Parent Engagement and Participation Lead

Job summary

This is an exciting opportunity to be part of a new pilot project, Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) in partnership between the Department of Health and Social Care, the Department for Education and NHS England to engage and consult with parent carer groups, to support schools to better meet the needs of neurodiverse children.

The candidate for this role will work closely with parents and carers, parent carer forums, schools and borough education teams to upskill schools and build their capacity to identify and meet the needs of children with autism and other neurodiverse needs. The candidate will support opportunities for learning and understanding between schools and parents and carers by leading on engagement and consultation, and will collate feedback through in-person or online group sessions as well as support collaboration among Integrated Care Boards (ICBs), local authorities, schools, parents, and carers to support neurodiverse children.

The successful candidate for this role will be passionate about engaging parents, carers, parent forums and schools to develop innovative ways to support the education and health needs of neurodiverse children in schools, and to help them to fulfil their potential using a partnership approach. The candidate will possess cultural sensitivity to a wide range of local community groups and backgrounds. We welcome and encourage applications from underrepresented groups.

Main duties of the job

The candidate will be part of a wider PINS team which aims to bring health and education specialists and expert parent carers into mainstream primary settings to:

1. Help shape whole school SEND provision

2. Provide early interventions at a school level

3. Upskill school staff

4. Support strengthening of partnerships between schools and parent / carers

About us

The principal objective of the Brandon Centre has always been to provide a professional, accessible and flexible service which responds to the psychological, wellbeing and social needs of young people under 25 years and their families.

Services include:

• individual psychological therapies for young people, using a range of evidence-based therapies

• Systemic integrative therapy for families

• parent support programmes

• therapeutic work in community settings (outreach)

Brandon Centre is a friendly and welcoming place to work that prioritises and is passionate about the young people it supports. It has a local reputation for providing a very high standard of therapy interventions. Some of the benefits of working here include:

• 35-hour work week

• 25 days leave + bank holidays +3 extra days over the Christmas period when the centre is closed

• An Employee Assistance Programme

• Pension

• Strong focus on clinical supervision and staff support