The Orpheus Centre is a charity and college which supports young disabled adults aged 18-25 to learn essential life skills, gain formal qualifications and prepare for future employment.

There are currently 66 students with 21 living on site in Godstone, Surrey. Students come from across the UK and all have a love of the arts.

Started by lyricist and musician Sir Richard Stilgoe, the organisation offers learning, care and development opportunities at the college and in the wider community, working with professional artists, businesses and other charities.

The overall aim is to equip the students with the skills they need to live as independently as possible and to pursue their chosen careers.

We are currently seeking a SEND Work Experience Coach to adopt a person-centred approach in order to support and mentor learners to progress towards their own personal employment and community inclusion goals. This will include motivating learners to achieve targets and providing continued in-work support throughout their programme into employment/training/education. There will be significant emphasis on supporting the learner’s journey in line with their aspirations.

You will be responsible for a small caseload of learners, implementing an individualised work experience programme with skills matching and development, problem solving and on the job training. You will utilise systematic instruction techniques to promote independence and mastery of specific work-related tasks.

You will be responsible for securing meaningful work experience with external employers as well as working closely with internal and external stakeholders to create and nurture opportunities for learners and support Orpheus with the arts centre.

You will engage and establish a trusting, collaborative relationship with employers, gaining insight about the needs of their organisation and providing support to develop bespoke job carved positions that are consistent with learners’ aspirations and vocational goals.

The post holder will work closely with the Transition Manger to support next stage learners within their chosen transition pathway, source opportunities and provide support for alumni within their chosen communities.

It is essential that the post holder holds a full driving licence as the role involves driving Orpheus vehicles to take learners to and from their external work experience placements.

35 hours per week / 44 weeks per year

The post demands a high level of flexibility and ability to adapt to changes due to service needs

Salary: £25,000 per annum

Please note that this is a term time only contract for 44 weeks a year, 38 of which are term weeks, plus 6 weeks of training, planning, admin and alumni support to be worked as required by the organisation.

Excellent benefits including enhanced employer pension contributions, Employment Assistant Program (EAP), paid days off for dependants, bereavement leave, death in service, free staff lunches and training and development opportunities.

Essential qualifications, knowledge and experience:

Level 2 English and math qualification
Level 3 Certificate for Supported Employment Practitioners (or willingness to obtain within 2 years)
Experience of working with disabled people and an understanding of equal opportunities and safeguarding practice
A minimum of one years’ proven experience of working in an educational/care setting with adults
Experience of record keeping and incident reporting
Experience of managing own caseload
An understanding of the potential challenges faced by disabled people when trying to gain external work experience and/or paid employment
Ability to understand and work within relevant legislation, particularly around disability and employment
Excellent written and spoken communication skills
Ability to work well in a team and foster good relationships within a multi-disciplinary environment
Excellent interpersonal skills that can be used to engage with a wide range of audiences
Flexibility to cope with the varying demands of the role, managing time effectively to achieve the desired results
Ability to quickly identify problems and be proactive with solutions to resolve issues
Good administration, IT and organisation skills
Proactive self-starter with the ability to develop and maintain relationships with employers and other external stakeholders.
A full driving licence is required

Experience working in further education with young adults with learning and/or physical disabilities is desirable.

Orpheus is committed to safeguarding and promotes the welfare of all service users. As part of our safer recruitment process and in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education 2024, online searches will form part of this process. We are committed to the promotion of equal opportunities.

This post is classed as having a high degree of contact with vulnerable adults and is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. It is therefore subject to an Enhanced disclosure through the Disclosure Barring Service.

In order to be considered you must be eligible to work in the UK.

The Orpheus Centre is proud to be a disability confident employer.

We have made a positive commitment to employing disabled people. Reasonable adjustments will be made to the recruitment procedure as required in consultation with the applicant to ensure no-one is disadvantaged because of their disability. If a disabled person is selected for a position, reasonable adjustments will be made to the workplace, including premises and equipment, work duties and practices or policies, as appropriate. All disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the role as set out in the role profile and person specification will be guaranteed an interview.

As a Disability Confident Employer, we are:

Challenging attitudes towards disability
Increasing understanding of disability
Removing barriers to disabled people and those with long-term health conditions
Ensuring that disabled people have the opportunities to fulfil their potential and realise their aspiration

Applications will be reviewed as we receive them and if a suitable candidate is identified, we reserve the right to close our advert sooner.

Level 2 English and math qualification; Experience of working with disabled people and an understanding of equal opportunities and safeguarding practice; A minimum of one years’ proven experience of working in an educational/care setting with adults

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