Job Introduction

18 hours a week, term time only (flexibility with days/times)

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 an experienced and compassionate Home-School Link & Inclusion Worker to join our team for 18 hours each week (times and days are flexible). 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

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.

Why join us?

As a small school, we know our children and families well and work closely as a team. You will have the opportunity to build strong relationships across the school and to make a visible difference to individual children and families. We value professional judgement, collaboration and a willingness to ask questions and seek support when needed.

Our vision is Rooted in faith, growing in wisdom, shining in life. Our values of friendship, resilience, respect, equity, compassion and responsibility shape the way we work with children, families and one another.

This role embodies those values. Equity means noticing the barriers a child or family may be facing and helping them access what they need to flourish.

Visits to the school are warmly encouraged. Please contact the school office on 01993 811192 or email office.3146@bladon.oxon.sch.uk to arrange an informal visit or conversation with the Headteacher.

Interviews are due to be held on Friday 16th October.

Safer Recruitment

Bladon C of E Primary School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and we maintain a culture of vigilance in which children's welfare is central to our practice.

This post involves significant safeguarding responsibility and direct work with children and families, including some who may be vulnerable. The successful candidate must follow the school's safeguarding procedures and act promptly on concerns about a child's welfare or the conduct of an adult.

We follow robust safer recruitment procedures. References will be sought and verified for shortlisted candidates, normally before interview, and will include safeguarding enquiries. We may also undertake an online search of publicly available information about shortlisted candidates as part of due diligence; relevant matters may be discussed at interview.

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and is regulated activity with children. Appointment is subject to satisfactory completion of all required pre-employment checks, including an Enhanced DBS check with Children's Barred List information, identity and right-to-work checks, qualification checks where relevant and appropriate overseas checks where applicable. At least one interview panel member will have completed safer recruitment training.