Leicester City Council Hiring for Virtual School Project Officer and Mentor Job at Leicester, England Full Time

Do you enjoy working with young people? Are you committed to improving outcomes for our children and young people who are looked after? Are you highly organised with an eye for detail?

This role is in Leicester City’s Virtual School Team. This is a team of 15, all working to promote the attendance and attainment of our children and young people looked after, wherever they are placed.

Currently the Virtual School Team are all working a combination of office based and flexible working from home. Our office base is at New Parks House in the New Parks area of Leicester.

We’re currently recruiting for one full-time permanent member of staff to join the team. You must be available to work evenings and weekends as required by projects and residential trips. Residential trips are 4 times a year, lasting between 1 night and 5 nights away.

As a Virtual School Project Officer and Mentor you’ll play a central role in the Virtual School Team. You’ll take a lead in planning, organising and delivering the Virtual School Enrichment Programme and a range of other projects and interventions as well as carrying a small caseload of young people who benefit from the support of a mentor. This will mean working with other members of the team and external partners to deliver courses and opportunities for our young people to grow and learn together, including residential opportunities.

You’ll plan and deliver a range of interventions and opportunities for Leicester’s children looked after that will offer them the opportunity to develop their learning, experience new things and enable them to make accelerated progress in schools whilst also growing their aspirations for the future. This includes residential trips, visits to Universities or sporting events and celebrations of their achievements.

You may carry a small caseload of students who will benefit from mentoring, whilst liaising with schools, carers, Social Workers and our young people regularly. In addition to this, you’ll provide advice and support to other professionals working with our children as required.

The successful candidate will have experience of working in an education setting, with a good understanding of the Social Care system as it relates to looked after children.

You’ll have experience leading activities with vulnerable young people where safeguarding is at the heart of your practice. You’ll have knowledge and understanding of the barriers faced by children looked after and care leavers as a result of loss and trauma, along with experience of working with challenging young people in a school or youth work setting.

You must be tenacious and aspirational in pursuit of improved outcomes for our vulnerable young people.

You must have an ability to work creatively as part of a team but also able to work independently on own initiative and solve problems as they occur.

For an informal discussion please contact Vivien Tetley via email: Vivien.Tetley@leicester.gov.uk or Esther Popp via email: Esther.Popp@leicester.gov.uk. If shortlisted, interviews will take place w/c 13th September 2021.