Location: Nationwide
Contract Type: Freelancer, self-employed

We are looking for experienced Specialist Support Professionals to join our education team on a freelance basis, to provide support to students that are Deaf or Hearing Impaired. This is a highly rewarding opportunity, giving students the support they need to reach their full potential and making a meaningful difference to their lives.

Job Description:

To provide support to students in higher or further education who are Deaf or Hearing Impaired.

This support is bespoke support for the individual needs of students with a sensory impairment which reflects their method of communication, educational history, and experience. Support may include breaking down assignment briefs and English concepts, developing research and composition strategies, working on the structure and mode of presentations, organisation, time management, communication, etc., which should facilitate strategies for independent learning.

This support is not subject specialist support but support to enable access to the course. The SSP may also, where appropriate and with the student’s permission, provide advice to the HEP’s disability officers and teaching staff on the adjustments that could be made to create an inclusive learning environment for the student.

In addition to the overview above, the SSP role for deaf students uses appropriate communication strategies to enable access and understanding of carrier language (this is not subject-specific vocabulary), to support access to research sources and to support preparation for assignments. This support will include appropriate modification to allow for language of assignments.

Mandatory Qualifications/Training:

A deaf-related postgraduate qualification is required.

For example:
• Qualified Teacher of the Deaf
• PGDip/MA/MSC in BSL/English Interpreting
• MA/PhD in a deaf-related subject.
• MA Sign Linguistics
• MA in Deaf Education with Teacher of the Deaf status.
• PG Diploma Inclusive Education (Deaf Learners)
• MSc inclusive education with Postgraduate Diploma (deaf learners)
• PG Dip/MA Deaf Education Studies (Teacher of the Deaf).
• MA in Deaf Education Studies (Teacher of the Deaf)
• Post Graduate Diploma in Deaf Education
• MSc Deaf Education.
• Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Deaf Education
• Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Deaf Education
• PG Cert Ed (Sight Impairment)’
• PG Diploma Education of the Hearing Impaired
• PhD in a relevant deaf-related subject

OR
ANY Postgraduate qualification e.g. AFHE, FHEA, PGDip, PGDE, PGCE, MA, MSc, PhD etc.
PLUS a deaf-related specialist qualification.

For example:
• Deaf Studies degree
• CSW qualification
• BSL Level 4 or above
• BA (Hons) in Interpreting (British Sign Language and English)

A psychology degree is not acceptable. The list above is not exhaustive and if in doubt please contact the DSA Team at DfE to check.

PLUS
For a student whose preferred communication is BSL, the SSP must also have a BSL qualification at Level 2/3 or higher.

Please use this link to access the NMH Mandatory Criteria for this role: https://www.practitioners.slc.co.uk/media/1762/ssin-0919-dsa-mandatory_qualifications_and_professional_body_membership_requirements.pdf

Main Duties and Responsibilities:

• Provide advice on effective planning and preparing for assignments – for example, checking comprehension of the task and the understanding of written materials.
• Assist with planning/organisation of projects, the structure of essays or advise students about the presentation of written, signed or spoken work.
• Study, read and modify the language of course material to facilitate access to texts and comprehension.
• Provide support with sentence structure, verb tenses, word omissions as well as assist with the understanding of grammar (incorrect verb endings and spelling mistakes) as well as syntax (incorrect word order, words missed out, or included unnecessary and other abnormalities in the use of English).
• Explain unfamiliar words, or words that have not been specifically introduced to the student, and therefore cannot be lip-read.
• Assist with reading texts with the technical jargon and terminology related to the subject matter; this will include explanation of words with fixed meaning or multiple meanings in various contexts.
• At times, proof-reading of written work may be necessary.
• Assist and advice on preparation for examinations.
• To represent Clarion in a professional manner, this includes adhering to our policies regarding confidentiality, safeguarding, and maintaining professional boundaries.
• To work closely with the Education Team regarding the needs of individual students, ensuring that any concerns are addressed in a timely manner.
• To communicate effectively with the Education team regarding the student’s attendance.
• To complete Individual Learning Plans documenting the student’s progress and goals. This is to be reviewed on a termly basis.
• To monitor the number of sessions delivered to ensure support is kept within the allocated DSA allowance.
• To keep your knowledge and skills up-to-date ensuring that they are in line with practices of a Professional Body membership.
• Add to your Continual Professional Development on a yearly basis.