Wiltshire Council

Family and SEND Support Advisor

The closing date is 03 August 2025

Job summary

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We are excited to offer a rewarding opportunity to join a new team in our Targeted Education Service as a Family SEND Support Advisor!

Main duties of the job

As a Family SEND Support Advisor, you will play a key role in engaging with families who have made a request for an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) for their child. You will be responsible for establishing a strong relationship to understand their needs and identify the support available to them during the initial 6 week statutory timescale. Working closely with the childs school, professionals across the Wiltshire SEND system, and wider, you will help translate this support into a clear, actionable plan.

You will act as the keyworker for a caseload of families with varying and sometimes complex needs. Your ability to manage time efficiently will be essential, as you will be delivering both individual support and coordinating meetings.Accurate and timely recording of actions, decisions, and outcomes will be a fundamental part of your work, ensuring that all follow-up actions are completed in line with case management principles.

We are looking for someone with either an NVQ Level 4 qualification or significant experience in a relevant field. You should have a proven ability to build trusting relationships with families and professionals, along with a strong understanding of safeguarding and child protection procedures. Experience working directly with families and in partnership with schools is essential.

About us

Wiltshire Council is a friendly, welcoming place to work, with a 'One Council' ethos. Thats why we focus on getting the things that matter to our people right.

Details

Date posted

10 July 2025

Pay scheme

Other

Salary

£33,366 to £35,235 a year

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

2 years

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

F0041-5152

Job locations

County Hall

Bythesea Rd

Trowbridge

Wiltshire

BA14 8JN


Job description

Job responsibilities

Please see role description attached

The role of the Family SEND Support Advisor is to establish strong relationships to build a clear understanding of the barriers to children and young people achieving positive outcomes and to develop a plan, alongside other professionals, to remove those barriers so that those children and young people can thrive. Using a relational approach, Advisors will quickly establish a rapport with families who are considering an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) to understand what support could be made available to them before the statutory process is complete. The Advisors will then liaise with other professionals in the Wiltshire SEND system to turn that support into a clear plan, and ensure it is delivered. Each advisor will carry a small caseload enabling quality relationships to be built in a short time.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please see role description attached

The role of the Family SEND Support Advisor is to establish strong relationships to build a clear understanding of the barriers to children and young people achieving positive outcomes and to develop a plan, alongside other professionals, to remove those barriers so that those children and young people can thrive. Using a relational approach, Advisors will quickly establish a rapport with families who are considering an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) to understand what support could be made available to them before the statutory process is complete. The Advisors will then liaise with other professionals in the Wiltshire SEND system to turn that support into a clear plan, and ensure it is delivered. Each advisor will carry a small caseload enabling quality relationships to be built in a short time.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • HNC or equivalent experience/skills.
  • ITQ 2 or equivalent skill and ability.
  • Working towards relevant professional qualification.
  • Licence / certificate / qualification required for the role

Experience

Essential

  • NVQ Level 4 or equivalent significant experience in a relevant field e.g., Health, social care,
  • early years, adult education, education, working with parents.
  • Proven ability to build a rapport with clients and families in order to ascertain required
  • information and engage in effective working relationships.
  • Proven commitment to improving outcomes for children and families e.g., previous work or
  • CPD undertaken.
  • Demonstrable skills in a solution focused approach to problem solving.
  • Advanced knowledge of child protection policies and procedures and the importance of
  • safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable adults.
  • Be knowledgeable and skilled in identifying the early signs of abuse and neglect and following
  • agreed local protocols for ensuring children and young people are protected from harm/risk of
  • harm (e.g., report a child at risk of significant neglect to social care).
  • Significant direct experience of working with families.
  • Practical knowledge and experience of working with vulnerable families and being
  • aware of any issues a practitioner may face while working with vulnerable families.
  • Experience of setting appropriate professional boundaries with families.
  • Experience of engaging parents in community activities.
  • Knowledge and direct experience of developing and maintaining effective relationships
  • with parents; practical experience of working with parents one-to-one and experience
  • of providing support to families in their own home; confidence and ability to work alone
  • and prepared to work with families in their own homes.
  • Experience of facilitating group work for parents.
  • Knowledge of child development and its influence on parent/child relationship in every
  • stage of childs development.
  • Ability to engage and motivate resistant and hard to reach families.
  • Direct experience of working in partnership with schools.
  • Proven willingness to work flexibly in responding to the needs of families as they emerge.
  • Able to communicate effectively and concisely and with a range of different individuals and
  • groups and using various mediums (verbal, written, online etc.).
  • Ability to effectively plan and prioritise workload associated with case work
  • Experience in supporting families to make positive choices.
  • Able to keep excellent records of work,
  • Able to use IT systems,
  • Committed to anti-oppressive and anti-discriminatory practice.
  • Fluent in English.

