St Francis School

St Francis School

Recruitment Pack

For the Post of

Learning Support Assistant (LSA)

St Francis School, Fareham, Hampshire PO14 3BN

Headteacher: Steve Hollinghurst BA MA (SEN) PGCE

Telephone: 01329 845730 Email:

Website:

Message from the Headteacher

St.Francis is a special school for children aged between 2 and 19 with severe learning difficulties or profound and multiple learning difficulties.

Our highly motivated team of education and multi-agency professionals offers the highest quality provision dedicated to meeting the educational and other needs of children and families.

People succeed at our school in a supportive environment in which children and adults enjoy working in a fun and creative environment.

We are a forward thinking community where all children and adults are respected for their unique contributions.

St Francis has always been proud of its ethos of mutual respect and the relationship between staff and pupils is excellent.

The school aims to promote independence and self-sufficiency in all its pupils as far as possible. We have high expectations of our children, and work to provide an environment in which they can develop and shine to the best of their abilities. We hope that all our youngsters leave with the greatest possible chance of living life to the full and enjoying what their community has to offer.

We are constantly working to improve our School. Our aim is to be atruly outstanding school. In October 2012 we were rated as Good with Outstanding features by OFSTED.

Please look at the website or arrange a visit to fully appreciate what we are about.

Thank you for your interest in our school and we look forward to receiving your application.

Best wishes

Steve Hollinghurst

Executive Headteacher

CHILD PROTECTION

PROCEDURES TO FOLLOW IF A CHILD TELLS YOU THEY ARE BEING ABUSED OR YOU HAVE REASON TO BELIEVE THIS IS SO.

ANY REFERRALS OF SUSPECTED CHILD ABUSE MUST BE MADE THROUGH THE CHILD PROTECTION LIAISON OFFICER (CPLO/DSL)/DESIGNATED SAFEGURARDING LEAD (DSL).

Abuse may be sexual, emotional or physical. Our prime duty is to act in the interests of THE CHILD at all times.

If a child discloses or presents signs of abuse they should be treated with tact and sensitivity. They should not be made to repeat or go over the details several times.

1. If a member of staff suspects a pupil has suffered abuse or is at risk, the CPLO/DSL (Headteacher - HT) must be informed. If the HT is absent then Deputy Headteacher (DHT) should be informed If DHT is unavailable talk to the Assistant Headteacher (AHT).

1. The CPLO/DSL should contact Social Services and make a clear statement of:

• Known facts
• An accurate record must be made stating the facts of any injury, times,
• Explanations and action taken

Staff should note this carefully and signs of physical injury should be described and noted on a body map.

• Any words used should be quoted.

Any suspicions or allegations

Whether or not any contact has been made with the child’s family

• The duty social worker will discuss the facts with the duty manager who will decide upon the next steps to be taken.

School staff should NOT notify or make enquiries of parents when abuse is suspected.

Social Care, in accepting the referral, become responsible for determining what action is to be taken including advising parents.

If a pupil is in need of urgent medical attention and there is suspicion of abuse the CPLO/DSL should take the pupil to the Accident and Emergency Department of the nearest hospital having first notified Social Services

Please read in conjunction with Safeguarding/Child Protection Policy.

“St Francis Special School is committed to safeguarding children and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We will ensure that all our recruitment and selection practices reflect this commitment. All successful candidates will be subject to Disclosure and Barring Service checks along with other relevant employment checks.”

Job Hazard Form

This form highlights hazards related to the role that could pose a risk to the post holder.

Role Title: Learning Support Assistant

Manual Handling

This role requires hazardous manual handling operations. For example, regular moving of heavy objects, repetitive moving of objects or moving of people

The types of manual handling operation involved in this role are people/children/objects.

These manual handling operations are required on a regular basis

The weights involved in these manual handling operations are more than 15 kg

Job Characteristics

This role also involves working with children and young people with special needs from ages 2 to 19 years old

This role involves working in close proximity with children, personal care and food handling.

This role also has potential to involve verbal abuse and/or aggression and this is likely on an infrequent basis. The role is also likely to require physical behaviour management interventions for which the postholder will be trained.

Work Environment

This role is carried out in an environment which involves lone working on occasions and occasional outdoor work

Work Equipment/Machinery

This role also involves working with moving machinery – hoists, etc

Personal Protective Equipment

Given the nature of this role, the post holder is required to wear personal protective equipment to be worn on their body i.e. aprons.

COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health)

Biological Hazards

It is possible that postholder may come into routine or regular contact with people with infections e.g. TB/human blood or human bodily fluid e.g. through first aid/soil/waste

Applicants should be aware that where roles are exposed to hazardous risks, risk assessments are undertaken and control measures are put into place where possible.

