Experts at Hand Engagement Practitioners - SEND

Package Description

In addition to your salary, we offer a range of benefits including:

• Great holiday benefits - most roles include 28 days annual leave every year on top of public (bank) holidays, increasing to 32 days after five years. In addition, there is a holiday purchase scheme allowing staff to purchase up to 5 additional days of leave each year.
• Excellent pension - everyone who works for us can join the national Local Government Pension Scheme, widely regarded as one of the best available.
• A full range of family friendly policies including enhanced maternity, adoption and paternity support.
• Access to an award-winning employee benefits programme that includes a health cash plan, a low-cost bike purchase scheme as well as high street discounts and money off entertainment and travel.
• Salary sacrifice car scheme - eligible employees can lease an electric or low-emission vehicle at a reduced cost through salary sacrifice, subject to National Minimum Wage and other eligibility requirements.
• Blue Light Card - employees working within social care can qualify for an additional range of discounts from national retailers and local businesses.

Why join us? Along with more on our Benefits, discover why Working at the City Council could be the right move for you here Working at the Council | Milton Keynes

Roles are either ‘site based’ or ‘home based’.

Site based roles are mainly based at the workplace, with the option to work from home for up to two days a week, depending on service needs.

Home based roles are mainly based at home, with the expectation of attending the workplace up to one day a week.

The working arrangement for each role is set by the manager, based on service requirements.

Job Introduction

We're recruiting two dedicated Engagement Practitioners to join our growing Experts at Hand team within Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).

These are two specialist roles working towards the same goal - improving outcomes for children and young people with SEND and building confidence in inclusive mainstream education.

One role focuses on engaging with parents and carers, helping schools strengthen relationships with families and ensuring parent voices help shape local services.

The other role focuses on engaging directly with children and young people, capturing pupil voice, understanding lived experiences and ensuring children and young people's views influence how services are developed.

If you have experience working with families, children and young people, or both, we'd love to hear from you.

When applying, you'll be able to tell us whether you're interested in the Experts at Hand Parent Engagement Practitioner role, the Children and Young People Engagement Practitioner role, or both.

Site-Based role

This is a Site-Based role, and you’ll be expected to work from the designated workplace.

We’re building a team that’s focused on making a real difference across our local area. Working with partners, services and communities, you’ll help bring people together, drive collaboration and support improvements that have a lasting impact.

In this role, you’ll play an important part in delivering key priorities, helping shape better experiences and outcomes while ensuring our work stays aligned with both local needs and national expectations. It’s a chance to be part of meaningful, system-wide change where your contribution really matters.

If you’re interested in finding out more, we’d welcome your interest. For an informal chat before applying, please contact the hiring manager - Mim.Kendrick@milton-keynes.gov.uk

Find out more about working with us here: www.mkcounciljobs.org.uk

Role Responsibilities

• As an Engagement Practitioner, you'll work alongside schools, families, children and young people, and partner organisations to support inclusive education across Milton Keynes.
• Working as part of the Experts at Hand team, you'll:
• Gather and promote the views and experiences of parents, carers, children and young people to help improve local SEND services.
• Help schools develop approaches that improve engagement, confidence, attendance and outcomes for children and young people with SEND.
• Communicate local SEND strategy developments and reforms to communities, schools and stakeholders.
• Use creative and accessible methods to gather feedback and encourage meaningful participation.
• Work collaboratively with schools, families, colleagues and partner agencies to promote positive change.
• Maintain accurate records and use data to demonstrate the impact of your work.
• Champion the belief that mainstream schools can successfully meet the needs of most children and young people when the right support is in place.

Ideal Candidate

We're looking for people who can build trusted relationships, listen carefully and turn feedback into positive action.

• A relevant qualification such as a BTEC, NVQ Level 3 or equivalent experience in a childhood development or related field.
• Experience working with children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.
• Experience working directly with families, parents and carers, or engaging children and young people, depending on the role you are applying for.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills.
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage competing priorities.
• Confidence using information technology systems including Microsoft Teams, Word and PowerPoint.
• The resilience and professionalism to manage sensitive and challenging conversations.
• A full driving licence, access to a vehicle and the ability to travel across Milton Keynes as required.

Full UK Driving Licence and access to a vehicle

To be successful in this role, you’ll need a full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle. If we offer you the role, we’ll ask you to provide evidence of your driving licence and vehicle insurance, including cover for business use. We’re unable to confirm an appointment until these documents are received.

Safer Recruitment

Safer Recruitment applies to this role. This means that, before any appointment is confirmed, we’ll carry out a range of pre-employment checks to help ensure the safety and wellbeing of children, young people and vulnerable adults. These checks may include identity verification, where candidates will be required to provide original identification documents, including a full birth certificate, employment history and reference checks, qualification checks and an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, (unless you are currently registered with the DBS Update Service). check where required.

About The Organisation

Milton Keynes City Council is a large, modern and financially stable employer with around 2,500 people working across our eight areas. Together we provide local residents and businesses with a wide range of important round-the-clock services and aim to make our city a better place to live.

We work hard because of the demands placed on us, like protecting children from harm or preventing homelessness. However, working for the city is always rewarding and everyone has the opportunity to make a real difference.

We’re very proud of our diversity and are committed to having a workforce that reflects the community we serve. Whatever your background, you will be welcome here if you share our values of being dedicated, respectful and collaborative.

We offer great training and support and because of the size and scale of the organisation there are always new opportunities to explore when it’s time for a new role.

If you’d like to know more about how we do things and what matters to us, take a look at our short booklet What makes us Milton Keynes City Council, see attached.