Personal Education Advisor for Traveller and Refugee Children

Job Title: Personal Education Advisor for Traveller and Refugee Children
Starting Salary: £33,366 progressing to £36,124 pa pro rata to TTO
Hours: 37.0 Term time only (38 weeks)
Location: Stevenage - with travel across Hertfordshire
Contract Type: Fixed Term End Date - to 31st March 2026
Directorate: Childrens Services

About the team

You will work as part of the Access to Education for Travellers and Refugees Team (Education Provision & Access, Childrens Services)

We are a small, dedicated and well-established specialist team providing support to Traveller and Refugee families, schools, colleges and other professionals in accessing education (11-19) and maintaining attendance.

We work closely with Traveller families who live in houses and also on the many Traveller Sites across Hertfordshire.

There are 2 Access to Education Officers within the Team, each covering agreed areas of the County. The 2 Services for Young People Personal Education Advisor (PA) within the Team work closely alongside these posts to support positive outcomes for Traveller and Refugee young people.

Our Team receives Business Support from a dedicated officer.

About the role

This role involves responsibilities such as:-

• To identify Traveller and Refugee young people (11-19) living within Hertfordshire.
• To represent Services for Young People and The Access to Education Team for Travellers and Refugees, within Hertfordshire.
• To provide support to ensure that the needs of Traveller and Refugee young people are met so that they are able and motivated to engage in education employment and training, thus reducing young people who are not in Education Employment or Training (NEET).
• To work jointly with other professionals to support positive outcomes for Traveller and Refugee young people.
• To actively engage with Traveller and Refugee families to support access to Education.
• To provide annual reports detailing the work of the Personal Advisers within the Team.
• You will be required to travel across Hertfordshire as part of this role.

About you

Essential:

• Previous experience in working with schools, colleges and other education providers
• Evidence of working with other professionals to support positive outcomes for Young People (11-19).
• Understand the barriers to education facing Refugee and Traveller young people within the education system.
• Experience of working with children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and understanding of Hertfordshire's ongoing development within SEND.
• Ability to work flexibly and proactively using own initiative and to always travel independently across the County.
• Ability to work as part of a small team.
• Educated to "A" Level standard or equivalent. We will also consider candidates with relevant experience.
• Excellent Time Management essential
• Full UK Driving Licence and access to a vehicle.
• Ability to work at pace.

Desirable:

• Have worked with families and children within the education system.
• Have a good understanding and previous experience of working with Traveller and Refugee families.
• Ability to communicate and negotiate effectively both verbally and in writing with young people, adults and other agencies.

Job vacancies within the Access to Education Team for Travellers and Refugees do not often arise. This post has become vacant due to the retirement of the current post holder.

Working alongside the Traveller communities and Refugee families is truly a rewarding and fulfilling experience.

It provides the opportunity to make a difference for those children most at risk within the education system and beyond.

It also provides the post holder with the opportunity to work with a broad range of professionals. This requires the postholder to gain and develop equally broad areas of knowledge.

This job role is within the Community Services, level COM9 job profile. Please locate this via:

Job profiles - Community services

To hear more about this opportunity please contact Ann Halls for an informal discussion about the role Ann.Halls@hertfordshire.gov.uk or call 07580 743860

Interview Date: 24th March

Benefits of working for us



How to apply

As part of your application, please upload your most recent CV. Ensure your CV is up to date with your employment history (including any employment gaps), and including any training/qualifications. We encourage you to include examples of where you have demonstrated the requirements/criteria in the advert / job profile to allow the panel to fully recognise your skills and abilities. You will have the opportunity to include a short covering paragraph within your application to give us a little more information about your skills, knowledge, and experiences.

Disability Confident
We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer and guarantee an interview to anyone disclosing a disability whose application meets the minimum criteria for the post.

Safeguarding
This role has been identified as requiring a Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check.

Driving required
You'll need to have the ability to drive and/or travel around Hertfordshire, either using your own mode of transport or a company car to travel to other locations.

English Fluency
The ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post (for those whose language is a signed language the provision of a sign language interpreter who speaks English to the necessary standard of fluency will be required). Further information about the legal requirement can be found here.