Learning Support Assistant

Job Accountabilities

Standard
1. / Support for pupils

• Working with individual or groups of children, assist in ensuring pupils are kept on task and complete activities set by teachers (confident to work with the full complexity of needs within your current class).
• Deal with behavioural and special needs issues in conjunction with the teacher in a consistent manner in line with any agreed strategies.

2. / Support for teachers

• Help implement lesson plans
• Provide feedback to pupils in conjunction with the class teacher
• Confident to lead small group activities and feedback to teacher
• Ability to motivate and encourage children appropriately
• Ability to work independently and with initiative
• Good organisation skills

3. / Support for curriculum

• Assist the teacher with testing and assessment
• Review progress of pupils against learning programmes
• Complete records and assessments for children
• Contribute to planning and setting of objectives
• Assist in the making of resources

4. / Support for the school

• Implement curriculum policies
• Detect signs of behavioural issues
• Work with outside agencies
• Playtime supervision and lunchtimes
• Commitment to training
• Flexible and positive in relation to tasks undertaken and groups/children allocated
• Ability to establish and maintain good relationships and rapport with other colleagues in the school and beyond
• Physically and emotionally suited to working in an environment involving manual handling, challenging behaviour and personal hygiene of pupils
• Confident with skills such as Makaton, manual handling, tube feeding, giving medication, epilepsy, simple communication aids, Team Teach/Positive behaviour management strategies, PECS and TEACH to support learning
• Complete tasks related to your area of responsibility effectively
• Follows the St Francis staff code of conduct

Application Process and Timeline

Application Procedure

Please return your completed application forms to the school office (electronic versions are available to download from our website or alternatively, please contact the school office).

St. Francis School is committed to safeguarding and protecting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The successful candidate will be subject to an Enhanced DBS check along with other relevant pre-employment checks.

Timeline

School visits: Please contact the school to arrange a visit.

Closing date for applications:Friday, 9th March 2018 (noon)

Interview date(s):TBC

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL CONFIDENTIAL

SUPPORT STAFF APPLICATION FORM

Please use black ink/print when completing this form

1.
Application for the post of: / at:
(School/ College/ Children’s Centre)

2.

Last
Name / First Names

Title Any Previous Last Names
Address / Post Code:
Daytime tel. no. / Evening tel. no.
Email:

3. Education (Secondary, Further / Higher)

Establishment (name and town) / From / To / Qualifications / Grade / Date awarded

4. Job related training (include membership of professional institutes, vocational and non-vocational courses)

Institute / Courses studied / From / To / Standard or level achieved
and date awarded
5. Employment history
If this is going to be your first job after leaving school or college you may like to give details of any holiday, weekend, evening jobs or work experience placements. A continuous employment history is required from when you left full-time education.
Current employer
Employer’s name/dept
Address / Postcode
Post held / Date appointed
Salary / Grade (if applicable)
Other allowances
Notice period

Previous experience(most recent employer first). Please include details of gaps in employment here.

Employer’s name
and type of business / Post held / Date / Reason for leaving
From
Month Year / To
Month Year

6. Reasons for applying for this post

7. Statement in support of application

Please provide details of how your experience, skills and abilities are relevant to your suitability for the post advertised and how you meet the requirements of the post and the person specification.

In addition, to the relevant experience, skills and abilities in your current and/or past work experience, this could also include any additional relevant voluntary work or unpaid duties you have performance, particularly any positions of responsibility held, e.g. governor, playgroup leader, committee member of a club or organisation, VSO volunteer, CAB volunteer etc. If you have had a break from paid work it is important to include details of any voluntary work you undertook during this time. Attach a continuation sheet if necessary.

8. References
Please give details below of two people who can provide information that will confirm your suitability for this post. Where appropriate one person should be your current or most recent employer; the other should be someone who has known you in a professional capacity. References will be sought on short listed candidates and previous employers may be contacted to verify particular experience or qualifications before interview. Current or previous employers will be asked about disciplinary offences relating to children including penalties that are “time expired” and any child protection concerns.
Name / Position
Address / Postcode:
Daytime tel. no. / Email:
Name / Position
Address / Postcode
Daytime tel. no. / Email:

9. Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exemptions) Order 1975

This post is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 because it is a post which involves working directly with children or young people. You are therefore required to declare whether you have any criminal convictions (or cautions or bind-overs) including those which are “spent”. The amendments to the Exceptions Order 1975 (2013) provide that certain spent convictions and cautions are 'protected' and are not subject to disclosure to employers , and cannot be taken into account. Guidance and criteria on the filtering of these cautions and convictions can be found on the Disclosure and Barring Service website:

Please complete the following questions, taking into account the DBS filtering guidance.

