Schools Advisor

Are you passionate about improving educational outcomes for children who have experienced trauma, loss and disrupted attachments? Do you have experience working with children and young people in education, particularly those who are subject to a Special Guardianship Order (SGO), and may have additional educational needs? If so, we'd love to hear from you.

We are seeking a committed and knowledgeable Schools Advisor to join our dedicated Special Guardianship Support Team. This rewarding role provides an opportunity to make a meaningful difference to the lives of children and young people by ensuring they receive the educational support, understanding and opportunities they need to thrive.

At Cheshire East Council we are resident, and partner focused with a vision to enable prosperity and wellbeing for all. People really are at the heart of everything we do and that starts with our incredible workforce. We promote a culture of high performance where people can aspire, thrive and flourish, where we strive to deliver best value in everything we do.

We're on a meaningful journey in Children's Social Care and we'd love for you to be part of it. Joining us means becoming part of a supportive, forward‑thinking team that's passionate about making a real difference in the lives of children and young people. Everything we do is about putting them first, helping them grow, thrive and reach their full potential so they can build brighter futures.

As a Schools Advisor, you will play a key role in improving educational experiences and outcomes for children and young people, living under Special Guardianship Orders. You will work directly with educational settings, special guardians, social workers and partner agencies to provide specialist advice, guidance, advocacy and training. A significant element of the role involves supporting schools to better understand the impact of attachment difficulties, developmental trauma, adverse childhood experiences and neurodiversity on learning and behaviour.

• Managing a caseload of SGO children and young people, assessing educational needs and identifying barriers to learning.
• Working with schools, early years settings and colleges to develop effective support plans and trauma‑informed strategies.
• Providing specialist advice relating to attachment, developmental trauma, early adversity and social‑emotional wellbeing.
• Supporting the effective use of Pupil Premium Plus funding and advising schools on statutory responsibilities for Previously Looked After Children (PLAC).
• Delivering training and consultation to school staff, senior leaders, governors, adopters, guardians and other professionals.
• Supporting children experiencing educational difficulties, including Emotional School Based Avoidance, exclusion risk and SEND‑related challenges.
• Contributing to Education, Health and Care (EHC) assessments and providing evidence and advice to SEND processes and panels.
• Chairing and contributing to multi‑agency meetings to ensure a coordinated approach to supporting children and families.
• Working collaboratively with the Virtual School, social care teams and other partners to promote positive educational outcomes.
• Maintaining accurate records and producing reports to support assessments, planning and decision‑making

This is just a snapshot of some of the exciting things you'll be doing in the role, to find out more about the other key responsibilities of the role please view the attached job description.

We are looking for an experienced and passionate professional who understands the challenges faced by those living with Special Guardians.

• Experience…