Home School Link Worker

Home School Link Worker Do you have the experience, resilience and professional judgement to help children and families overcome significant barriers to education? John Mason School is seeking an experienced, compassionate and highly proactive Home School Link Worker to join our team and play a key role in improving attendance, removing barriers to learning and strengthening relationships between home and school. This is an important and rewarding role for someone who is able to build trusting relationships with families while also having the confidence to explore difficult issues, challenge barriers and support families to make sustainable changes. You will work with children and families who may be experiencing complex or significant barriers to regular school attendance, engagement, behaviour or well-being . You will take a holistic approach to understanding the circumstances affecting a young person and work alongside the family, school colleagues and external professionals to develop and implement effective support. The role involves working both in school and within the wider community. You will undertake home visits, work directly with young people and their families, contribute to multi-agency work and develop strong partnerships with parents and carers. You will work closely with pastoral teams, the Attendance and Welfare Office, the Inclusion/SEND Team, social care and other professionals to identify barriers, coordinate appropriate support and help families achieve positive and lasting change. What we are looking for We are particularly interested in candidates who have experience of working with young people with high levels of need and/or families experiencing complex circumstances , and who can demonstrate how their work has helped to bring about positive change. Experience of working directly with families, particularly where this has involved building relationships, identifying underlying barriers, providing targeted intervention and working alongside families to improve outcomes , would be highly desirable. You will need to be someone who: Has significant experience of working with children, young people and/or families in an educational, social care, family support, youth or community setting. Has experience of working with young people with high or complex levels of need and understands the factors that can affect attendance, engagement, behaviour and educational outcomes. Can demonstrate experience of working with families to address barriers and support positive change , rather than simply providing information or signposting to services. Is confident in developing positive relationships with parents and carers, including when circumstances are challenging or conversations may be difficult. Has the resilience, empathy and professional judgement to work effectively with families experiencing complex or difficult circumstances. Can work confidently with colleagues and external professionals as part of a multi-agency approach , including contributing to meetings and coordinated support plans. Has a sound understanding of safeguarding and child protection and understands the importance of professional boundaries, confidentiality and accurate record keeping. Has excellent communication and interpersonal skills and can adapt their approach to the needs of different young people and families. Key responsibilities Build trusting and purposeful relationships with children, young people and their families. Identify and explore the underlying barriers affecting attendance, engagement, behaviour or well-being. Work directly with families to develop practical strategies and support plans that lead to positive and sustainable change. Undertake home visits and community-based work where appropriate. Work closely with school colleagues to identify students and families who may benefit from targeted support. Provide early and targeted intervention, recognising when a situation requires escalation or involvement from other professionals. Have appropriate and sometimes challenging conversations with parents and carers while maintaining a supportive, respectful and non-judgemental approach. Work collaboratively with pastoral, attendance, inclusion/SEND, safeguarding and other school teams. Work effectively with external agencies and contribute to multi-agency meetings and plans where required. Signpost and, where appropriate, actively support families to access relevant services and sources of help. Contribute to safeguarding processes and respond appropriately to concerns about children and families. Maintain accurate, timely and confidential records of interventions, contacts and outcomes. Monitor the impact of support and adapt approaches where interventions are not resulting in the desired change. Why join us? This is an opportunity to take on a role where the quality of your relationships, professional judgement and persistence can make a genuine difference to the lives of young people and their families . You will become an important link between school, home and the wider professional network around our students, working with families who may need both practical support and someone who can help them navigate the barriers preventing their child from succeeding at school. If you are an experienced family, youth, education, social care or community practitioner who is motivated by helping young people and families make meaningful change, we would be very interested to hear from you. As a school we are committed to supporting our staff to make a difference with young people. We will offer proactive support to access training and development opportunities and to help you grow in this role and in your future career.