Virtual School Advisor

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.

For us, success isn’t just about what we achieve, but how we achieve it together. We promote curiosity, excellence, innovation and continuous improvement.

We are values led and committed to wellbeing and inclusion for all, where our employees co-created our values of drive, integrity, respect and collaboration which inform all that we do.

We are proud to work for Cheshire East Council and believe you would be too!

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.

If this sounds like the kind of impact you want to make, we’d be delighted to hear from you. Come and join us in shaping positive change for our young people.

Virtual School Advisors play a crucial role in assuring the educational experiences of children in the care of Cheshire East Local Authority. The tasks and duties assigned to Virtual School Advisors are diverse, ranging from quality assuring termly Personal Education Plans and attending statutory meetings alongside colleagues in social care, to supporting schools to think creatively about overcoming barriers and providing professional challenge to colleagues’ practice.

The role itself is varied and, although no two days are the same, key responsibilities include supporting colleagues and foster carers to identify suitable education settings and navigate application processes, and working with SEND professionals to support children with Education, Health and Care Plans. Working as part of a multi-agency team is essential to our success. The successful candidate must be experienced in collaborating with colleagues from a range of sectors and able to present information with clarity and transparency.

Knowledge and experience of working within an education setting, alongside an understanding of current developments in education, are also desirable.

Virtual School Advisors oversee a caseload of young people and are allocated to a specific locality within the ‘Families First’ model. They must build and maintain positive relationships with a range of education settings, including EYFS, primary, secondary, and specialist provisions. The role also involves delivering training to Designated Teachers, social workers, school governors, and other professionals.

This is just a snapshot of some of the exciting aspects of the role. To find out more about the full range of responsibilities, please refer to the attached job description.

You will be personable, approachable, resilient, and dedicated, with the ability to build positive relationships with young people and professionals from a range of backgrounds, often during times of crisis.

You will be able to:

• Manage a caseload in the region of 100 children and young people across the local authority.
• Travel across Cheshire East and work in a range of locations and situations.
• Support children in care who may be struggling to access education.
• Work creatively with colleagues to meet the needs of young people.

To find out more about the…