Pupil Support Assistant Level 3

Pupil Support Assistant (3)

The Education & Children's Services Directorate is committed to improving life chances for all through a wide range of services which support our children, young people, families, and the wider Fife community. Our approach to improvement is rooted in our core values: Compassion, Ambition, Respect, and Equity which reflect the ethos, culture, and practice principles of all staff across the directorate. We strive to ensure that our attitudes and behavior reflect these core values in all our dealings with children, young people, their families, and the wider community in partnership with those who support them.

As part of your application, you must provide a supporting statement which outlines how your skills and experience make you a good candidate for this vacancy. Without a supporting statement, your application will not be progressed. Please upload your supporting statement at the section marked 'upload resumé'. Your supporting statement must not be a CV.

Please consider and demonstrate the following when completing your supporting statement:

• Ways in which you have demonstrated that you can work effectively as part of a team.
• Ways in which you have worked with others to meet all learners needs.
• Ways in which you have built and sustained positive relationships that have led to positive outcomes for learners.

We are looking for a committed Pupil Support Assistant (3) who is passionate about improving life chances for all, so that children and young people can achieve their full potential. As a Pupil Support Assistant (3), you will work under the direction and supervision of a class teacher or member of the school's leadership team to assist teaching staff in supporting pupils with significant learning or health needs to access the curriculum and to ensure they participate in an inclusive school experience.

As a PSA 3 you will be required to:

• Support pupils/children individually or in small groups in planned curricular activities and in the case of teacher absence, continuing to implement the planned learning programme for a short period (up to and including 3 days).
• Participate in appropriate planning, preparation, and target setting for Individualised Educational Programmes (IEPs).
• Build and maintain a rapport with pupils and staff when involved with pupils/children on outreach programmes ensuring the successful delivery of shared support programmes.
• Contribute to a stimulating learning environment and programme by supporting the work of the teacher and assisting in the timetabling and organisation.
• Ensure that pupils/children are supported to participate in their individual planning and positive behaviour programmes.
• Contribute to preparing, planning, target setting, and reporting procedures for individual pupil plan and Child's Plan as appropriate.
• Contribute to written records of the progress of pupil support programmes.
• Liaise with parents/carers and partner agencies and contribute to the overall ethos of the school.
• Contribute towards risk assessments associated with school activities.
• Use specialist equipment to enable pupils with severe physical impairment to access information communication technology (ICT) and being familiar with specific technologies for each subject.
• Use specialist skills in a variety of communication methods to facilitate pupils' access to the lesson/subject and classroom interactions. This may include the use of sign language, Braille, augmentative and alternative communication equipment, bilingual input, or the interpretation of verbal and written instructions.
• Organise and participate in lunchtime clubs/learning support clubs as appropriate to school and pupil needs.
• Offer a high level of care to enable the pupil/child to function to their full potential e.g. gastrostomy/peg feeding, administration of medication, toileting, catheterisation, etc.
• Provide reassurance to pupils/children as necessary.
• Support pupils/children to participate in school activities e.g. in the playground/leisure activities/school outings/residential experiences/practical class activities.
• Handle cash/cheques or equivalent as necessary.

You are required to have good levels of interpersonal skills and abilities which will enable you to work as a member of a team to ensure positive outcomes for all children and young people. Experience of supporting young people with additional support needs is required.

Before confirming to your appointment, you will be required to obtain Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme membership through Disclosure Scotland and become a member of the relevant PVG scheme.

Educated to SCQF level 7 which includes HNC Childhood Practice, OR SVQ Social Services Children and Young People or equivalent.

Qualifications we will accept include:

• HNC Childhood Practice
• SVQ3 Social Services (Children and Young People)
• SVQ3 Childrens Care Learning and Development or predecessor
• SVQ3 Childcare and Education or SVQ3 Early Education and Childcare
• SVQ3 Health and Social Care (Children and Young People)
• HNC Additional Support Needs: Supporting the Individual
• HNC Early Education and Childcare · A qualification meeting the registration requirements of the General Teaching Council (Scotland)

You must have the ability to register with SSSC within 6 months of taking up employment in this role (Early Learning Centres/Primary and Special schools only) and must complete the required Post Registration Training and Learning (PRTL) over the registration period.

Good IT Skills.

As this role requires SSSC registration, the successful applicant will have three months to apply for registration. If appointed, you must start your application as soon as possible so you're registered within the required six months. If you need to achieve a qualification to maintain your SSSC membership, information will be provided if you are appointed. You must ensure you complete the qualification within the specified timeframe.