Secondary SEMH Outreach Advisor required:

To support improved outcomes for pupils with SEMH needs, behaviour that challenges and/or those at risk of suspension or permanent exclusion. The role strengthens early, coordinated support across mainstream schools through outreach, Experts at Hand and whole-system inclusion practice.

The SEMH Outreach Service is led by the Behaviour and Inclusion Consultant. The team is being developed to include two primary SEMH Outreach Advisors and two secondary SEMH Outreach Advisors, two Family Support Practitioners with one focused on primary and one on secondary, two SEMH Support Officers with one focused on primary and one on secondary, and a Data Analyst. The service is developing in line with national SEND and Alternative Provision reform, with a stronger emphasis on early intervention, ordinarily available inclusive practice, multi-agency working and strengthening capacity within mainstream schools so that children and young people receive the right support, in the right place, at the right time.

You will be part of a service that supports settings to deliver quality teaching, timely intervention and sustainable whole-school approaches that improve outcomes for vulnerable children and young people with SEMH needs and behaviour that challenges in our vibrant and diverse borough. The role will contribute to the local delivery of Experts at Hand, The Council’s model for timely access to specialist SEMH advice and support, by helping schools to access and apply advice quickly, coordinate preventative support and embed effective strategies before needs escalate.

You will work in a multi-professional way with the EHCP team, children’s social care, educational psychologists, the Inclusion team, health and mental health colleagues, alternative provision, other educational support services and families. This is an opportunity to shape a developing local authority model that strengthens early identification of SEMH needs, improves attendance and engagement, reduces suspensions and permanent exclusions, and helps schools build confidence, skill and resilience in meeting needs within mainstream settings.

The role:

• To work across educational settings within the Council to improve the standard of teaching, learning and inclusion for pupils, and to develop early intervention programmes and resources for pupils with SEMH needs or who are at risk of exclusion.
• To contribute to the development and delivery of the Council’s Experts at Hand model for SEMH by coordinating access to specialist advice, supporting schools to identify unmet needs earlier, and ensuring that practical strategies are embedded in everyday classroom and whole-school practice.
• To work collaboratively with local authority officers so that pupils with complex needs referred through the Fair Access Panel or alternative education pathways receive quality teaching, targeted intervention and coordinated support.
• To strengthen school capacity by developing behaviour and SEMH strategies and delivering training for staff across Council settings.
• To build the capacity of school leaders, SENCOs, inclusion leads and pastoral teams to deliver evidence-informed SEMH support, reduce reliance on crisis responses and strengthen ordinarily available provision across the local authority.
• To support a caseload of pupils with SEMH needs or behavioural challenges.
• To develop and maintain effective networks with school staff responsible for behaviour, SEMH and inclusion, supporting the embedding of good practice and sustainable capacity in local schools.
• To facilitate school-to-school support, build capacity and raise standards by developing behaviour and inclusion networks that enable good practice to be shared across Lambeth.
• To support networks by working collaboratively with schools, professionals and families.
• To develop and support educational pathways that promote successful transition, reintegration and preparation for adulthood.
• To deliver a behaviour and SEMH CPD programme for school staff and work collaboratively with school support services.
• To support schools to review behaviour, SEMH and inclusion policies and practice, using evidence-informed reflection, coaching and development planning.
• Responsibilities:
• Provide behaviour and SEMH outreach support within schools and coordinate input with team managers from pupil support services.
• Support schools to develop the role of inclusion leads and make effective use of available resources.
• Work collaboratively with the Inclusion team to compile information and analyse school data, using this to evaluate inclusion practice, draft reports and briefings, inform target setting and agree performance measures with appropriate stakeholders.
• Develop and implement a local authority strategy for early intervention for SEMH and behaviour across school settings and post-16 provision, aligned with SEND reform, alternative provision reform and the principle of providing the right support at the earliest point.
• Support the operational development of the Experts at Hand model for SEMH, including triaging requests for support, coordinating specialist input, quality assuring advice to schools, monitoring follow-up actions and ensuring that interventions are timely, proportionate and focused on building school capacity.
• Provide leadership and day-to-day coordination for agreed SEMH outreach priorities, including allocating and reviewing work, supporting colleagues, contributing to supervision and reflective practice where required, and escalating risks or barriers to the Behaviour and Inclusion Consultant.
• Manage key relationships with schools, alternative provision, health, social care, Educational Psychology, Early Help and other local authority services to ensure that support for pupils with SEMH needs is coordinated, purposeful and focused on early help, reintegration and improved outcomes.
• Support the development, implementation and monitoring of strategies that improve outcomes for pupils at risk of suspension or permanent exclusion.
• Facilitate school-to-school support to build capacity and raise standards across groups of schools, including supporting partnerships, federations and multi-academy trusts in line with local policies.
• Support relevant managers to provide a locally determined school improvement function that is differentiated and champions the needs of pupils within inclusion
• Implement and monitor specified performance objectives, including evaluating the impact of interventions, and use this to plan support for individual schools: at teacher, subject leader, and governor, school, or MAT level.
• Manage the identification and dissemination of best practice, assessment, learning and leadership across appropriate stakeholders.
• Develop and deliver a range of training and development opportunities which contribute to raising standards across the Council’s for pupils in line with Lambeth’s SEN and inclusion Strategy
• Support schools to review behaviour, SEMH and inclusion policies and practice with senior leaders, using triangulated evidence, analysis and coaching to strengthen teaching, learning and whole-school approaches.
• Contribute to departmental, directorate and corporate performance plans as required, setting objectives to ensure that early intervention, behaviour and SEMH outreach develop in line with local needs, service user feedback, national standards and SEND/AP reform expectations.
• Develop and lead Behaviour and Inclusion Outreach meetings.
• Seek ways to develop the multi-agency services provided so that they model best practice and ensure the safe care of children and young people.
• Promote the use of inclusion and outreach services in a reflective and creative way to enhance teaching and learning, improve attendance and reduce exclusions in schools, early years and alternative education settings.
• Attend Primary and Secondary Inclusion Panels and tribunals where necessary.
• Carry a caseload supporting the reintegration of pupils presented at the Fair Access Panel.
• Support schools to understand and respond to data on suspensions, permanent exclusions, attendance and behaviour.
• Use data, case tracking and service intelligence to identify patterns of need across the local authority, evaluate the impact of Experts at Hand and outreach support, and inform commissioning, workforce development and targeted capacity-building activity.
• Contribute to the management and continuous improvement of the outreach service, including supporting induction, modelling high-quality practice, contributing to service planning, monitoring agreed performance measures and promoting consistent standards across casework, training and school-facing advice.Qualifications & Experience
• Qualified secondary teacher: PGCE or equivalent
• Qualified SENCO, senior leadership experience with responsibility for inclusion/SEMH, or equivalent demonstrable experience leading whole-school inclusion, behaviour or SEMH provision.
• Detailed knowledge of national legislation, statutory guidance and the legal framework relating to exclusions, suspensions, SEND and alternative provision, including how these duties apply to early intervention, reintegration and mainstream inclusion
• Robust understanding of the needs of pupils with SEMH and behavioural challenges, evidence-informed strategies to support them effectively, and how early intervention, relational practice and coordinated outreach can reduce escalation, suspensions and permanent exclusions
• Secure knowledge of equality, diversity and inclusion legislation and policies, and how these apply to pupils, families, schools and local authority decision-making
• Understanding of the impact of racial and socio-economic disadvantage, trauma, unmet need and inner-city deprivation, and the ability to develop appropriate, inclusive and preventative responses with schools and partners
• Up-to-date knowledge of educational research and best practice relating to behaviour, safeguarding, inclusion, SEND reform, alternative provision reform, ordinarily available inclusive practice and whole-school approaches to SEMH
• Understanding of multi-agency early help, Experts at Hand approaches and workforce capacity building, including how specialist SEMH advice can be translated into sustainable classroom, pastoral and whole-school practice in mainstream schools.
• Experience of analysing and using data, case tracking and service intelligence, including suspensions, permanent exclusions, attendance and behaviour trends, to inform early intervention, operational practice and targeted capacity-building support.
• Experience of coordinating, overseeing and reviewing interventions for pupils with SEMH needs or those at risk of exclusion, including ensuring timely follow-up, clear outcomes and effective communication with schools and families
• Practical experience of designing and delivering professional development, coaching and training for teachers, school leaders and support staff to strengthen SEMH practice and whole-school capacity
• Proven secondary teaching experience, demonstrating the ability to raise standards, improve outcomes and adapt provision for pupils with SEMH needs or barriers to engagement
• Ability to plan, prioritise and manage a varied workload, including holding an individual caseload, coordinating outreach activity and balancing strategic, operational and school-facing responsibilities with minimal supervision
• Experience of effective multi-agency working, contributing to collaborative planning, problem solving and coordinated early help across education, health, social care, alternative
• Experience of developing strategic plans to improve inclusion and outcomes, including drafting or contributing to SEND, behaviour, early intervention, reintegration and/or alternative provision policies, guidance or protocols
• Proven experience of working with and advising senior leaders, including headteachers, deputy heads, SENCOs and inclusion leads, to strengthen whole-school approaches to SEMH, behaviour and inclusion, including policy development, strategic planning, ordinarily available provision and workforce capacity building
• Experience of coordinating, supervising or line managing staff, projects or workstreams, including setting priorities, reviewing progress, supporting reflective practice, quality assuring work, managing risks and contributing to service improvement within a multi-disciplinary or school-facing service.

To apply for this post, please forward your CV with your contact details and a consultant will call you to discuss.

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