Do you have any convictions, cautions, reprimands or final warnings that are not "protected" as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2013) / YES / NO
If Yes, please give details including dates, on a separate sheet, place the sheet in a sealed envelope marked for the attention of the Chair of the shortlisting panel and enclose it with this form.
Are you included in any list of people barred from working with children by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) or the NCTL (National College of Teaching and Leadership) ? / YES / NO
If Yes, please give details including dates, on a separate sheet, place the sheet in a sealed envelope marked for the attention of the Chair of the shortlisting panel and enclose it with this form.

PLEASE NOTE;

• If your application is successful, prior to taking up your post, you will be required to undergo a Formal Disclosure process through the Disclosure and Barring Service (previously CRB). This will require you to complete a separate DBS application form and to provide a range of more than one piece of documentary evidence of your identity.

• Although a criminal record involving offences against children is likely to debar you from appointment of this type of post, the existence of other criminal convictions will not necessarily be a bar to employment.

• Any criminal record information arising out of the disclosure process will be discussed with you before any final decision is made about your employment.

• It is a criminal offence to apply for or accept a position (paid or unpaid) working with children if you are excluded from such work by virtue of a court order or exclusion by the DBS.

• Copies of the County Council‘s policy on the employment of ex-offenders, the DBS Code of Practice and the school’s policy on criminal records checks are available on request.

• With effect from 17th June 2013 criminal records certificates will only be issued directly to the applicant. The Local Authority/your employer will request that you show them your certificate and will record the Disclosure number and issue date and retain this on your personnel record and on its computerised personnel record system in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998. The Local Authority abides by the DBS Code of Practice and Keeping Children Safe in Education (DfE, 2014) which state that a copy of the DBS Disclosure Certificate may only be retained with the permission of the applicant and shall not be retained for longer than 6 months, in order to comply with the requirements of the Data Protection Act. By signing this application form you give your consent to this.

10.Where did you see the advertisement for this post?

11.Further information and declaration

Do you hold a full UK driving licence? / YES / NO
Would you have use of a car for work? / YES / NO
Would you require sponsorship ( previously a work permit) to take up thispost / YES / NO
National insurance number

Canvassing in any form may disqualify you from employment. Please state whether, to the best of your knowledge, you are related to a County Councillor, senior member of Hampshire Children’s Services Department, or a governor or senior employee of a school maintained by this Authority YES/NO

If YES, please state the nature of the relationship and the name of the County Councillor, senior member of Hampshire Children’s Services Department or governor or senior employee of the school

I understand that if I am appointed, personal information about me will be computerised for personnel / employee administrative purposes including analysis for management purposes and statutory returns.

In signing this form I give my authority for use of my personal data for these purposes.

I hereby confirm that the information I have given above is true.

I understand that, should any of the particulars I provide in this application be found to be false within my knowledge, or should there be any wilful omission of material fact, this may be reported to the Police as well as leading to my application being rejected or the contract being null and void if I have already been appointed.

Signature of Candidate / Date

CONFIDENTIAL

Equality Monitoring Form

We would be grateful if you would complete the following in order for us to monitor equalities information and ensure that we are treating all candidates fairly and appropriately.

This information will be treated confidentially and will not be used in any part of the selection process.

School/ Children’s Centre:
Post applying for:
Name:
Date of Birth:
Gender: / Male / Female
Nationality: / British / Irish
Other EU country / Other Non EU country

Ethnicity:

Please indicate your ethnic origin:

A / White / B / Mixed / C / Asian & Asian British
British / White & Black Caribbean / Indian
Irish / White & Black African / Pakistani
Other White background * / White & Asian / Bangladeshi
Other Mixed background * / Other Asian background *
D / Black & Black British / E / Chinese or other group
Caribbean / Chinese / I do not wish to disclose
my ethnic origin to
African / Any other background * / Hampshire County Council
Other Black background *
* Please indicate any other ethnic background:

Sexual Orientation:

Please indicate your sexual orientation:

Heterosexual / Transsexual / Bisexual
Gay / Lesbian / Other
I do not wish to disclose my sexual orientation to Hampshire County Council

Disability

Disability is described by the Equality Act 2010 as a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial long term adverse effect on an individual's ability to carry out normal day to day activities.

Applications from disabled people are welcome. We will ensure that appropriate support is provided where required, both in the recruitment and selection process, and during employment.

Do you consider yourself to have a disability?

Yes / No / I do not wish to disclose my disability data to
Hampshire County Council

Thank you for completing this form.