critical.

The role currently being advertised has not been assessed as business critical and is therefore NOT open to applications from those who will require sponsorship under the points-based system. Should you apply for this role and be found to require sponsorship, your application will be rejected, and any provisional offer of employment withdrawn.

The Ministry of Defence requires all candidates who are successful at interview to declare any outside interests. These declarations will be discussed with successful candidates following the interview process and before a formal offer of employment is made, as some outside interests may not be compatible with MOD civilian roles. This will not, in the majority of cases, prevent employment in MOD, but it is a measure that must be taken to ensure that appropriate mitigation's can be put in place to manage any potential, perceived or actual conflicts of interest from the first day of employment.

MOD Recruitment Satisfaction Survey – we may contact you regarding your experience to help us improve our customer satisfaction. The survey is voluntary and anonymous. You may however be given the opportunity to provide additional information to help us improve our service which includes the collection of some personal data as defined by the United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). The MOD Privacy Notice sets out how we will use your personal data and your rights.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Medical

Successful candidates will be expected to have a medical.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Alex Davies
• Email : RC-DCS-HQ-EPSL@mod.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : DBSCivPers-ResourcingTeam1@mod.gov.uk

Further information

Please see Further Information document attached.

Attachments

20241009 - Further Information - External Opens in new window (docx, 30kB)Defence Civil Service Offer Opens in new window (pdf, 1562kB)Teachers__Standards_Dec_2021 Opens in new window (pdf, 271kB)