Shaping Futures Education Lead (Maternity Cover)

Caudwell Children’s Shaping Futures programme is dedicated to empowering neurodivergent young people aged 16-25. Our mission is to equip them with the essential skills needed to thrive in the next stage of their lives, whether it’s securing a job, gaining work experience, or stepping into volunteering. Through engaging and interactive employability and life skills sessions, we provide practical tools and techniques designed to boost confidence, opening doors to a brighter future, ensuring every young person is ready to step forward with self-assurance and success.

You will require skills to help run exciting lessons and stimulating activities which help to develop the students learning.

About Caudwell Children

Established in 2000, Caudwell Children is a national charity which works to transform the lives of disabled children and their families, enabling them to challenge the barriers they face throughout childhood by providing practical and emotional support. The Charity is going through an exciting period of growth having recently opened a new state-of-the-art facility for multi-disciplinary therapy programmes for childhood disability and research of neurodevelopmental conditions, including autism, within the grounds of Keele University. It provides a state-of-the-art base for the Charity’s therapies and an environment where ground-breaking research can be undertaken, potentially changing the way some disabilities are treated, affecting millions of people around the world. This is a fantastic and exciting opportunity to join a dynamic and fast moving Charity at a time when it will attract national and international attention.

Duties and responsibilities

Main duties

• Identify and attract suitable young people for the programme.
• Work with young people on a one-to-one basis, and group basis using a person-centred approach to develop employability and life skills.
• Compile a vocational profile which will establish the young person’s skills and expectations and identify barriers and support needs.
• Identify suitable jobs within the relevant sectors through engagement with young people and employers.
• Organise work experience placements within agreed frameworks and monitor progress.
• Work with employers to develop opportunities through a range of initiatives.
• Attend meetings and events to advertise the Caudwell Children’s Charity Shaping Futures service, and how this links with other local agencies.
• Support volunteers who assist with the development and delivery of the service.
• Keep up to date with:
  • Disability and employment issues.
  • Topics relating to employment including relevant Government employment programmes and funding available.
  • The current job market and employer needs.
  • Recruitment and selection techniques.
• Liaise with other departments within the wider Charity and, in particular, Corporate Partnerships.
• Attend in-house and relevant external training courses, as agreed with the line manager.
• Ensure that all activity helps to build the Caudwell Children brand and is at all times brand compliant.
• Promote and embed Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in all work and ensure community engagement information is communicated in plain language and meets accessibility requirements.

Customer Care/Quality Assurance

• Communicate with children, families and all stakeholders in a way that respects their views, autonomy and culture.
• Uphold the principles and practice of customer care and continuous improvement.
• At all times to afford service users, colleagues and stakeholders the dignity and respect to which they are entitled with full regard to the organisations Equality and Diversity Policy.
• Ensure that customers/stakeholders are enabled to comment and complain about any of the services they receive, ensuring all comments and complaints are dealt with promptly and in accordance with organisational policy and procedures.
• Confidentiality and data protection regarding all personal information and Caudwell Children activities must be maintained at all times (both in and out of working hours) in accordance with professional codes of conduct and relevant legislation such as the General Data Protection Regulations 2018.
• Contribute and co-operate fully with any regulatory or organisational inspections/audits.

General

• If applicable, ensure compliance with professional standards in relation to your relevant professional governing body (RCOT, RCSLT, NMC, BPS, CIPD, CIMA, ACCA, AAT, CIM, etc.) or equivalent.
• Adhere to your professional body’s regulations, ensuring registration is maintained at all times, where applicable.
• Demonstrate commitment to ongoing personal and professional development, maintaining professional portfolios and training profiles.
• Keep up to date and integrate any relevant new initiatives, regulations and legislation as appropriate to your role.
• Keep comprehensive and accurate records in relation to your role and in accordance with organisational policies and procedures as well as local, professional and national guidelines.
• To work effectively and collaboratively as a member of the team, building and maintaining good working relationships with all colleagues, stakeholders and professionals from external agencies.
• Ensure compliance with statutory and non-statutory bodies, including CQC, ISO 9001 and the Health & Safety Executive.
• Adhere to all Caudwell Children policies and procedures.
• Demonstrate commitment to Caudwell Children’s mission, vision and values.
• On occasion and when necessary, work flexible hours to meet the needs of the business.
• Willingness to travel in order to meet the needs of the post.

This Job Description indicates only the main duties and responsibilities of the post and is not intended as an exhaustive list.  The post holder may be asked to carry out other duties from time to time.  The Charity reserves the right to amend this Job Description from time to time, according to business needs.

Person specification

Essential criteria

• A full clean driving licence and access to own vehicle, as travel in and around Staffordshire/Cheshire will be required
• Vocational and workplace person centred assessment and planning skills.
• Networking and relationship building skills.
• Training and development skills.
• Able to identify the essential and critical components of potential job roles.
• Able to ensure training and employment offered by employers match the skills and abilities of individual.
• General knowledge of employment law.
• General knowledge of equal opportunities legislation.
• Knowledge of education and further education sectors.
• Knowledge of transitions from education to work.
• Excellent organisational and planning skills, as well as close attention to detail.
• A can-do attitude, solutions focus and ability to inspire and motivate.
• Able to work pragmatically and adapt to changing circumstances, displaying resilience.
• A team player able to take initiative.
• Able to relate to individuals at all levels in the work place, along with employment and education providers.
• Able to deal with sensitive issues with tact, sensitivity and diplomacy.
• Able to demonstrate a passion and creativity for their role.

Desirable criteria

• Experience/knowledge of working with neurodivergent people
• Knowledge of Disability employment law
• A network of contacts to assist with the referral, assessment and support of young people transitioning into college/employment/volunteering
• Experience of working in the Charity/Third Sector.
• Experience of working in ISO regulated organisations.
• Experience of working in CQC regulated organisations.
• Experience of working with volunteers.

Disclosure and barring service checks

The Charity is committed to safeguarding children and young people and therefore adopts a safer recruitment approach through a robust recruitment and selection process.  All posts within the Charity are subject to DBS checks, in line with the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (1974).  This role is eligible for an Enhanced with barred lists DBS check.

Equal opportunities

Caudwell Children is a Disability Confident employer committed to offering an interview to all applicants who meet the minimum criteria and declare they have a disability. We are committed to creating a diverse environment and will not discriminate for any reason against any person because of their age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion and belief, sex or sexual orientation. We particularly encourage applications from people who identify as Black, Asian or from a Minority Ethnic background and other underrepresented groups.