Welfare Officer

Location: Watford, Hertfordshire, WD18 6NS

Contract Type: Permanent

Contract Term: Part-Time/Full-Time

Salary: �25,119.00 - �29,777.00 Annually (FTE) Pro Rata for Hours and Weeks Worked (Subject to 2024/25 Pay Award)

Closing Date: Midnight, 26th Jul 2024

Start Date: As soon as possible

Positions Available: 1

Interview Date(s): To be confirmed

Job Title: Welfare Officer

Grade: H5 - H6; Scale point range 9 - 19

Salary Range: �25,119 - �29,777 (FTE - Pre 2024/25 Pay Award), Pro rata for hours and weeks worked

Hours and Weeks Worked: 35 hours/week, 40 weeks per year

Reports To: School Business Manager

Staffing Responsibility: First Aiders

Job Purpose:

• To support the Business Manager in promoting and managing student health and welfare.
• To provide efficient and effective day-to-day First Aid support.
• To contribute to the overall ethos, work, and aims of the Academy.

Key Responsibilities:
Welfare and First Aid Responsibilities:

• Promote and manage the physical and emotional health and wellbeing of students.
• Ensure students are attended to promptly.
• Administer first aid and care to students referred by staff or self-referred until they can return to lessons or are passed into the care of a parent, guardian, doctor, or hospital.
• Accurately record all visits.
• Write and review medical healthcare plans for students with health needs and share these appropriately.
• Write, review, and update welfare and first aid related school policies.
• Support students with medical issues, physical health, and emotional wellbeing, working with the Inclusion Team.
• Organize school health immunization programs.
• Provide information and first aid kits for staff leading school trips.
• Monitor and restock first aid kits around the school.
• Provide basic first aid knowledge to staff at the start of the academic year and inform staff of procedures for medical emergencies.
• Arrange appropriate training for First Aiders.
• Manage the welfare and first aid budget.
• Maintain the School First Aid room as an attractive, hygienic, and suitably equipped space.
• Provide timely health and wellbeing information to students.

Communication and Record Keeping:

• Ensure effective information sharing.
• Contact parents as appropriate and keep thorough records of conversations and actions taken.
• Liaise with relevant staff on issues arising through the care of students in the First Aid Room.
• Attend and participate in support staff meetings, sharing skills with others.
• Complete accident reports and pass them to Senior Leadership as required.
• Update medical records on the school database and liaise with parents for further information as needed.
• Liaise with local public health teams regarding immunizations and other medical matters.
• Respect medical and personal confidentiality while ensuring a "joined up" approach in student care.
• Identify patterns or trends in student welfare in conjunction with the Inclusion Team.
• Keep students' medical supplies up to date (e.g., epipens, inhalers).
• Conduct regular first aid stock takes and replenish stocks.

Training:

• Complete and participate in relevant training (e.g., Level 3 Child Protection) as required.

Ad Hoc:

• Work with the Business Manager during pandemics to implement health care facilities in line with Government Guidelines.
• Provide ad hoc support, information, reports, and spreadsheets regarding welfare and first aid queries.
• Undertake welfare duties at the discretion of the School Business Manager.
• Establish constructive relationships and communicate with other agencies and professionals.
• Comply with and report concerns regarding child protection, health, safety, security, confidentiality, and data protection.
• Ensure the Academy's processes and procedures support its commitment to Equal Opportunities for all.

The duties and responsibilities listed above describe the post as it is at present. This role will be reviewed annually as part of the performance appraisal process, and the post holder is expected to accept any reasonable alterations that may be necessary.

Person Specification

Attributes:

• Essential (or expected to train/qualify to that standard):

  • A professional, adaptable, and proactive attitude
  • Tact and absolute discretion in all matters
  • Polite and courteous
  • Confidentiality, probity, and integrity
  • Independence while being able to work as part of a team
  • Strong verbal and written communication skills
  • Ability to respond calmly, quickly, and willingly to urgent and unexpected requests
  • Confident and adaptable in liaising with the pastoral team and external agencies
  • Excellent time management

• Qualifications, Training & Relevant Experience:

  • A recent First Aid certificate
  • Experience working in a school setting
  • Good knowledge of ICT packages and systems
  • Experience as a Welfare Officer in a school setting (desirable)
  • Experience with SIMS and Go4Schools (desirable)

• Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

  • Ability to plan, organize, and prioritize effectively to meet deadlines
  • Ability to communicate complex information to a layperson
  • Ability to manage work pressure effectively

• Personal Qualities:

  • Strong people skills, fair-minded, and able to communicate well with a variety of audiences
  • Capable of delivering results under pressure and tight deadlines
  • Team player, willing to share in key decision-making
  • Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
  • Competent IT skills, including use of word processing, spreadsheets, and databases
  • Demonstrates good personal skills in a pleasant, friendly, and competent manner, able to welcome and reassure staff, students, and visitors