Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Education Link Worker

Overview

In Buckinghamshire, our ambition is for every child and young person to reach their full potential, regardless of their starting point.

We currently have an exciting opportunity within our Education Entitlement Team for a Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller (GRT) Education Link Officer. The GRT Education Link Officer works directly with GRT families, schools, and other teams in the Local Authority to support vulnerable learners from the GRT community to access and continue in education.

About us

Now in its third year, Buckinghamshire Council brings together the best of the previous five councils to create positive change for local people, communities, and businesses. We are firmly focused on the future and have made a clear commitment to serve residents better and to provide stronger representation for Buckinghamshire, both locally and nationally.

Buckinghamshire is an ambitious, rapidly growing county, and our economy is one of the strongest in the country. It is an area of outstanding natural beauty and ranks as one of the top rural areas to live in the UK and yet it is incredibly well connected– only an hour from London on the train. The county has a rich history and heritage and is the birthplace of the international Paralympic movement.

We are looking for motivated, ambitious, and inspiring people to join us on our journey. You will be entitled to a range of different benefits to make sure you are happy both at work and at home.

About the role

As the GRT Education Link Officer you will work alongside a lead officer to support Buckinghamshire Council’s response to improved outcomes and continuity of education for GRT children in Buckinghamshire.

This includes:

• Working closely with children, young people, and families from the GRT community including home visits to develop positive relationships between families and schools.
• Working closely with and in schools in Buckinghamshire to support engagement, attendance, and attainment.
• Supporting the delivery of training to improve cultural awareness, inclusion, and achievement of GRT pupils.

Please refer to the full job description for more information.

About you

We are looking for someone who represents the values and behaviours of Buckinghamshire Council. The role requires an individual who cares about delivering the role effectively, setting ambitious standards and upholds the reputation of the service and the wider Council.

You will need to be solution focused, able to find suitable resolutions to challenges. You will be able to evidence working collaboratively with different stakeholders, being able to look at things from different perspectives and working with others to achieve positive outcomes for children, young people, and their families. You will be required to behave professionally and to professional standards and be quick to respond and show initiative.

You will be highly motivated to co-ordinate links between schools, agencies, and partners for children in the GRT community. Building strong and effective relationships with all stakeholders is a priority. You will be able to draw from relevant experience of working with under-represented groups through similar outreach, community engagement or education type roles.

You will have knowledge of education systems and practice, possess excellent communication and interpersonal skills, and have a full driving license and access to a car and the ability to travel to different locations across the county within the working day.

Please refer to the full job description for more information.

Other information

Our values and culture

We have a set of values, which our employees have chosen, that represent what we are – Proud, Ambitious, Collaborative and Trustworthy.

By joining Buckinghamshire Council, you can expect:

• a fair and inclusive culture
• the chance to really make a difference to those around you
• health and well-being initiatives including an Employee Assistance Programme, Mental Health First Aiders and mindfulness workshops
• a unified voice through our Employee Representative Group
• ongoing support, and the opportunity to develop and progress in your career with us
• opportunities to take part in fun activities such as fundraising and social events

At Buckinghamshire Council, we know that our biggest strength comes from the people that work for us, and that’s why we’re working hard to ensure we continue to be an accessible and inclusive organisation.

From dedicated staff networks overseen by our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Steering Group, to proudly standing as a Disability Confident employer, it’s important to us that all our colleagues feel engaged, listened to, and valued. Our offer of flexible working empowers a productive and happy workforce and allows employees to combine work with other responsibilities and commitments.

We believe our workforce should reflect the diverse communities we service in Buckinghamshire, and are looking for like-minded individuals to join us in promoting equality, fairness, and inclusion for everyone.

About the Business Unit

Ensuring that children and young people in Buckinghamshire reach their potential is a primary focus within our Education service. It’s essential that we provide inclusive and life-long learning opportunities for all of our young people - so we look to raise standards, attainment and aspirations in a number of ways.

Our key priorities include: improving the quality and timeliness of Education, Health and Care Plans and the support families of children with SEND receive; reducing the number of exclusions both permanent and fixed term; and providing the children of Buckinghamshire with the highest quality education possible.

We aim to provide the right support, at the right time for families requiring non-statutory intervention, and provide sufficient, high quality early years and school places for children in Buckinghamshire. Despite Buckinghamshire having a higher percentage of good or outstanding Early Years providers and schools than national averages, we are not complacent.

We are keen to strengthen the services we deliver to provide the children of Buckinghamshire the highest quality education possible.

We recognise and reward you

Hard work and success deserves recognition. That’s why we pride ourselves on the benefits we give our people. We actively encourage a good work-life balance and promote flexible and agile working arrangements. We provide discounts on various Cafés, restaurants, shops and auto enrolment onto our generous Pension Scheme. We also offer a salary sacrifice personal car lease scheme to those who are eligible and have passed their probation period. In addition to the opportunity to gain membership to Costco, we have discounted gym memberships, travel discounts with Arriva and much more.

https://jobs.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/working-buckinghamshire-council/