Communication Support Worker

Job Description

• Suffolk County Council
• Address: Rushmere Hall Primary, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP4 3EJ - Onsite
• Salary: £26,016 - £29,071 per annum pro rata
• Hours: 12 hours per week, term time only
• Contract:Permanent

At Suffolk County Council, every role is a chance to create positive change. As a Communication Support Worker in the Services for Deaf Children and Young people team, you’ll see the direct impact of your work on the people and places that make Suffolk special. Join us and turn your passion for progress into action.

Reimagine the possibilities.

Your role and responsibilities

As a Communication Support Worker, you will play a vital role in supporting the communication, learning, achievement, and inclusion of deaf children and young people.

Based at the Specialist Resource Provision within Rushmere Hall Primary School in Ipswich, you will work under the direction of the Teacher of the Deaf and contribute to delivering high-quality, bespoke support that enables children and young people to thrive both academically and socially.

Resource provisions offer tailored support packages that help deaf learners access education successfully, both within the specialist base and in mainstream classrooms. Through your work, you will help ensure communication and learning remain accessible, supporting positive educational outcomes and fostering independence and confidence.

In this role, you will:

• Support access to learning in mainstream classrooms by facilitating communication and understanding.
• Deliver targeted interventions, bespoke activities, and learning programmes under the guidance of the Teacher of the Deaf.
• Promote deaf awareness, inclusion, and understanding among pupils, staff, and the wider school community.
• Adapt your support to meet the diverse communication and learning needs of children and young people who use spoken language, sign language, or a combination of both.

You will need

We are looking for someone with experience of supporting children and young people in educational settings and a passion for enabling every child to reach their potential. Experience of working with deaf learners would be advantageous, although not essential.

While you may not currently hold a British Sign Language (BSL) qualification, you should have a basic understanding of BSL and be willing to undertake training to achieve BSL Levels 1 and 2.

To be successful in this role, you will:

• Have strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Build positive and effective working relationships with children, families, colleagues, and partner professionals.
• Demonstrate an understanding of deaf awareness and inclusive practice.
• Be committed to supporting the educational, social, and emotional development of deaf children and young people.

You can view a full list of requirements in the Job and Person Profile (JPP), which you can find in the ‘How to apply’ section towards the bottom of this advert.  

If you believe you can succeed in this role, apply. Even if you don't meet all requirements, still apply. We would appreciate the opportunity to consider your application.

The team

The Services for Deaf Children and Young People Team is a highly valued part of Suffolk County Council's Inclusion Service. We are a dedicated team of specialists who are passionate about improving outcomes for deaf children and young people across Suffolk.

Working closely with families, schools, early years settings, and post-16 providers, we empower education settings to create inclusive environments where deaf learners can succeed and flourish.

Our team is supportive, collaborative, and committed to continuous improvement. We pride ourselves on the positive difference we make every day and the strong relationships we build with children, young people, families, and professionals across the county.

We will offer you

Joining our team means becoming part of a supportive and forward-thinking service that values professional growth and continuous learning.

Suffolk is a diverse and vibrant county, offering a wide range of experiences and opportunities within our Inclusion Service. You will benefit from:

• Regular professional development and specialist training opportunities.
• Access to a network of experienced and supportive colleagues.
• Opportunities to contribute to service development and innovation.
• Being part of the wider Inclusion Service, with access to shared learning, collaboration, and professional networks.

We are committed to continually developing our services for deaf children and young people, working in partnership with schools, families, and parent/carer networks to deliver the best possible outcomes. Together, we are helping children and young people achieve their potential and participate fully in their communities.

Empowering Everyone

We’re big believers in potential, possibility and the power of different ideas. We’re always searching for ways to encourage, respect and enable everyone to be the best they can be. We want to represent the diverse communities we serve. We welcome applications from all individuals, especially those from groups that are currently underrepresented in the organisation, as shown in our Workforce Equality Report.

For more information

Please contact Andrea Carron (Head of Services for Deaf Children and Young People) for a casual conversation. You can reach them by calling 07850 217238 or emailing andrea.carron@suffolk.gov.uk

How to apply

Step 1 - Read the Job and Person Profile (Word).

Step 2 - Click ‘Apply Now’ to start your online application.

Step 3 - Upload a supporting statement answering the following questions below (no more than 400 words per question). You should use the Supporting Statement template (Word).

1. Describe any experience you have of working with children or young people who are deaf. Please give examples of what your support involved.
2. Please give an example of when you supported a child or young person’s communication, learning or development. What approach did you take, and what was the outcome?
3. Tell us about a time when you adapted your communication to meet an individual’s needs. How did you check that your communication was understood?
4. Describe a time when you were given a new responsibility, the challenges you faced and how you managed.

Please note: Without a supporting statement, your interest will not be progressed. Any supporting documents must be in either PDF or MS Word format.

For guidance on completing your application, please see our How to Apply page.

Planning to use Artificial Intelligence (AI)? Please ensure your application still reflects your own skills, experience and ideas. If used inappropriately, your application may not be processed. Please read our guidance for using AI to understand what’s acceptable.

Do you need any reasonable adjustments to help you to apply? If you are disabled and/or have additional support needs, you can request reasonable adjustments. You can do this by contacting our Recruitment Team at recruitment@suffolk.gov.ukor 03456 014412. You can find examples of possible adjustments on our Reasonable Adjustment pages.

Closing date: 11.30pm, 11 October 2026.

Interview date: 20 or 22 October 2026.

This authority is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checks or police vetting will be required for relevant posts. #LI-Onsite

About us

As a modern and effective council, we offer a wide variety of careers to suit people with a range of skills, abilities and ambitions. We offer working options that flex to reflect the way people work today and take the time to understand and support your individual needs. We’re driven to make a positive difference to the world around us and encourage everyone with drive and focus to join us and build an influential and impactful career. Reimagine the possibilities.

In return, you’ll enjoy:

• up to 29 days annual leave entitlement (pro rata), plus UK bank holidays and two paid volunteering days
• membership of a competitive Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
• travel, lifestyle, health and wellbeing benefits
• performance-related annual pay progression, in addition to an annual cost-of-living pay increase
• training and encouragement to expand your knowledge
• a variety of career development opportunities across our organisation
• diverse and active staff networks
• flexible working options, with the right to request flexible working from your first day

If you want to know more about our benefits, values and equality commitments please visit our Suffolk County Council careers website (careers.Suffolk.gov.uk).