Therapeutic Pastoral Lead | Compass Schools

Who we are

Compass Community School Mounfield’s House is a part of a passionate, well respected and forward-thinking family of schools throughout the country.

We are an independent specialist day school providing high-quality, therapeutic and child-centred education to boys and girls from 6 to 17 years of age in Loughborough. Our children come from a wide range of backgrounds but all have Social, Emotional and Mental Health needs (SEMH), and many will also have other Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) such as Autism, ADHD, and communication difficulties. Many will have suffered significant trauma and adverse childhood experiences and may have social care involvement.

We are part of a strong, supportive network, both locally and nationally, which is committed to providing a safe and inclusive learning environment where everyone is valued and encouraged to reach their full potential, regardless of their starting points or barriers to learning. Aspirations for both students and staff are incredibly high.

The work we do is both varied and challenging and, as a trauma and attachment informed organisation, all staff are provided with extensive therapeutic training and support. Our closely triangulated approach places the child at the centre of decision making, ensuring that education and therapy professionals, parents/carers, local authority teams and, most importantly, our students can work together to secure outstanding outcomes for all.

We place as much importance on academic and vocational excellence as we do on personal growth, resilience, self-regulation, and personal and character development.

Motivate Educate Inspire

‘Compass Community Schools motivate children and young people to engage with education and overcome barriers to learning. Our vision is to inspire learners to make positive life choices and to provide pupils with a therapeutic education which enables them to make the most of their life chances.’

MAIN PURPOSE OF JOB:

We are looking for someone who is adaptable and is ready to learn and grow with the school. We are a therapeutic school and believe in a healing approach to supporting and modifying challenging behaviour. Our Therapeutic Pastoral Lead needs to embody, lead and facilitate this in our schools by working holistically.

Therapeutic Pastoral Leads work within our leadership group in school as a key member of the local leadership team. They are co-managed by Regional SENCOs and the Therapeutic Development Manager. We view this position as an integral role within our school community and, as such, we are looking for someone with capacity and skills to work at this level.

The successful candidate will be calm and sensitive at times of potential dysregulation and they will be experienced in de-escalation, having a working and practical knowledge of key theories and frameworks of interventions which will emotionally support children. The Therapeutic Pastoral Lead will need to be dedicated to our desire to improve the quality-of-life for our community and embody this in both their knowledge and conduct.

As the Therapeutic Pastoral Lead within Education and the Therapeutic Services Team, you will be part of our holistic approach of conjoined and multi-agency working, linking our services together.

The successful applicant will receive specialist training in our Assessing and Healing Childhood Trauma (AHCT) approach and, in turn, promote and enable all education staff to fully understand how this supports students in our care.

The Therapeutic Pastoral Lead will enable staff in a range of ways to recognise the destructive elements that trauma plays on child development and how this acts as a barrier to children being able to access education, thus promoting a philosophy of therapeutic understanding by being a key part of child-focused discussions and training.

You will run meaningful intervention groups with young people and role model application of therapeutic interactions and best practice.

The successful candidate will be responsible for;

• the pastoral, SMSC, Socio-Emotional resilience and personal development of students.
• Assessment, monitoring, reporting upon, and supporting the overall holistic progress and personal development of students.
• ensuring that safeguarding is paramount and safeguarding policies are adhered to.
• contributing to the annual School Improvement Plan and School Evaluation Form
• maintaining knowledge of, and taking shared responsibility for, the SMSC and Personal Development elements of the Independent School Standards and the Ofsted Inspection framework, working to promote these on a day to day basis.

Why work for Compass?

• Being a part of a progressive and forward-thinking organisation which puts children first.
• Competitive salary.
• Ongoing training and therapeutic support. Access to professional therapeutic clinical group supervision supporting your CPD growth.
• Attendance at national therapeutic conferences with the Therapeutic Services team to continue to develop your theoretical knowledge.
• As Therapeutic and Education Services continue to expand and develop there are excellent opportunities for career progression.
• A commitment to staff retention, development and equality.
• Employee benefit service with access to hundreds of wellbeing services, salary sacrifice schemes, high street vouchers, money off eating-out and takeaways thought PerkBox.
• Internal monthly reward and recognition via REACH Awards.
• Annual performance reviews with opportunity for development and salary increase
• Extensive and meaningful induction
• Extensive training and professional qualification opportunities
• Full school holidays
• The chance to be part of an expanding, national organisation that recognises skill, effort and potential and grows its own leadership teams
• Enhanced occupational sickness scheme
• Flexible pension
• Specialist, approachable and responsive SLT
• Regular therapeutic and supportive supervision

Safeguarding

• This role is subject to an enhanced DBS check.
• Compass Community Schools are committed to safeguarding children and young people and we expect everyone who works in our school to share this commitment, including proprietors, governors and visitors.
• Adults in our school take all welfare concerns seriously and encourage children and young people to talk to us about anything that worries them. We have an established culture of vigilance to protect children from harm.
• All children are taught about safeguarding, including online, through various teaching and learning opportunities, as part of providing a broad and balanced curriculum. Children are taught to recognise when they are at risk and how to get help when they need it.
• We will always act in the best interest of the child.

Requirements:

• Experience of a similar pastoral, holistic and/or child-facing role within an educational setting.
• Experience of working within a multi-agency approach
• Experience of working with children who may have social care involvement (CiN plans, CP plans, CLA etc)
• Experience delivering training and/or leadership and small team management.
• Strong understanding of attachment and loss.
• Evidence of therapeutic training/qualifications
• Psychological/counselling courses attended is desirable
• Active, energetic, creative, outgoing and empathic character.
• Excellent spoken and written communicator. Fluent English speaker.
• Full driving licence
• Experience of group work with young people
• Experience of assessment in intervention
• Understanding responsibilities in protecting their own health, safety and wellbeing and that of their colleagues and others.