Desirable

  • Experience of working with vulnerable children and/or children with SEND.
  • Experience of working with families with complex needs who typically find it difficult to engage
  • with services.
  • Demonstrable experience of sharing information to improve outcomes.
  • Knowledge of the role of social worker and related professionals.
  • Experience of using the Early Support Assessment (ESA) or an equivalent holistic early help
  • assessment to improve outcomes for children.
  • Knowledge of additional support services available for families and experience of signposting
  • or referring families to these services.
  • Bi-Lingual.
Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • HNC or equivalent experience/skills.
  • ITQ 2 or equivalent skill and ability.
  • Working towards relevant professional qualification.
  • Licence / certificate / qualification required for the role

Experience

Essential

  • NVQ Level 4 or equivalent significant experience in a relevant field e.g., Health, social care,
  • early years, adult education, education, working with parents.
  • Proven ability to build a rapport with clients and families in order to ascertain required
  • information and engage in effective working relationships.
  • Proven commitment to improving outcomes for children and families e.g., previous work or
  • CPD undertaken.
  • Demonstrable skills in a solution focused approach to problem solving.
  • Advanced knowledge of child protection policies and procedures and the importance of
  • safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable adults.
  • Be knowledgeable and skilled in identifying the early signs of abuse and neglect and following
  • agreed local protocols for ensuring children and young people are protected from harm/risk of
  • harm (e.g., report a child at risk of significant neglect to social care).
  • Significant direct experience of working with families.
  • Practical knowledge and experience of working with vulnerable families and being
  • aware of any issues a practitioner may face while working with vulnerable families.
  • Experience of setting appropriate professional boundaries with families.
  • Experience of engaging parents in community activities.
  • Knowledge and direct experience of developing and maintaining effective relationships
  • with parents; practical experience of working with parents one-to-one and experience
  • of providing support to families in their own home; confidence and ability to work alone
  • and prepared to work with families in their own homes.
  • Experience of facilitating group work for parents.
  • Knowledge of child development and its influence on parent/child relationship in every
  • stage of childs development.
  • Ability to engage and motivate resistant and hard to reach families.
  • Direct experience of working in partnership with schools.
  • Proven willingness to work flexibly in responding to the needs of families as they emerge.
  • Able to communicate effectively and concisely and with a range of different individuals and
  • groups and using various mediums (verbal, written, online etc.).
  • Ability to effectively plan and prioritise workload associated with case work
  • Experience in supporting families to make positive choices.
  • Able to keep excellent records of work,
  • Able to use IT systems,
  • Committed to anti-oppressive and anti-discriminatory practice.
  • Fluent in English.

Desirable

  • Experience of working with vulnerable children and/or children with SEND.
  • Experience of working with families with complex needs who typically find it difficult to engage
  • with services.
  • Demonstrable experience of sharing information to improve outcomes.
  • Knowledge of the role of social worker and related professionals.
  • Experience of using the Early Support Assessment (ESA) or an equivalent holistic early help
  • assessment to improve outcomes for children.
  • Knowledge of additional support services available for families and experience of signposting
  • or referring families to these services.
  • Bi-Lingual.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Additional information

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Employer details

Employer name

Wiltshire Council

Address

County Hall

Bythesea Rd

Trowbridge

Wiltshire

BA14 8JN


Employer's website

http://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

Wiltshire Council

Address

County Hall

Bythesea Rd

Trowbridge

Wiltshire

BA14 8JN


Employer's website

http://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Florence Thorne

florence.thorne@wiltshire.gov.uk

01225718762

Details

Date posted

10 July 2025

Pay scheme

Other

Salary

£33,366 to £35,235 a year

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

2 years

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

F0041-5152

Job locations

County Hall

Bythesea Rd

Trowbridge

Wiltshire

BA14 8JN


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