Home-school link & inclusion worker

A ROLE BUILT AROUND RELATIONSHIPS Could you be the person who helps make sure no child or family is left on the edges?

At Bladon C of E Primary School, relationships matter. We are a small, caring Church of England primary school where children are known as individuals and where strong relationships with families are central to helping children flourish.

We are looking for a compassionate, approachable and capable Home-School Link & Inclusion Worker to join our team for 18 hours each week term time only (There is flexibility in how hours are arranged, subject to the needs of the school and the children and families being supported). This is a varied and important role, combining family support, pastoral and inclusion work, multi-agency liaison and targeted support for pupils.

What might a day look like?

You might support a child with their emotional wellbeing, meet with a parent who is finding things difficult, complete a Strengths and Needs assessment, visit a family at home, liaise with an alternative provision, contribute to a TAF or CIN meeting and run a targeted intervention with a small group of pupils. You might also be the person who helps a family access the right support or helps a child re-engage with school after a difficult period.

At the heart of all of it is one thing: relationships. We need someone who can build trust with children and families - including when engagement is difficult - while also being able to have sensitive, honest and sometimes challenging conversations.

The role includes

• building strong, trusting relationships with pupils, parents and carers
• providing practical and pastoral support to families experiencing difficulties
• completing Strengths and Needs assessments and helping families identify appropriate support
• contributing to, and where appropriate coordinating, Team Around the Family (TAF) work
• attending and contributing to Child in Need (CIN) and other multi-agency meetings under the direction of the DSL
• home visits and liaison with external professionals and agencies
• supporting pupils accessing alternative provision, including communication, record keeping, visits and due-diligence activity
• supporting attendance, engagement and wellbeing for vulnerable pupils
• delivering selected individual and small-group interventions
• supporting mental health and wellbeing work alongside our ELSA
• maintaining clear, accurate and confidential records
• being a consistent, approachable link between home and school
• communicates naturally and sensitively with primary-aged children, adapting their language and approach so that children feel comfortable, listened to and confident asking for help

The person we are looking for

Experience matters, but the right person matters even more. You will need warmth, judgement, resilience and the confidence to hold professional boundaries while maintaining relationships.

• builds relationships without judgement
• listens carefully and helps people feel heard
• can have difficult conversations with kindness, clarity and courage
• understands that support sometimes means walking alongside a family and sometimes means appropriate challenge
• is organised, reliable and follows actions through
• works independently while knowing when to seek advice or escalate a concern
• understands safeguarding, confidentiality and accurate record keeping
• works positively with children, families, school staff and external professionals
• is deeply committed to inclusion and to helping every child flourish

Experience in family support, SEND, Early Help/TAF, education, social care, safeguarding, pastoral work or a related field would be particularly valuable. Training can be provided for specific processes, but strong relational skills and professional judgement are essential.