Enhanced Pupil Support Assistant - 2 Posts, Connections, Community Wing Grammar School - PKC14085

Main Purpose of the Role

Working within Perth & Kinross Council is more than a job, it's about being part of an organisation that puts people at the heart of all we do and provides opportunities to make a real difference by enhancing every life we touch.

We currently have the following opportunity:

Enhanced Pupil Support Assistant - 2 Posts (Fixed Term until 1 July 2027) - PKC
14085
£11,308 - £12,303 (16.5 Hours per week, Term-time only)
Connections, Community Wing - Perth Grammar School

Connections Intensive Support Service Values and Aims

We are looking for 2 dedicated and enthusiastic pupil support assistants to join our dynamic and dedicated team in our Intensive Support Service for 3 days a week.

This is a unique opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of children with significant social, emotional and behavioural needs.

Connections is a standalone small, offsite intensive support service for children with social, emotional and behavioural needs (SEBN) based in the Community Wing of Perth Grammar.

Creating trust Building belief Nurturing growth

At Connections, we believe that the above three values form the bedrock of our approach, upon which all our work is done. They provide the framework for every relationship and interaction within our organisation, enabling us to develop the most effective approaches, in our aim to change the story for every child.

We do this through working in partnership with

• The children's families.
• Staff in their primary schools.
• Support services. e.g. educational psychology, allied health services

Our service aims to provide two levels of support.

The first is a shared educational placement for up to ten pupils where the children attend Connections for two or three days as well as accessing their school on the other days of the week. When the children attend their mainstream school, our team operate an outreach service where Connections staff collaborate with school staff to share and develop what supports each child to develop and progress.

The second type of support is an outreach service to support a small number of children on outreach basis only.

This role brings opportunities for personal and professional growth.

The Role

• Provide one to one support for children.
• Support children in developing social skills and friendships through small group activities.
• Support children to engage in therapeutic activities.
• Undertake activities such as baking, cooking, art and crafts.
• Work closely with teachers and other specialist staff.
• Communicate regularly with staff on pupil wellbeing, achievements and progress.
• Support the teachers in creating a safe, structured and nurturing learning environment.
• Prepare and gather own resources for activities planned for the children Help set up and tidy away resources, equipment and learning spaces Support in implementing the individual education plans (IEPs).
• Supporting children on outdoor education and local community outings.
• Support children with self-care and daily routines such as transitions and organising belongings.
• Model and encourage the use of strategies, problem solving and restorative approaches.
• Support children a break times.
• Keep records of behaviour incidents and triggers for staff discussion

Please note, we are currently unable to offer sponsorship for this post.

We are looking for a motivated and skilled pupil support assistants and who will ideally have current experience in supporting children whose complex social and emotional needs are a barrier to their engagement in learning.

Applicants should have:

• A warm and nurturing approach with children
• Experience of working with primary aged children in school
• Some understanding of how early childhood trauma can impact on a child’s development
• The ability to form positive relationships with children who are hard to reach and disengaged with learning.
• A child-centred approach.
• The skills to establish firm boundaries without being rigid.
• Some understanding of the importance of play for children of all ages.
• The ability to self-regulate during times when children present with distressed and dysregulated behaviour.
• Some understanding of restorative approaches to problems arising and the ability to model these for the children.
• The ability to work as part of a small team but also have the confidence to work on their own.
• A desire to learn and further develop their knowledge and skills.

Our values and behaviours influence our work and support us in the delivery of our key priorities. In your application, and should you be invited to interview, you will be asked to describe situations that support the criteria required in the role and which also demonstrate our values and behaviours. Find out more about Perth & Kinross Council and you could soon be joining our team!

Here's what we can offer
you
:

• A generous annual leave package
• 6 days public holiday and an additional discretionary day
• Eligibility to join our pension scheme
• Family friendly and positive work/life…