Head of Deaf Support Service

Help us make a difference for deaf children and young people across Sheffield

We are looking for an experienced and inspiring qualified Teacher of the Deaf to lead and develop Sheffield Deaf Support Service. The Service supports deaf babies, children and young people, and children and young people with hearing loss, across home, early years, school and college settings.

At the heart of the role is ensuring children and young people can access education, participate fully and achieve positive outcomes. You will champion their needs and rights, working in partnership with families, education settings, health and social care, and local authority colleagues.

What you will be doing

• provide strategic and operational leadership for integrated resource provisions and the specialist peripatetic team;
• lead, support and develop a high-performing specialist workforce and a culture of continuous improvement;
• ensure high-quality, equitable support, including early intervention, family guidance and effective transitions;
• strengthen inclusive practice through specialist advice, support and constructive challenge to settings;
• build strong partnerships and ensure effective contributions to statutory assessment, review and transition processes; and
• lead service planning, quality assurance, budgets and resources, using evidence and national standards to improve impact and shape sustainable deaf support across Sheffield.

About you

We are looking for a qualified Teacher of the Deaf who combines strong specialist knowledge and teaching experience with collaborative leadership. You will understand progress, achievement and attainment, and how specialist support removes barriers to learning, participation and inclusion.

• leading, motivating and developing specialist staff to achieve high standards;
• working collaboratively with families, education settings and health and social care professionals;
• supporting early language and communication, family-centred intervention and transitions;
• using specialist approaches, signed communication and assistive technology effectively;
• using service, caseload and outcomes information to evaluate impact, set priorities and improve services; and
• applying SEND, safeguarding, equality and HR requirements, managing budgets and communicating complex information clearly.

What matters to us

We want a leader who puts children, young people and families at the heart of the Service and brings high expectations, strong professional values and a commitment to inclusion, openness, honesty and partnership.

Interested?

Please use your application to show how your experience, knowledge and leadership approach meet the role requirements.

For an informal conversation, please contact: Jo.Laidlaw@sheffield.gov.uk 

We are investing in our workforce and are promoting opportunities to our under-represented groups.  We value equality, diversity and inclusion and are focused on increasing the diversity of our workforce, particularly the number of Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic, Disabled and LGBTQ+ people, so that our teams reflect the communities in the city we serve. We are also supporting staff with unpaid caring responsibilities to work flexibly.

It is a great time to join us and we welcome your application.

Under the Guaranteed Interview scheme, applicants who are disabled, care leavers, or armed forces veterans will be guaranteed an interview if they meet the essential criteria and indicate their eligibility on the application form.  Sometimes, if lots of people apply, we might not be able to interview everyone who qualifies for the Guarantee. In these cases, we’ll interview the candidates who best meet the essential criteria for the job.

Full-time employees work 27.5 hours for 52 weeks of the year and we offer a generous holiday entitlement. We are open to discussions about a wide range of flexible working opportunities which benefit you and the Council, including reduced hour contracts, working part time or as a job share.

If you are appointed to this role, your starting salary will be at the bottom of the grade. If you provide payslip evidence that your basic pay is greater than the bottom of the grade, we will consider starting you at the point of minimum advantage within the grade. 

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all individuals, ensuring a safe and supportive environment for everyone and where appropriate to the role the successful applicant will be required to undertake relevant safeguarding checks.