Vacancies

Term Time Only, 35 hours per week.

Experienced candidates: £21,522 pa (FTE: £27,007) This includes paid 30 minute break (Pay review pending).

Entry level candidates:  (no or limited experience but a passion to develop a career in this sector): £19,580 - £20,885pa (FTE £22,932 - £26,207). This includes paid 30 minute break.

About Running Deer

Running Deer is a not for profit organisation based in Dartmoor National Park, which supports adults and children with learning and mental health difficulties, disabilities, and those not in education, employment or training. We provide access to education, training, volunteering, life skills opportunities, and work experience through a variety of outdoors-oriented projects. These projects include the provision of a registered independent school and intervention programme.

Running Deer School provides small, specialist, high-support education provision for local education authorities. Firmly grounded in outdoor education and rural skills, and with a strong focus on core academic achievement, we work with children and young people between 8 and 16 with a range of special educational needs.

Running Deer School is a Trauma Informed School.

Job Description

This is a term time only position.

Case Workers make up the core team of Running Deer School and our Intervention Programme. Working alongside other Case Workers and our teachers you will work in small groups or 1:1 with our users delivering therapeutic activities and supporting them with their learning.

The majority of your time will be outdoors in our woodland and surrounding areas working on projects and activities that will stimulate our users, enabling them to grow both emotionally and academically.

Case Workers

• Support students with project-based learning as part of our students’ individualised educational learning plan
• support student with therapeutic activities and learning such as traditional and rural skills, bushcraft, working with horses and so on.
• help to develop our user’s individualised learning plans,
• support teachers with learning activities which fit in with the national curriculum and other award bodies such as ASDAN, Gateway and Open Awards
• report daily on our user’s individualised learning plans,
• guide the personal development of our students,
• understand their role in safeguarding our students and staff and work with one another, our safeguarding officers, and external agencies to safeguard children and young people,
• act as a key worker for one or more of our users, and collate information from other Case Workers
• work cooperatively with other staff and senior leaders.

Person Specification

You will:

• have experience in youth work or working within a school environment
• for entry level candidates have a passion to develop a career in this sector and have some experience of being employed in a working environment (not necessarily education).
• be able to enthuse and stimulate children and young people with additional physical, emotional, developmental or mental health needs to enable them to reach their full potential,
• be adaptable, display initiative, and be able to work independently; we value creativity and unique thinking,
• demonstrate your ability to work and plan cooperatively,
• demonstrate your ability to develop and deliver project-based learning as part of an individualised education plan,
• have excellent verbal and written communication skills,
• be committed to continuing professional development,
• be comfortable working with children and young people with additional physical, emotional, developmental, or mental health needs,
• be able to approach your role empathetically and without prejudice while maintaining professional distance and neutrality.
• be comfortable working outdoors in inclement weather.

Requirements Essential skills and qualifications:

• Experience in youth work, education, or community development in a sector with a focus on children and young people with special educational needs.
• Excellent core skills (Maths and English)
• Level 3 or higher qualifications (A-level or equivalent).
• A demonstrable understanding of information technology, including online reporting systems
• Be able to commute to our site, which is a remote location on the edge of Dartmoor

Desirable skills and qualifications:

• Experience working in an outdoor environment.
• De-escalation and restraint training (e.g., TeamTeach)
• Emergency First Aid at Work qualification.

Successful applicants will be subject to an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check, which will include a check against the Children’s Barred List. References will be taken up

Things to consider

The majority of the work associated with this role will be outdoors, and you will work in inclement weather. This role can be physically demanding, and includes walking and hiking on inclined and slippery ground, heavy lifting and carrying, and the use of hand tools.

Case Workers will need to be able to work with children and young people who may display aggressive or non-compliant behaviour in a sensitive but firm way, while at all times ensuring that they are kept safe and well.

Successful applicants will be subject to an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check, which will include a check against the Children’s Barred List. References are always taken up.

Please note:

To apply for this job please email info@runningdeer.org.uk for an application pack.

Do not send a CV or covering letter. Applications which include a CV or covering letter will be discarded.

You will be required to provide evidence of your right to work in the UK.

Applicants who qualify will be invited for an informal meeting with our Senior Management team at our Butterdon Wood site, near Moretonhampstead. Working for Running Deer doesn’t suit everyone, so this is an opportunity to meet the team, discuss your previous experience and any qualifications, have a look around, get a feel for the work that we do, and ask any questions you might have.

This interview will consist of a question and answer session, which will be scored against a predetermined set of questions. The highest-scoring applicants will then be selected.

Subject to a current DBS check including Children’s Barred List, and references, we will then make a formal offer of employment.

Once the offer of employment has been accepted, you will be invited to attend an induction day, and complete our basic training sessions including e-learning which will cover our policies, procedures, the safeguarding of children and young people, risk assessments, and a health and safety briefing.