Specialist Advisory Teacher, SENDISS C&I

Job Introduction

About Us
Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust and Oxfordshire County Council are transforming support for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). We are building a team of health and education professionals (Experts at Hand) to provide earlier intervention and stronger inclusion in schools settings, providing practical support where it is needed, and helping children and young people receive the right support, at the right time. By sharing your expertise and working collaboratively with colleagues across organisations, you'll play a key role in improving outcomes for children, families, and schools across Oxfordshire.

At Oxfordshire County Council, we are committed to creating a future where every child and young person can flourish, regardless of their needs or circumstances. Through our Experts at Hand campaign, we're building a network of skilled professionals who share a common purpose: helping children and young people with SEND access the opportunities, support and education they deserve.

Working alongside families, schools, educational settings and partner agencies, our teams provide specialist expertise that makes a real and lasting difference.
As part of Experts at Hand, you'll join a service that values innovation, collaboration and continuous learning. Together, we're strengthening inclusive practice across Oxfordshire and helping children and young people develop the confidence, skills and opportunities they need to succeed.

About the Role
As a Specialist Advisory Teacher within SENDISS Communication and Interaction Team, you will play a pivotal role in improving outcomes for children and young people with SEND across Oxfordshire. This is a highly influential role that combines specialist teaching expertise, assessment, advisory work and partnership working to deliver meaningful, long-term impact for children, families and educational settings.

You will work with a caseload of schools to support them to support children and young people with communication and interaction differences, providing assessment, advice and guidance as appropriate. Using your expertise, you will help identify effective strategies, provide practical recommendations and support educational settings to develop inclusive provision that enables children and young people with communication and interaction differences to thrive.

Working closely with schools, families and multi-agency partners, you will champion inclusion at every opportunity. You'll support children and young people to access learning, build independence, develop self-advocacy skills and successfully navigate key transitions throughout their educational journey. Your advice and guidance will help ensure that children and young people are supported in environments that have the confidence and capability to meet their needs effectively.

An important part of the role is sharing expertise with others. You will identify training needs, develop learning opportunities and deliver professional support that builds knowledge and confidence across schools, settings, families and professional networks. Through coaching, training and collaborative working, you will strengthen the wider system and help improve outcomes for children and young people far beyond your direct caseload.

Whether you are contributing to statutory processes, supporting schools with complex needs, advising on specialist equipment and technology, or helping shape inclusive practice across the county, your expertise will directly influence the lives of children and young people and help create lasting positive change.

About You
You are a passionate and highly skilled teacher who believes that every child and young person deserves the opportunity to succeed. You are motivated by making a difference and understand the transformational impact that specialist SEND expertise can have on children's educational experiences and life chances.

You'll be an experienced practitioner with Qualified Teacher Status and a strong understanding of SEND, inclusive practice and effective intervention. You will be confident assessing needs, planning support, reviewing progress and adapting approaches to achieve the best possible outcomes for children and young people.

You will have exceptional communication and relationship-building skills, enabling you to work successfully with children, young people, families, schools and professionals from a range of disciplines. You are someone who can inspire confidence, influence positive change and bring people together around a shared goal of improving outcomes for children and young people with SEND.
We're looking for someone who is reflective, organised, resilient and solution-focused. You will bring enthusiasm, creativity and a commitment to continuous learning, while keeping up to date with current research, evidence and best practice within your specialist area.
Most importantly, you'll share our commitment to inclusion, equality and ensuring that children's voices remain at the centre of everything we do. If you're ready to use your expertise to empower others, champion inclusion and become one of our Experts at Hand, we'd love to hear from you.

Rewards and benefits

• Term-time only working.
• Employee Assistance Programme including access to health and wellbeing support 24-7.
• Membership of the Local Government contributory pension scheme, with an employer’s contribution of up to 19.9%.
• Childcare vouchers, cycle to work scheme, electric car scheme, range of staff discounts including travel, holidays, insurance, food, health & leisure activities.
• Excellent learning and development opportunities.
• Range of family-friendly policies.
  
  

Our Values
Our organisational values underpin everything we do and say and are supported by policies, processes and guidance. In short, our values describe ‘the way we do things here’ so that we deliver great services for our residents. Our values are:
Always learningBe kind and careEquality and integrity in all we doTaking responsibilityDaring to do it differently Everyone that works for us demonstrates their commitment to these values. We will ask you to demonstrate your commitment to these values, and their associated behaviours, throughout the application process.

Your office base may be subject to change as we are currently transitioning between temporary and permanent office locations due to the closure of County Hall. If this is applicable to you, you will be notified, but no reimbursement will apply in respect of travel.

Our commitment to: Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
At Oxfordshire County Council we are proud of our diverse workforce. Everyone is accepted for who they are, regardless of age, disability, gender identity, marital status, race, faith or belief, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, or on maternity or family leave. We have a number of staff network groups which provide peer support, education and safe spaces for all.

Our commitment to: Guaranteed Interview Schemes
As a Disability Confident employer, we guarantee an interview for disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the job. We also guarantee interviews to care leavers who have completed further education and who meet the essential criteria for the job. For those leaving care without any further education, we guarantee an interview for our apprenticeships. We are also committed to helping and supporting those transitioning from HM Armed Forces to civilian life and guarantee an interview for those demonstrating the essential criteria for the role, within three years of leaving the service.

Our commitment to: Safeguarding
Oxfordshire County Council are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults. We expect all employees, workers and volunteers to share this commitment. We will ensure that all our recruitment and selection practices reflect these commitments.

Our commitment to: Flexible Working
We are open to discussions about flexible working, which can include flexi-time, part time working, job sharing, nine-day fortnights and annualised hours, depending on the requirements of the role and the service.

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If you would like an informal discussion about this role, please contact Rachel.Morrison@oxfordshire.gov.uk