SEND Specialist Practitioner

Role: SEND Specialist Practitioner

Location: Shuttleworth College / Central Bedfordshire College

Salary/Benefits: Salary is between £35,894 and £47,971 per annum DOE and Qualifications, 35 days annual leave plus Bank holidays, Teacher’s Pension, Retail and Leisure Discounts, excellent professional and personal development opportunities, accessing college courses.

Hours/Weeks: 37 hours per week – 52 weeks per year

Contract Type: Permanent – Full Time

This is a UK based contract, and you are required to have theRight to Work in the UK. Unfortunately, we’re unable to offer sponsorship and any offer of employment will be subject to evidence of your Right to Work in the UK.

About the role:

We are currently seeking a SEND Specialist Practitioner to join our Foundation Learning and Additional Learning Support department at The Bedford College Group.

As a SEND Specialist Practitioner, you play an important role in the success of our students through:

• Specialist SEND Support &Intervention - Deliver specialist one-to-one support, small group sessions and workshops for learners with SEND, using expertise in SpLD, Neurodiversity or SEMH to improve access to learning, independence, confidence and achievement.
• Inclusive Teaching & Curriculum Support - Work closely with curriculum staff to develop inclusive teaching practices, implement specialist learning and differentiation strategies, and support learners to access the curriculum and become independent learners.
• Assessment, Progress Monitoring & EHCP Support - Set and review learner targets, monitor attendance and progress, maintain accurate records, contribute to EHCP Annual Reviews, and evaluate the effectiveness of interventions to ensure positive learner outcomes.
• Assistive Technology, Collaboration & Professional Development - Promote the effective use of accessible technologies and learning aids, liaise with external agencies and support services, deliver staff CPD, and share best practice to improve support for learners with additional needs across the College.
• Learner Advocacy, Inclusion & Professional Standards - Build positive professional relationships with students and staff, support learner wellbeing and success, contribute to College events and team activities, and promote safeguarding, equality, diversity and inclusion, health and safety, and continuous professional development.

About you:

• SEND Specialist Knowledge & Qualifications - Holds a Degree or Level 5 qualification in a SEND specialist area (ASD, SpLD or SEMH), with strong knowledge of the SEND Code of Practice, post-16 education, safeguarding, equality and diversity, and current developments in further education.
• Specialist Support & Learner Development - Experienced in supporting young people with SEND and EHCPs, delivering tailored interventions, working effectively one-to-one and in groups, and enabling learners to achieve positive educational, personal and progression outcomes.
• Partnership Working & Communication - Demonstrates excellent communication and relationship-building skills, including experience of leading meetings with students, parents, carers and professionals, working collaboratively with curriculum teams and external agencies, and making appropriate referrals to support learner needs.
• Assessment, Administration & Professional Practice - Skilled in report writing, record keeping, data management and the use of Microsoft Office and educational IT systems, with the ability to manage confidential information, prioritise workloads and maintain high standards of professional practice.
• Inclusion, Safeguarding & Personal Effectiveness - Committed to the College values of Valuing Teamwork, Improving Continuously, Student Centred, Inclusive, Open & Caring and Nurturing Educational Excellence, while demonstrating flexibility, initiative, resilience, safeguarding awareness, and a commitment to continuous professional development and supporting learners in a safe and inclusive environment.

For a more detailed breakdown of the job role and the requirements, please see the Job Description attached to this vacancy.

Interviews to be held: TBC

Successful candidates must also be able to demonstrate alignment to our organisationalVISION values:

• Valuing Teamwork - We are one team who by working together can achieve great things, respecting the opinion and valuing the contribution each of us makes.
• Improving Continuously - We challenge ourselves to always do better by trying new things, sharing knowledge, reflecting on practice and learning from others.
• Student Centred - At our heart is always doing what is best for our students. We consider students in all of our decision making to create positive outcomes and memorable experiences for every student.
• Inclusive - We celebrate differences and diversity, recognising that we can learn from each other.
• Open and Caring - We care about the wellbeing of our staff, our students, our community and wider society, creating an environment built on trust where we listen, engage with and support each other.
• Nurturing Education Excellence - We promote educational excellence by delivering programmes that challenge our students to achieve their ambitions.

About The Bedford College Group
The Bedford College Group was formed in 2017 following the merger of Bedford College and Tresham College and is now the largest provider of education in the South East Midlands, with over 15,000 students passing through our doors each year.

Today, the Group is made up of a family of colleges across Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire: Bedford College, Central Bedfordshire College and Tresham College in the towns of Bedford, Dunstable, Leighton Buzzard, Corby, Kettering and Wellingborough; Shuttleworth College, a specialist land-based college; The Bedford Sixth Form, (the only dedicated sixth form in Bedford); The Corby Sixth Form, (opened in September 2023); and the National College for Motorsport alongside Silverstone race circuit. To widen accessibility to education and training, the Group also has community-based Learning Centres in Bedford, Corby and Kettering which offer IT training.

Safeguarding our Students
The Bedford College Group is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The successful candidate will be subject to thorough vetting process which includes, an enhanced DBS check and satisfactory references.

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the Exceptions Order 1975, provides information about which convictions must be declared during job applications and related exceptions and further information about filtering offences can be found in the DBS filtering guide. The Bedford College Group's policy on Employment of Ex-Offenders is attached to this vacancy.

Candidates who are barred from working with children are reminded it is a criminal offence to apply for this post.