Join Colchester Institute – Where Your Career Makes a Difference

At Colchester Institute, we believe in the power of education to transform lives and communities. As one of the leading providers of education and training in the region, we are proud to offer a dynamic, supportive, and forward-thinking working environment.

We are seeking a Inclusive Support Team Leader to join our team. In this role you will play a key role in ensuring students with SEND and inclusion needs receive the right support to succeed. You will be responsible for reviewing and assessing learner support requirements, coordinating Inclusive Support Practitioners (ISPs), and working closely with curriculum teams to deliver a high-quality, inclusive support service across Colchester Institute. Using your knowledge and expertise of SEND, high needs, and inclusive practice, you will help identify and remove barriers to learning, ensuring learners receive personalised support that enhances their experience, improves retention, and promotes successful outcomes throughout their study programme.

Job title: Inclusive Support Team Leader

Part Time, 4 days per week, 52 weeks per year.

Colchester Campus

About the role:

• Work with the admissions team to ensure applications from potential learners in your area, with identified needs are reviewed, EHCPs obtained, if needed, and assessed. Attend course area face to face interviews for EHCP and complex applicants, track applications and support these learners with their smooth transition to college; communicate with curriculum areas to advise on and provide information about prospective students with more complex needs. Ensuring necessary information is added, reviewed and updated on college systems.
• To manage ISPs and to ensure their performance management is undertaken, including carrying out inductions, probation processes, learning support walks, development reviews, objective setting, monitoring ISP’s learner feedback, and dealing with problems as they arise, including working closely with the P&C Business Partners to implement polices.
• To organise your ISPs timetables, for your allocated area, putting support in place at enrolment and throughout the year where referrals are made, and taking note of timetable changes and arranging absence cover, liaising with external agencies where required and co-ordinating staff for the out of class group sessions.
• To ensure pay claims for your ISPs are dealt with in a timely and efficient way, and to manage sickness and undertake return to work interviews.
• To support in events throughout the year such as Welcome Days and interview/enrolment events.
• To liaise with allocated curriculum areas to ensure needs of learners are communicated to, and understood by, teaching and support staff. To attend curriculum area staff meetings to ensure a good working relationship is formed.
• To maintain a thorough awareness of the needs of all learners with declared or emerging inclusion needs, reviewing their support regularly to ensure it remains appropriate, effective, and responsive to any changes in their circumstances.

Essential Experience:

• An awareness of the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion and an ability to ensure that all learner needs are met. Proven clear awareness of safeguarding.
• Active awareness of the Inclusive Support Practitioner role within an FE college and the allocation of ISPs against student timetables.
• An excellent understanding of Further Education and the role of Inclusive Learning Support.
• Experience in working in a diverse team.
• Proven experience of working effectively in an administration role.
• Experience of working with students and young people including face to face contact, both individually and in formal or informal meetings.
• Experience of liaising with parents and carers with diplomacy in sensitive situations.
• Excellent knowledge and understanding of SEND and a variety of practical and inventive ways in which learning needs can be supported in a college environment.
• Working knowledge and understanding of college safeguarding and Child Protection policies and procedures.

Essential Qualifications:

• Level 3 or equivalent qualification in maths and English or Literacy and Numeracy

Why join us?

At Colchester Institute, we value our staff and invest in their growth. Joining us means becoming part of a vibrant community dedicated to excellence in education and training. If you are passionate about making a difference and inspiring the next generation, we would love to hear from you.

We do not engage with recruitment or search agencies unless they have been officially contracted in line with our PSL.